Harmony celebrations
Harmony Week is an annual celebration of Australia’s cultural diversity and the benefits it brings to the Australian community. This year Harmony Week will be held from 17 to 23 March. This includes the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) on Friday 21 March. It is an Australian Government initiative led by the Department of Home Affairs.
Since 1999, more than 80,000 Harmony Week events have been held across Australia in:
- childcare centres
- schools
- community groups
- churches
- businesses and
- federal, state and local government agencies.
Harmony Week
Harmony Week is a time to celebrate that Australia is one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world. It is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.
Our cultural diversity
Our cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is at the heart of who we are. It makes Australia a great place to live.
Building on over 65,000 years of First Nations cultures, Australia has become home to migrants from nearly 300 different ancestries. Australia’s immigration history has helped build our modern nation.
An integrated multicultural Australia is an integral part of our national identity. All people who migrate to Australia bring with them some of their own cultural and religious traditions. They also take on many new traditions. Collectively, these traditions have enriched our nation.
Facts and figures
There are some fascinating statistics about Australia's diversity that can be good conversation-starters:
- More than half (51.5 per cent) of Australian residents were born overseas or have at least one parent who was.
- Since 1945, more than 7.6 million people have migrated to Australia.
- Nearly every single country from around the world was represented in Australia's population in 2020.
- More than 150 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages are spoken in Australia
- Apart from English, the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Punjabi.
- We identify with over 300 ancestries.
This information has been taken from ABS 2021 Census Data. For more information visit the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.
Celebrating our diversity
Let's come together with friends and family and through schools, workplaces and our wider communities to celebrate our diversity.
Getting involved can be as simple as hosting an event or attending a local celebration. For more information visit Get involved and free resources.
To show your support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia you can also wear something orange, the official colour of Harmony Week.
Orange for Harmony Week
Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Week. Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. Australians can choose to wear something orange during Harmony Week to show their support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia.
