Australia awareness days and key dates

Wednesday 1 July 2026

• Canada Day

  Religious and cultural

  Canada Day on 1 July is Canada's national day, marking Confederation in 1867.

• Coming of the Light

  Religious and cultural

  A Torres Strait Islander festival on 1 July marking the arrival of the London Missionary Society on Erub (Darnley Island) in 1871.

• Kidney Action Week

  Awareness1 to 7 July 2026

  Kidney Health Australia's awareness week urging people to check their risk of kidney disease, held from 1 to 7 July in 2026.

Saturday 4 July 2026

• International Day of Cooperatives

  Awareness

  The International Day of Cooperatives, on the first Saturday of July, celebrates member-owned businesses and their role in fair and inclusive economies.

Sunday 5 July 2026

• NAIDOC Week

  Religious and cultural5 to 12 July 2026

  A week in early July, from the first to the second Sunday, celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Monday 6 July 2026

• World Rural Development Day

  Awareness

  World Rural Development Day on 6 July draws attention to sustainable development in rural areas, where much of the world lives and works.

• World Zoonoses Day

  Awareness

  Held on 6 July, World Zoonoses Day raises awareness of diseases that pass between animals and people, marking Pasteur's first rabies vaccination in 1885.

Tuesday 7 July 2026

• World Kiswahili Language Day

  Awareness

  World Kiswahili Language Day on 7 July celebrates Kiswahili, spoken by more than 200 million people across East, Central and Southern Africa.

Saturday 11 July 2026

• International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica

  Awareness

  On 11 July the UN remembers the victims of the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica and works to counter denial and prevent future genocides.

• World Horse Day

  Awareness

  World Horse Day on 11 July celebrates the long partnership between people and horses and calls attention to their welfare.

• World Population Day

  Awareness

  World Population Day on 11 July focuses attention on population issues and their links to development, health and the environment.

Sunday 12 July 2026

• International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms

  Awareness

  On 12 July the UN raises awareness of sand and dust storms and the harm they cause to health, especially in dry regions.

• International Day of Hope

  Awareness

  The International Day of Hope on 12 July celebrates hope as a force that unites people in facing shared global challenges.

• National Diabetes Week

  Awareness12 to 18 July 2026

  Diabetes Australia's annual awareness week in July, held from 12 to 18 July in 2026, focusing on living with and detecting diabetes.

Wednesday 15 July 2026

• World Youth Skills Day

  Awareness

  World Youth Skills Day on 15 July highlights the value of giving young people skills for work, decent jobs and enterprise.

Saturday 18 July 2026

• National Moth Week

  Awareness18 to 26 July 2026

  A global citizen science week in late July when people record moths and learn about their role in nature.

• Nelson Mandela International Day

  Awareness

  Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July, his birthday, encourages people to take action in their communities in his honour.

Monday 20 July 2026

• International Moon Day

  Awareness

  International Moon Day on 20 July marks the first human landing on the Moon in 1969 and promotes sustainable lunar exploration.

• World Chess Day

  Awareness

  World Chess Day on 20 July celebrates chess as a game that builds goodwill, dialogue and cooperation between people.

Wednesday 22 July 2026

• World Brain Day

  Awareness

  A global day on 22 July that raises awareness of brain health and neurological conditions.

Thursday 23 July 2026

• Tisha B'Av

  Religious and cultural

  Tisha B'Av is the Jewish fast day on 9 Av mourning the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies.

Friday 24 July 2026

• International Self-Care Day

  Awareness

  A global day on 24 July that promotes self-care as part of good health. The date reflects self-care being practised 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Schools Tree Day

  Awareness

  Planet Ark's tree planting day for schools and early learning centres, held on the Friday before National Tree Day in late July.

Saturday 25 July 2026

• International Day for Judicial Well-being

  Awareness

  The International Day for Judicial Well-being on 25 July recognises that the wellbeing of judges supports fair, independent and effective justice.

• International Day of Women and Girls of African Descent

  Awareness

  On 25 July the UN recognises the contributions of women and girls of African descent and the discrimination they still face.

• World Drowning Prevention Day

  Awareness

  World Drowning Prevention Day on 25 July highlights the toll of drowning on families and communities and promotes ways to prevent it.

Sunday 26 July 2026

• DonateLife Week

  Awareness26 July to 2 August 2026

  Australia's national week encouraging people to register as organ and tissue donors, held from 26 July to 2 August in 2026.

• International Bog Day

  Awareness

  A day on the fourth Sunday of July that raises awareness of peatlands, their benefits and the threats they face.

• International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem

  Awareness

  A UNESCO day on 26 July that raises awareness of mangroves and the need to protect these coastal forests.

• National Pain Week

  Awareness26 to 31 July 2026

  Chronic Pain Australia's annual week of advocacy and awareness about living with chronic pain, held late in July, 26 to 31 July in 2026.

• National Tree Day (Australia)

  Awareness

  Planet Ark's national tree planting day, held on the last Sunday of July, when communities plant native trees and shrubs at local sites.

Tuesday 28 July 2026

• World Hepatitis Day

  Awareness

  World Hepatitis Day on 28 July raises awareness of viral hepatitis and calls for a stronger global response.

Wednesday 29 July 2026

• Global Tiger Day

  Awareness

  Held on 29 July, Global Tiger Day raises awareness of wild tigers and efforts to protect them and their habitats.

Thursday 30 July 2026

• International Day of Friendship

  Awareness

  The International Day of Friendship on 30 July celebrates friendship between people, cultures and countries as a foundation for peace.

• World Day against Trafficking in Persons

  Awareness

  The World Day against Trafficking in Persons on 30 July raises awareness of human trafficking and calls for better protection of victims.

Friday 31 July 2026

• World Ranger Day

  Awareness

  Held on 31 July, World Ranger Day honours rangers killed or injured on duty and recognises their work protecting nature and cultural heritage.