This year is the 200th anniversary of Australia’s founder Admiral Arthur Phillip which makes the regular commemoration at St Mary-le-Bow special.
Unfortunately Australia Day this year falls on Sunday when the City church is closed so the annual service is to be on Monday 27 January.
The service starts at 11.30am and an address will be given by Sir Michael Savory, Chairman of The Admiral Arthur Phillip Memorial Trust.
Phillip came from Lyndhurst in the New Forest where celebrations are planned. Richard Johnson, curate at Boldre Church, who travelled with the admiral’s fleet and 800 convicts is credited with introducing Christianity to Australia.
Australia Day 26 January is the day in 1788 when the fleet arrived in today’s Sydney Harbour named after Home Secretary Lord Sydney. “Next morning he founded Austria,” says historian Bev Major so the service is by chance on the appropriate day.
Admiral Arthur Phillip was born in 1738 and died on 31 August 1814.