But thats inaccurate. Today many Australians celebrate Christmas for other reasons: family; end of another hard year; food and drink; and summer holidays. They considered it unsuitable to raise the Union Jack (flag) and moved to Sydney Cove instead. For years now, Aboriginal people have said that January 26th is not a day of celebration for them. [CDATA[ */ The sovereignty of approximately 600 distinctly different cultural/language groups was never ceded. Tomorrow must come In most other nations, the national day marks independence (often from the British) or foundation. By moving Australia Day to another date, what is the Indigenous community gaining? "I just like spreading the culture around.". }; In fact, Australia comes in thetop five nations for inclusiveness, only be beaten by Canada, USA, South Africa, and France. In 2017 thousands marched in protests across the country. See where you fit on the issues that matter. Itll help, promise. But we are ready to rectify this. If you would like to portray Australia as the inclusive and multicultural nation it already is, then one way to do it is to change the day of Australia Day. Were joiningChange It Ourselves, celebrating Australia Day on a different date. Its not like its such a big deal to most. Maybe some Australians dont think about the negative connotations of celebrating Australia Day on a day with such bloody history, but many think its unacceptable. Changing the date is accountability, its saying that we f**ked up, real bad. We believe 26 January should be a day of learning, respect and reconciliation. w[ l ] = w[ l ] || []; If we want to see Australia as a colonial outpost for the British then maybe that day makes sense, but if we want to regard Australia as a vibrant multicultural nation, and if we want to regard Indigenous peoples as a core part of the modern Australian identity then it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to have Australia Day on that date. I would also like to see January 26 marked as a far more sombre occasion. Australia Day was not celebrated consistently on 26 January until 1994 Australia's national day of celebration has drawn much criticism recently from those who say it causes unfair hurt to. We hope that a constructive conversation can continue with the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander groups so we can find an inclusive day to celebrate our Australian Day. We've changed the date before - in fact, January 26 has only been a national public holiday since 1994 - and must do so again if we want to achieve a national day that unifies all. The date signifies the beginning of a long, painful history of bloody genocide, slavery, stolen land and stolen children that lasted hundreds of years. No & it wasnt 1994, it was 1946 that the 26th January became our National Day & as a Ngadjuri Aboriginal all my Mob celebrate our National Day with pride. var f = d.getElementsByTagName( s )[ 0 ], Kamilaroi dancer Russell Dawson's cultural education and performance company Koomurri Entertainment has seen a rise in bookings on Australia Day. Wouldnt that send a better message to everyone that Australia Day is a day intended for ALL Australians to celebrate? The first act that was passed after Federation was the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, commonly referred to as the White Australia Policy. On this Invasion Day, I am angry. Australia Day or Survival Day as they know it is a date of immense significance for the Dawson family from south-west Sydney. Earlier this year the Prime Minister said it was important to mark the day as one on which "the journey to modern Australia began". j.async = true; document.links = document.getElementsByTagName('a'); There are enough still standing to lead this change so all Australians can finally access the freedoms, equality and justice that Australia so proudly espouses. Now about 28 per cent of Australians want the date to be moved, according to a new survey by Nine News and Sydney Morning Herald . Articles, podcasts, videos, research & courses tackling the issues that matter. Should we change the date of Australia Day? Here is why. Despite generations of violence and interference from settler colonialists, First Peoples have not been defeated. The Australia Talks National Survey is back again here'swhat we found out. His view is that Australia Day should remain on January 26, but he wants to see a national holiday on January 25 to honour Indigenous communities. Our treatment of Indigenous peoples, of asylum seekers, of the homeless, of the unemployed, of women, of veterans, of pensioners (the list goes on and on) is not great. Additionally, the origins of celebrating Australia Day on January 26 dont actually date back that far. He is the founder and CEO of IndigenousX. We hope that soon Australia Day will be a celebration for all Australians, by all Australians, and one that embraces, or at least doesnt neglect, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures. A nation that is not, and has never been fair, free or young. ( function( w, d, s, l, i ) { Several local councils around the country have stopped celebrating Australia Day on January 26 against the wishes of the Federal Government. [CDATA[ Well, most people assume that the reason this day was chosen because that's when the First Fleet landed in Australia. Some people also argue that changing the date will not solve the range of issues and barriers that impact the day-to-day lives of Indigenous Australians. We know that many of our staff will still choose to have 27 January off to fit in with their family and friends plans. "That doesn't mean we have got there we still have a long way to go but I do think the maturity shows we are now thinking about the relationship between [Indigenous and non-Indigenous people] and how we repair the relationship," she said. It only began to be a national public holiday in 1994 - making it a mere 27-year-old tradition. You should obtain a copy of the relevant product disclosure statement and target market determination, before making any financial decisions in relation to these products or services. Your support will ensure IndigenousX is able to stay independent and keep making original content. display: none !important; From a political standpoint, there are a few ways to move Australia Day. Join us! if(document.links[t].hasAttribute('onClick') == false) { new Date().getTime(), event: 'gtm.js' Isnt that the epitome of cruelty? The Bulletin focuses on three main areas: nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies, including developments in biotechnology. } It would be ideal for all Australians to celebrate Australia Day together but for our First Peoples, 26 January is a Day of Mourning which signifies the beginning of. external_links_in_new_windows_load(external_links_in_new_windows_loop); Australia Day: Should we change the date? Already others have suggested alternative dates such as ANZAC Day on April 25th. Thats a full 64 years before the day became an official holiday. breadboard. Lets have a national day of celebration that includeseveryone. But why not some other day how about the day that Australia garnered independence from the British empire, i.e., 9th October? More from Letters to the Editor Barnaby is both out of touch and running out of time For decades, January 26 has been observed as a day of mourning for Aboriginal and Torres Islander people. Should we change Australia Day? Not a symbolic gesture of empty emotions, but an evocative and confrontational (for some) wake up call. These are held every year around the country and allow you to support First Nations people on an upsetting day. We asked 60,000 Australians about their lives. The date is also known as Survival Day or Invasion Day to many. There are no sound reasons why the date shouldnt be changed but there are plenty of reasons why the nation needs to change. If it doesnt really matter to most people when Australia Day is held, but it does to the Aboriginal community, then why not just change the date of Australia Day? It wasn't until 1994 that the Australia Day public holiday was consistently held on 26 January each year. It will always be a day of protest for as long as there are things that need to be protested against. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and thank them for protecting Country since time immemorial. On Australia Day we celebrate all the things we love about Australia: land, sense of fair go, lifestyle, democracy, the freedoms we enjoy but particularly our people. The tradition of having Australia Day as a national holiday on 26 January is a recent one. It should not be relied upon for tax, legal or accounting advice. function external_links_in_new_windows_loop() { What is Australia Day to Aboriginals? The ABC shouldnt be buying into this debate, Fifield said at the time. Now, she said, Australians from all walks of life are more invested in learning more "about our shared history [and] understanding Indigenous perspectives". 3. It took only 120 years to eliminate 90% of them. When it comes to January 26, instead of organising a party with friends, consider attending an Invasion Day rally. Since Australia Talks last surveyed Australians on changing attitudes around Indigenous recognition in 2019, tens of thousands of people have marched through capital cities as part of Black Lives Matter protests. It was only in 1994, 26 years ago, that it officially became a public holiday. Maybe then we might see people who arent fascists and racists declaring themselves patriots. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Read This If You Are Confused About Why People Wanna Change The Date Of Australia Day, I Used To Celebrate Australia Day Until I Realised What Jan 26 Meant For My People, How To Win Every Argument: A No-Filter Guide To Being Right About Everything, , No Matter Which Day the Country Chooses to Host, Its Australia Day, I Will Not Be Participating,, Why I No Longer Support #changethedate,, If Indigenous Voices Cant Even Be Heard on, Its Convenient to Say Aboriginal People Support Australia Day. This week, we encourage you to spend the time you would normally spend listening to our podcast educa A day to reflect on the dark parts of our history, so we can move forward together as a nation.. Australia Day should be for all Australians, but for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who mark the day as one of invasion, survival and mourning, it is an emotional day. f.parentNode.insertBefore( j, f ); s.src = 'https://au-script.dotmetrics.net/door.js?d=' + document.location.host + '&t=other'; h.appendChild(s); "We need to abolish Australia Day and change the discourse - it shouldn't be a day of celebration but a day of remembrance." The second argument is to change the date of the Australia Day celebration, moving any sort of revelry away from a day that is devastating for Indigenous people. Counselling and bespoke consulting programs to help you make better decisions and navigate complexity. As rightly pointed out by many, changing the date of Australia Day without the achievement of social justice or legal restitution in the form of Land Rights and Treaty only moves the celebration of unfinished business to another date. As the public broadcaster representing all Australians, triple j and the ABC doesnt take a view in the discussions, triple j said in a statement. Warning: This article contains images of Indigenous people who have died. The opinions on these two options are incredibly mixed and