Picnic Day
Picnic Day
There are various origin stories of Picnic Day that have been surrounding the Northern Territory of Australia. The facts that we know for certain are that the holiday falls on the first Monday of August and it is public in the Northern Territory. Moreover, its most prominent tradition is Harts Range horse and lizard race, which gathers large public annually. The holiday refers to North Australia Railway workers, who have supposedly been celebrating events similar to Picnic Day for around two centuries. Some regions, like the capital city of Darwin, call the holiday Railway Heritage Picnic Day, and organize festivities including barbecues, concerts, games and sporting events.
The tradition of Picnic Day had been allegedly known since the 1800s, but it was not until the brink of the 20th century that it became popular among people other than railway employees. One of the legends states that the very first such picnic was celebrated by the freed Coolie indentured servants, who had done their fair share of work during the creation of the North Australia Railway. The most famous place for a Picnic Day at the beginning of the 1900s was Adelaide River; the celebrations had decreased since 1926, only to be renewed nine years later. In fact, the old issues of The Northern Standard state that the festivities were immensely successful on October 4, 1936. The abovementioned Harts Range events were initiated in 1946 by a race between two local inhabitants and the Webb brothers from Mount Riddock Station who sought to distinguish the fastest horse. On November 27, 1947, the first official race was held during the dry season. Some believe that it was the true beginning of Picnic Day observances, but these had been known for more than a century then. Nowadays, the holiday, similarly to the Harts Range race, is held on the first Monday in August.
Apart from lizard and horse races, the Harts Range event offers also rodeo, Novelty Races for children, cow tail toss, bull rides, and many games. It is not, however, the only attraction of the day in the Northern Territory. The town of Adelaide River organizes annual picnics, featuring traditional railway food, historical exhibits in the Sydney Williams Exhibition Hall, and family games such as tug-o-war, three-legged races, egg and spoon races or sack. Picnic Day is also the perfect long weekend for spending some private time with the family and organizing, as the name suggests, picnics or other outdoor activities.
The first Monday of August is a public holiday in the Northern Territory, which obliges schools and post offices to be closed. It is a special day for the region, because it does not relate to any other state or territory in Australia; this is the North way.