I wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we stand, the Kulin Nation, and I pay my respects to their elders.
It is a great pleasure for my wife Lynne and I to again be present for this traditional flag raising ceremony in the heart of our city of Melbourne on Australia Day 2004.

In the year since we were last gathered here, Australia has changed, as it must. It is constantly growing, evolving, redefining itself. It changes as we change.

Today is an opportunity, a moment to reflect on how we have changed as a country and to think of what Australia means to each of us; to think of all that has been achieved in the relatively short history as a nation and to give thanks to those who have made Australia the free and fortunate country it is today.

It is a time to think of what Australia means to each of us as an individual. For while it is home to us all, it means something personal and something special to each one of us.

There are many different Australias because there are many different communities, be they urban or rural, each with their own social, cultural, religious or sporting differences, and yet, in the words of the song that has become one of our 'unofficial anthems', "We are one, we are many, we are Australian".

Whether thousands of years ago by land, in sailing ships, or in more recent times by air, our families have all come from distant places to a new life in Australia.

We value our individual heritage and our cultures but we have also created an entity, a whole nation so much richer and so much stronger than the sum of its separate parts.

We are also drawn together by our national symbols which distinguish us from other nations: our distinctive and beautiful native flora, our unique fauna, and our natural features such as the landmarks of Uluru, the Great Ocean Road and the Great Barrier Reef.

One of the most recognisable national symbols of any country is, of course, its flag, and it is with great pride that we raise our flag here today.

During our development as a nation, Australians have rallied to this flag, fought under it in conflicts abroad, and competed in international sports to see it raised repeatedly as a mark of success. When Australians travel overseas, it is an instant reminder of home.

Let us honour the flag, let us honour Australia, today and in the future.

And now let us enjoy ourselves, on this special day when so much entertainment is on offer to make this a lively and memorable Australia Day 2004.