Australia Day 2022: Hundreds take to Victory Memorial Gardens in celebration

Hundreds flocked to the gardens for the event, some to volunteer, some to perform and others to rejoice in the festivities.

Some chose to celebrate the meaning behind the day, while others are indifferent and some are against it.

For African drummer, Felix Machiridza who performed at the morning service with fellow musicians, participating in the event is his way of giving back to his community.

Australia Day to Mr Machiridza is about coming together in collaboration and celebrating that unity.

"We love to do this [perform at the Australia Day event] as our way of contributing to the Wagga community," he said.

Mr Machiridza said the African Drummers who performed at the event come from Zimbabwe and India, but now proudly call Wagga home.

The group is well-known among residents, having performed across a string of community-based events over the years.

In the past, the group would frequent Wagga Beach to play, but with the pandemic, they were forced to scale down.

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For 81-year-old Pam Knight, the marking of the day is not what led her to participate in the celebrations and isn't something she necessarily stands behind.

"I think, it's an opportunity for all Wagga people from all different backgrounds to come together as one community," she said.

"That's what it's really about, that's what I think people are celebrating, they're celebrating the unity more than the representation of January 26."

Australia Day is held on January 26 each year to mark the landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, but for our First Nations People, January 26 has a different meaning as it marks the invasion of their land.

Also at the morning service was Lismore sand artist Steve Machell from Sandology who created an Australian Day sandcastle display featuring native animals.

The display, which Mr Machell began working on at 7 am that morning, proved popular.

"I've been doing sand art for about 25 years now," he said.

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