News Service from House Harris

NSW: Thousands of colourful patriotic revellers hit Sydney

SYDNEY, Jan 26 AAP - Thousands of colourfully-dressed Australia Day revellers have poured into Sydney to mark the national holiday with barbecues, concerts and boat races.

And police expect that by the end of the day, up to half a million people will have flocked to Hyde Park and Sydney Harbour to commemorate the First Fleet's arrival on Sydney's shores in 1788.

Australians of all ethnic origins - displaying the national flag on t-shirts, hats and backpacks - have come to celebrate and dine on everything from traditional Aussie beef burgers and snags to Spanish paella, Thai stir-fry and Turkish gozleme.

Garry Trinh, 33, dressed in an Australian flag t-shirt, said it was the one day of the year when he could wear the flag with pride without feeling like a "bogan".

"Sometimes I think the Australian flag is hijacked by a lot of bogans, but today I feel like I can win it back for a day," he said.

He said he supported Australian of the Year Mick Dodson's call for a public debate about whether the date Australia Day is celebrated should be changed.

The indigenous rights campaigner has said many Aborigines view the First Fleet's arrival as invasion day.

"I think our culture is trying to change that image from being a First Fleet celebration to being a day which is about celebrating what we have, about celebrating all the stuff that makes Australia great," Mr Trinh said.

A traditional Aboriginal ceremony, called Woggan-ma-gule, kicked off the day at the Royal Botanic Gardens at 8.30am (AEDT), ahead of a vast array of events.

The Bureau of Meteorology has tipped a top of 25 degrees for Sydney, and 28 degrees for the west, but there is a chance of showers later.

But the weather won't stop people from firing up barbecues across the state, especially at Sydney's Hyde Park for the annual Great Australian Barbecue.

On Sydney Harbour, people are crammed aboard more than 2,500 vessels.

The colourful ferrython race was held just after 11am (AEDT), and was won by a ferry dressed up to resemble a giant duck.

Sean Stent, 36, decided to abandon the usual backyard barbecue to come into the city for celebrations and watch a mate play in a band at Circular Quay.

"I'm just proud to be an Australian, you know, the lifestyle we live here, all the comforts we experience here are great," he said.

Vintage military vehicle enthusiast Michael Jericerich, 65, brought his two World War II jeeps to Hyde Park for a display as he prepares to tour Turkey and European battlefields with the vehicles later in the year.

"These vehicles are part of Australian heritage," he said.

"These vehicles, they served us in the war and we wouldn't be here celebrating if they hadn't won the bloody war."

Laura Smith, 20, is working at a bar in Sydney for Australia Day celebrations but said she and her friends were looking forward to seeing the fireworks after work.

"It's nice to have all the different nationalities coming together to celebrate."

A middle-aged man, who did not wish to be named, perhaps summed up some of the Australia Day sentiment from years gone by.

"It's just another excuse to get pissed I suppose," he said.

The Sydney celebrations will wrap up on Monday night at Darling Harbour with a spectacular fireworks, sound and light display.