Australia Day Dinner
January 23rd
Albany Club

Australia Day is celebrated on the 26th of January every year, marked by most Australians with a day off due to the national public holiday, along with parties, going to the beach and attending fireworks displays.

But do you really know what Australia Day really symbolises? Here are some interesting facts courtesy of Australia’s Fleet Care.

• The first recorded Australia Day celebrations were held on January 26, 1808 to mark twenty years since Captain Arthur Phillip raised the flag at Sydney Cove.
• Lachlan Macquarie was the first Australian Governor to hold the first “official” Australia Day celebrations in 1818, to mark thirty years of European settlement. The celebrations included a thirty gun salute and a ball at Government House.
• The first colony to declare Australia Day as a public holiday was New South Wales in 1838, on the 50th anniversary of the Sydney Cove landing.
• By 1888 nearly all of the colonies had declared a public holiday to celebrate Australia Day, but it wasn’t until the 1940’s that January 26th was agreed upon by all states as the proper day to celebrate.
• Now this we did not know, the two animals featured on the Australian coat of arms are the Emu and the Kangaroo – the reason for this being that neither animal can walk backwards, but instead can always go forwards, symbolising Australia’s desire to do the same.

 So with all this in mind, we invite you to join in the AWS Celebration on Friday January 23rd with our always popular sit down four course dinner, served with some of the finest wines Australia produces.

Your evening starts on the fourth floor at 6:30 pm, for bubbly and reception canapes, at 7:30 pm we move down to the main dining room for dinner with fine wines from the AWS cellar.

Australia Day Dinner Menu 

First Course 
Australian Roast Pumpkin Puree with Ginger Cream 

Second Course
Beetroot, Riverina Fetta Cheese, Walnut and Mint Salad

Third Course
Shiraz Braised Wiltidam Australian Lamb Shanks,
Wattleseed Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Vegetable Bundles 

Dessert Course
Lemon, Passionfruit and Ricotta Anzac Tart

Our Cellar Master John Macdonald has selected a diversity of fine wines for each course.

There will be entertainment from our good friend Peter Shaw, the strolling musician from down under. Peter asks you to bring your enthusiasm and your voice to join in and make this a memorable Australia Day evening.

The Albany Club is located at 91 King Street East, Toronto, 416-364-5471. Metered parking is available and parking lots are adjacent to the Club. The King streetcar stops at the door, east of the Yonge Subway station.

Please note that we are limited to 120 seats for this event, so reserve early. Tickets are $120.00 for AWS Members and Guests, including all taxes and gratuities. For men, suits and tie are appropriate, Black Tie optional and always welcomed, ladies evening wear or cocktail dresses please.

As table seating will be set in advance, (look for your table name on your name tag), we will reserve seating for groups, so please indicate the names in your group, when registering; maximum of 8 per table.

You can download the Registration Form here and mail to AWS, c/o Bernard Nottage, 71 Old Mill Road, Suite 310, Toronto, Ontario, M8X 1G9, or go on-line to reserve here. 

Future Events

The AWS Directors are lining up more wine centric events for 2015 that will include a high end wine tasting night, since we have a few iconic outstanding vintages to come out of the cellar. We are working on an Agent’s night; a special food and wine matching, the Summer Solstice has been booked with the Faculty Club for June and the AGM booked with Toronto Lawn Tennis Club for August.