While Australia Day is celebrated by many, January 26 is observed as a day of mourning for many First Nations people.

Major Invasion Day rallies are planned for both Melbourne and Sydney at 10am.

Some Indigenous groups will hold “morning ceremonies” to reflect on the struggle and suffering of their ancestors.

Sydneysiders attended the WugulOra ceremony in Barangaroo Reserve from 7.30am, which is hosted by the NSW government.

These events featured a smoking ceremony which offers “cleansing and healing” for First Nations people.

In Sydney, protests will also kick off at 10am in Belmore Park, Haymarket.

An Invasion Day protest is also set to start at 10am on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne.

Melbourne will also hold a Share the Spirit Invasion Day Festival from 11.30am at Treasury Gardens.

Rallies will also be held across Queensland in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and in Cairns, as well as regional areas across Victoria including Geelong, Mildura.

There will be a “survival day” celebration in Adelaide and in Mt Barker, while Perth Indigenous communities will gather for the “Sovereignty Day” protest at 12pm local time.

A “we won’t celebrate Invasion Day” march is also slated to begin in Hobart at 11.30am.

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra will lead the Sovereignty Day rally from 9.30am.

In the Northern Territory, the Justice Not Jails: Survival Day Picnic will start at 10.30am local time.

There will be other Indigenous events and celebrations in every capital city.