There are a few national occasions that still reach every corner of the state, from remote river towns to dense urban centres, inviting Australians to pause, reflect, and quietly take stock of who we are. Australia Day remains one of them. And in 2026, New South Wales is once again leaning into that responsibility with confidence.
On 26 January, 111 Australia Day Ambassadors will fan out across the state as part of the country’s most extensive Australia Day Ambassador Program, now entering its 36th year. From Balranald in the Murray region to Kyogle in the Northern Rivers, and from Parramatta to Blacktown in Sydney’s west, the program will touch every corner of NSW, reinforcing the idea that national pride is strongest when it is grounded locally.
This year’s ambassador cohort reads like a snapshot of modern Australia: accomplished, diverse, and unashamedly community-minded. Among them are a world-renowned interior designer, a celebrated Superbike champion, an award-winning flautist, respected chefs, media figures, medical professionals, and even the unmistakable voice behind Blinky Bill: different paths, shared purpose.
Each year, the Australia Day Council of NSW selects Australians whose personal journeys speak not only to success, but to service. In 2026, participation has increased again both in ambassador numbers and in the number of local government areas taking part, a telling sign that communities are choosing to mark the day in ways that feel meaningful, considered and inclusive.
NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper says the program remains one of the most effective expressions of what Australia Day represents at its best.
“Australia Day is an opportunity to celebrate what unites us. Our shared values. Our diversity. The spirit of mateship that defines our nation and what makes us inherently Australian,” he said.
“It is wonderful to see so many inspiring individuals volunteering their time to support Australia Day 2026 in NSW communities. The breadth of their collective achievements is truly remarkable.”
“The Australia Day Ambassador program and the sheer volume of local events planned across the state are a reminder of how strong our sense of community in NSW truly is.”
Ambassadors will play a hands-on role in local celebrations, presenting Citizen of the Year awards, attending community events, welcoming new Australians at citizenship ceremonies, and, in a nod to tradition, judging competitions that remain charmingly unchanged: thong throwing, yabby races, watermelon eating and backyard cricket.
It is this blend of ceremony and simplicity that continues to resonate. Australia Day, whether marked on a riverbank or in a city park, still works best when it is personal.
For first-time ambassador Fuzz Ali, TV cook, broadcaster and writer, the appointment carries particular meaning.
“I am excited to get out into the community, and to meet our local heroes who embody this spirit. People who have been here for more than 60,000 years, and those who arrived in our generation, all hoping to leave the world, and this wonderful country, better than how we first experienced it,” he said.
“I had the privilege of being born in Australia, growing up in Fiji, and returning to Australia as an adult, I’ve experienced the generosity of this country here at home, and out in the wider world. This is something worth celebrating.”
For Dr Cindy Pan, a general practitioner and television host who has served as an ambassador for more than 15 years, the commitment is deeply personal.
“It’s taken me to places I might otherwise not have visited and it’s a valuable opportunity to reflect and consider what it means to be an Australian, to consider my heritage and how my parents each came to be here; to explore and interrogate our family’s and our country’s past, appreciate our present, dream about our future,” she said.
These reflections sit at the heart of the 2026 theme: Reflect. Respect. Celebrate.
It is a reminder that national pride need not be loud to be lasting and that community, in all its forms, remains Australia’s quiet strength.
The full list of 2026 NSW Australia Day Ambassadors and their host communities is available at australiaday.com.au/about/australia-day-ambassadors.
by Yves Thomas – (c) 2026.
Read Time: 5 minutes.
About the Writer.
Something quietly magnetic about Yves Thomas is the poised calm of someone who’s seen the world from both sides of the reception desk. A graduate of Bangkok University International, Yves earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Tourism and Hospitality Management and stepped straight into the beating heart of Thailand’s travel industry.
She worked with some of the country’s finest destination management companies, mastering the art of making other people’s holidays unforgettable.
In time, the call of the open road grew louder than boardroom meetings. Yves packed her bags, swapped conference calls for compass points, and set off to rediscover the joy of travel on her own terms. Somewhere between Chiang Mai and Copenhagen, she began to write small reflections that soon became her travel blog, a journal full of warmth and insight.
Now calling Hua Hin home, Yves has joined Global Travel Media to share those reflections with a broader audience not as a publicist, but as a storyteller with a traveller’s soul and a professional’s eye for detail.
