Buongiorno and happy Ferragosto.

This is a fantastic celebration.

Of course, today I want to pay tribute and begin by thanking as well the faith leaders, including His Grace, Bishop Umbers, for the procession.

Because today is, of course, in acknowledgement of the feast, celebrating the Assumption into Ascension into Heaven of the Virgin Mary.

It is also a celebration that goes back many hundreds of years, from a time where the harvest in summer, mid-August, was celebrating the harvest in Italy, and where there was a period of rest for people in those agricultural communities.

Here in modern Australia, of course, it is a celebration of something else as well.

It is a celebration of the proud contribution of Italian-Australians to making Australia the most successful multicultural country on earth.

I'm very proud to be the first Prime Minister of Australia, out of the 31 that we've had, to have a non-Anglo Celtic name, and I'm very proud of the background that I have.

I look forward to celebrating all of that today with you that you will do.

Celebrating the food, language, culture that the Italian community have brought here, including I was speaking before to the Nonna’s who will sing in the Abruzzese language here as well, and that will be no doubt a highlight going forward.

This is the best country on earth because people have brought different cultures here, remembered where they're from, are proud of their culture, but also are proud Australians.

And that’s what makes us such a country where we can enjoy the broad breadth of our diversity.

I want to thank the council and everyone else, all the special guests who are here, and everyone who's made this a successful day and put in the hard work.