Proclamation Day2026 · Date · History
South Australia’s current Public Holidays Act 2023 names 26 December as the Proclamation Day holiday, while the History Trust of South Australia documents 28 December 1836 as the first vice-regal proclamation reading and 1857 as the first commemoration. The two date contexts are kept separate.
About Proclamation Day
Proclamation Day in South Australia has two date contexts that should not be conflated: the historical commemoration is associated with December 28, while current South Australian law names December 26 as the Proclamation Day holiday.
The History Trust of South Australia ties December 28 to the first vice-regal proclamation reading at Holdfast Bay in 1836 and records the first commemoration in 1857.
Why Proclamation Day matters
The historical date remembers an event in South Australia’s colonial-government history, but the 1836 proclamation did not itself legally create the province; the South Australia Act 1834 and Letters Patent of February 1836 predated the reading.
A responsible account also recognizes that Kaurna people and other Aboriginal South Australians had histories and rights long before British colonization, rather than treating 1836 as the beginning of the land’s history.
History of Proclamation Day
South Australia’s province had already been established in Britain through the South Australia Act 1834 and Letters Patent issued in February 1836 before Governor John Hindmarsh reached Holdfast Bay.
On December 28, 1836, South Australia’s first vice-regal proclamation was read at Holdfast Bay; the History Trust explains that it announced the commencement of colonial government rather than legally proclaiming the province into existence.
The History Trust says the reading was first commemorated in 1857 and that some commemoration has thereafter been held each year on December 28.
Under South Australia’s current Public Holidays Act 2023, December 26 is the Proclamation Day holiday, with statutory additional-day rules in specified weekend or Monday cases.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
First documented observance
The History Trust of South Australia states that the reading of the first proclamation was first commemorated in 1857.
The current Act names 26 December as the Proclamation Day holiday and provides additional-day rules for specified calendar placements.
Parliament of South Australia · Public Holidays Act 2023
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
7 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
How to Observe Proclamation Day
Use the History Trust of South Australia to learn what the 1836 proclamation did and did not do.
Include Kaurna and broader Aboriginal history when discussing the colonial event instead of presenting British settlement as the beginning of South Australian history.
If attending a public commemoration, follow the current organizer’s ceremony and access guidance.
For work, opening-hours or leave planning, rely on the current South Australian public-holiday law and current official calendar rather than assuming the historical December 28 date is the statutory day off.
Proclamation Day Facts
The first vice-regal proclamation reading at Holdfast Bay took place on December 28, 1836.
The History Trust says the proclamation did not legally create the province of South Australia.
The History Trust records the first commemoration in 1857.
South Australia’s current Public Holidays Act names December 26 as the Proclamation Day holiday.
The current law includes additional-day rules when the Proclamation Day holiday falls on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
History Trust of South Australia — The first reading of the proclamation (opens in a new tab)
State History Institution
South Australia legislation — Public Holidays Act 2023 (opens in a new tab)
State Legislation
History Trust of South Australia (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Proclamation Day?
28 December; South Australia holiday is observed on 26 December with substitute rules The documented recurrence rule is: 28 December is the historical Proclamation Day date; South Australian public-holiday treatment has separate substitute-day rules.
Does Proclamation Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Proclamation Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: South Australia — public-holiday context. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Proclamation Day?
The documented basis is: South Australia’s current Public Holidays Act 2023 names 26 December as the Proclamation Day holiday, while the History Trust of South Australia documents 28 December 1836 as the first vice-regal proclamation reading and 1857 as the first commemoration. The two date contexts are kept separate.. Supporting evidence includes South Australia legislation — Public Holidays Act 2023. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is Proclamation Day international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: South Australia — public-holiday context. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-29.
When is Proclamation Day in South Australia?
The historical commemoration is associated with December 28. Current South Australian law separately names December 26 as the Proclamation Day holiday, subject to statutory additional-day rules.
Did the December 28, 1836 proclamation create South Australia?
No. The History Trust explains that the province had already been established through the South Australia Act 1834 and Letters Patent issued in February 1836; the December proclamation announced the commencement of colonial government.
When was the proclamation first commemorated?
The History Trust of South Australia says the first commemoration was in 1857.
Is December 28 the current statutory public holiday?
No. The current Public Holidays Act 2023 names December 26 as the Proclamation Day holiday, with additional-day rules for certain calendar placements.
Other observances on December 28
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