Victorian Holidays (Australia) Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Living down under our calendar is somewhat different from our northern friends, thus New Year's Day actually falls on the last day of the previous year.

Answer: False

To tell the truth our calendar isn't all that whacky, New Year's Day still falls on 1 January, the same as everywhere else. However it is summer down under, which makes a public holiday more enjoyable.

2. On 26 January, we Australians celebrate the birth of our nation. What do we call this auspicious day?

Answer: Australia Day

Australia Day, is where we fire up the barbie, crack a tinnie (open a beer) and muddle our way through the national anthem. We're actually celebrating 26 January 1788, the day Captain Arthur Phillip took formal possession of the colony of New South Wales (as Australia was known in the beginning), and became the first Governor.

3. Australia is a very romantic nation and our forefathers decided to make 14 February, St. Valentines Day, a national holiday.

Answer: False

Alas, no. Even though we'd love the day off to wine and dine with our loved ones we still have to front up at work. However that doesn't stop the workplace being cluttered up by all those heart shaped balloons and flowers.

4. In Victoria on the second Monday of March we get the day off to celebrate the introduction of the 40 hour week (8hr day). What do we call this day in Victoria?

Answer: Labour Day

In 1856, a group of workers, mostly stonemasons and other skilled building workers, won an eight-hour working day from their employers. Soon after, it became a widespread principle for building workers to work an eight-hour day without a reduction in their pay.

It was widely celebrated as a world first and Australia became known as a worker's paradise. Information courtesy of Museum Victoria.

5. Being a former colony of the UK, Victoria had an extraordinary number of Irish convicts, many of whom went on to become respected citizens in business and government. A group of noted businessmen with colleagues in government made 17 March, St. Patricks Day, a public holiday.

Answer: False

We might not get the day off, but we still manage to celebrate with green beer, Guinness, and silly leprechaun hats.

6. On 25 April the whole of Australia stops, not just Victoria, to remember those who fought in various wars. What is this day called?

Answer: Anzac Day

ANZAC means Australia New Zealand Army Corps. We have parades of veterans and memorial services at all of our RSL Clubs (Returned Servicemens League). At 9.00 pm every night in every RSL club in Australia (even during trivia nights), one minute of silence is observed, lest we forget.

7. Australia is still a monarchy and as such we celebrate our monarch Elizabeth II's birthday in Melbourne on the the first Monday of June.

Answer: False

In actual fact Queen Elizabeth II was born on the 21st April 1926 and the holiday is proclaimed on the second Monday is June. This date is believed to relate to George III who was born on 4 June and was the monarch in power when Australia was founded in 1788.

Other sources quote Queen Victoria who was born on 24 May 1817. Another reason for Australia not celebrating 26 April is that is only one day away from Anzac Day. Except WA.

8. In Victoria we have a public holiday for a horse race. Horses come from all over the world to race for millions of dollars in prize money. What is this name of this race?

Answer: Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is run on the first Tuesday in November. The first Melbourne Cup was run in 1861 at Flemington Race Course and was won by Archer, a horse from Nowra, New South Wales. The prize was a gold watch and �170. It has run every year since. Rural cities in Victoria take a day off on their own cup days if they're lucky enough to have a racetrack.

9. The 25th December in Victoria is called by its traditional native name of Wirripundi Day.

Answer: False

We still call it Christmas Day here too. The traditional Christmas fare has gone by the wayside with many families preferring to have Christmas barbecues in the backyard or at the beach.

10. Our final day off for the year is 26 December. Living in the antipodes down south here we tend to call this day Pugilistic Day.

Answer: False

No, it's still Boxing Day here too. Some historians say the holiday developed because servants were required to work on Christmas Day, but took the following day off. As servants prepared to leave to visit their families, their employers would present them with gift boxes. Two of the days were not public holidays but we still get 10 counting Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Source: Author go_broncos

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Exit10 before going online.
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Victorian Holidays (Australia) Quiz

In the state of Victoria in Australia we have ten paid public holidays off from work, which we reckon is great. Let's see what you think. Good luck.

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