Thursday is National Wattle Day - and the first day of spring - with the golden bloom symbolising "what it means to be Australian", according to Governor-General David Hurley.
Mr Hurley said the nation had suffered a difficult last two years with the pandemic, floods, bushfires and even mouse plagues but just like wattle bloomed after a tough winter, Australians rose up again after adversity.
"After a hard time we show enormous colour, enormous strength and we blossom," he said at an event on Wednesday at Government House to help promotes Thusday's Wattle Day activities.
Chief among the events will be the lighting up of Canberra's icons in green and gold on Thursday evening to celebrate Australia's national floral emblem and the 30th anniversary of the proclamation of Wattle Day by one of Mr Hurley's predecessors, then governor-general Bill Hayden in 1992.
The Carillon, Captain Cook Memorial Jet, Telstra Tower, Old Parliament House, Questacon, John Gorton Building, Malcolm Fraser Bridge at Pialligo, and the Light Rail stops all the way to Gungahlin will all light up in the colours of the wattle on Thursday evening.
The ACT government is on Thursday also planting 30 wattle trees at the Yarralumla dog park to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Wattle Day.
At Government House on Wednesday, Mr Hurley also revealed a beautiful drawing of roses and wattle by Australia's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Heidi Venamore, who is also a talented botanical artist.
Mr Hurley commissioned the artwork for Queen Elizabeth's 70th anniversary as the monarch and presented it to Prince Charles earlier this year while attending the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The drawing features the Queen Elizabeth rose, at various stages, with wattle intertwined.
"It's a magnificent piece of artwork and the story me, when I thought about this, was this is about her relationship with Australia over many, many years," Mr Hurley said.
A copy of the drawing was also presented to Wattle Day Association president Dr Suzette Searle.
She said the wattle was hardy and resilient.
"They're so rewarding, especially if you want a fast-growing shrub or tree," Dr Searle said.
"While other plants take time to get old enough to flower and fruit, wattles just take off and you can be enjoying their colourful, scented blossom within three to four years.
"I have a number planted outside my window and enjoy watching them bloom at the end of winter and I know that their prolific blossoms provide scarce, protein-rich pollen for the bees when not much else is in flower. And then, just four months later, their seed brings in the parrots for a feed."
Children from ACT public schools who make up the Instrumental Music Program choir also performed at Government House, including a tribute to the wattle written by Mrs Hurley who said their singing had been "absolutely beautiful".
"You have brought so much sunshine into this room," Mrs Hurley told the children.
