According to Wikipedia, while some countries have a multi-century history of a day to celebrate mothers, the modern American version of the holiday began in the United States in the early 20th century at the initiative of Anna Jarvis, who organized the first Mother's Day service of worship and celebration at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, which serves as the International Mother's Day Shrine today.  Anna Jarvis campaigned to make Mother’s Day a recognised holiday in 1905.

Unfortunately,Australia does not have a recognised public holiday to celebrate Mother’s Day, but this does not stop the tradition of recognising and celebrating the day across the entire nation. Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Australia celebrated Mother’s Day for the first time in 1910 with special church services, however, it was not popularly observed until the 1920s. The tradition of giving gifts on Mother’s Day in Australia started in 1924. Sydney woman Janet Heyden was inspired to collect charitable gifts for lonely, old mothers in Newington hospital who had lost husbands and sons during WW1. Because it is autumn in Australia for Mother’s Day, white chrysanthemums are the traditional Mother’s Day flower in Australia.