Grab Your Broom, It’s Cleanup Day in Australia

For the unfortunate towns of this state that were battered by Cyclone Marcia last week, every day since has been a cleanup day. For those people, come Sunday, March 1 when it is officially ‘Clean Up Australia Day’ I’m sure it will just be business as usual.

But what is Clean Up Australia Day?

Clean Up Australia Day

cleanerThe first cleanup day took place here in Australia back in 1990, so on Sunday it will be the 25th Clean Up Australia Day. It was a simple idea by an ‘average Australian bloke’ who wanted to clean up Sydney Harbour. His name is Ian Kiernan and any of you who have read my entire About Me page will know that Kiernan is my family name.

A distant relative maybe?

So with the help of co-founder Kim Mckay they managed to get 40,000 Sydneysiders donating their time and energy to clean up the harbour. The event has grown every year since then. Last year, for example, an estimated 572,406 volunteers cleaned up 15,708 tonnes at 7,140 sites across Australia.

Clean Up Australia Day was just the start though and it has now grown to include:

  • Business Clean Up Day
  • Schools Clean Up Day
  • Clean Up the Alps
  • Clean Up the Kimberley
  • Clean Up the World

Clean Up the World? That’s pretty much got everything covered, hasn’t it? Apparently, an estimated 35 million volunteers take part in around 130 countries annually, pretty impressive, eh?

Well done Mr Kiernan! Here he is talking about Clean Up the World. Can you see a likeness? Do you think he really is a relative of mine? This is Ian Kiernan…

And here’s what Clean Up Australia Day looked like in Townsville last year…

Do you have a cleanup day where you live?

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{ 6 comments… add one }
  • Gurunath Reddedesani July 10, 2021, 12:29 pm |

    These Clean-up day videos can really make us aware of what kind of cleaning efforts are made in Australia, and how that can make a place healthy and beautiful. Will definitely share it with more people in India.Thanks for posting.

  • Jane @ Modern Housewives April 27, 2017, 7:46 pm |

    Clean up day is one of the best initiatives people can come up with. The only issue is that it’s only once a year. If we want to keep our environment clean, we have to start educating our children about the importance from an early age.

    • BobinOz April 28, 2017, 6:15 pm |

      Yes, but it would be even better if cleanup day wasn’t needed at all and everyone kept the place clean and didn’t make the mess in the first place.

  • Kaye March 17, 2015, 2:44 pm |

    This is a great effort for everyone involved! I hope that next year’s clean-up day will be successful as well as this one!

  • grasya March 6, 2015, 11:08 pm |

    great to see cleaning efforts done in Australia.. we also have our cleaning efforts in the Philippines as well.. Mother earth will have less trash hopefully soon

    • BobinOz March 9, 2015, 1:35 pm |

      Yes, that would be nice, wouldn’t it?

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