each person has their own take on the issue. Maybe that is why the day is filled with little more than jingoistic flag waving and mass consumption of alcohol, to distract us from the fact that we arent as great a country as some would otherwise like to think. It does not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. change_link = false; Social structures implanted by the new arrivals were not beneficial for First Peoples, who were barred from economic participation and denied genuine access to education, health and justice until approximately the 1970s. But every celebration, every BBQ, every family gathering, is tainted by the knowledge that this day was the beginning of the end for many Aboriginal people. What about that day says whats great about Australia and being Australia? And how can we celebrate our nation on a date that so many mourn? Therefore, Australia Day should be changed to a more appropriate date that truly represents Australians at our finest. 872 Words 4 Pages Good Essays Many companies have actually started giving their employees another day off, like January 27th, and leaving January 26th as a working day. By contrast, many non-Indigenous Australians dont actually know what the date signifies. dm.AjaxData.push({ et: et,d: d,ssid: ssid,ad: ad}); It could be: A rolling date, set on the third Friday in January to guarantee a long weekend every year (very much here for this). On this Invasion Day, I am angry. More than half (53%) of millennials (those born between 1986 and 2002) think we should not celebrate Australia Day on January 26. Tony Birch, Tony Birch: A Change of Date Will Do Nothing to Shake Australia From Its Colonial-Settler Triumphalism, IndigenousX, 21 January 2018. } )( window, document, 'script', 'dataLayer', 'GTM-W5PMGDG' ); There are now signs the Ukrainians could actually beat the huge Russian army. The Australia Talks National Survey 2021 has revealed a majority of people now believe Australia Day should not be celebrated on January 26, given the historical significance of the date for Indigenous nations. } This shift became about as more folks became conscious and alert to the ugliness that followed the invasion of the land we now call Australia in 1788. As a first-generation Australian I firmly believe that to truly understand the issue, we have to listen to First Nations voices of all kinds. In fact, the real date is actually somewhere a week or so before January 26th. Not until 1935 did all the Australian states and territories use that name to mark that date. This move was criticised, with the Resources Minister at the time, Matt Canavan, calling it a disgraceful decision. The changing of the date of Australia Day would broadcast our sincerity and hope for reconciliation for what the first settlers committed. 4. I would like to receive the IndigenousX monthly newsletter. var oldonload = window.onload; The answer will tell us all we need to know about how great a country Australia is. /* ]]> */ Out of the other 364 days that could be chosen, why January 26th? They treasure it and use the anniversary to mark it, as do their children. 18 January 2018. Until that point, Australians celebrated it in varying forms. Its like ignoring the pleas and plights of the biggest populace of what makes Australia uniquely Australia. Since 1938, the 26thof January continues to be commemorated as a Day of Mourning. 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=' + i + dl; Forms & Factsheets 5. Coconut oil why am i hungry on keto to hit your macros for the day. In calling for a change to the date of Australia Day (yes, it's that time of the year again) Ester Gaia (CT, January 13) uses the emotive "British invasion and occupation" language to try to reduce the significance of the date. Its assumed by all Australians that January 26th was the day that the First Fleet landed in the land that more than 500 indigenous groups and about 750,000 people occupied. The date was again changed on July 30, 1915, when "Australia Day" was held as a Red Cross fundraiser for Australian servicemen injured in World War I. - Behind the News Behind the News 133K subscribers Subscribe Share 17K views 4 years ago It's a debate that pops up all the time: should we change the. } Use of the information contained on this page is governed by Australian law and is subject to the terms and conditions on this website. The date - 26 January - is the anniversary of the 1788 landing of Britain's First Fleet, which began the era of colonisation. Definitely. So if a lot of us dont even know what the day is for, whats the harm in picking a date thats less distressing? While it has been celebrated in NSW as far back as 1818, weve only been doing it as a united country for a couple of decades. s.type = 'text/javascript'; Photo: AAP Australia Day and #changethedate a tale of two truths, Australia is no longer a human rights leader, not an appropriate date for an inclusive celebration, He said, she said: Investigating the Christian Porter Case. I believe were almost there which explains the frantic push back. Melbourne City Council will likely advocate for the federal government to change the date of Australia Day while still holding . } Combining eons of their own advances in sciencewith long standing trade relations with Muslim neighbours, First Peoples were already on an enviable trajectory. var ignore = 'https://imgix.pedestrian.tv'; While its undoubtedly an uphill battle to get governments to listen, its not impossible, which is why pressure needs to be continually applied for them to listen. { We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. It was also when Indigenous people began being oppressed - massacred,. Sorry, the video player failed to load. Then, tune in at 8:00pm on Monday, June 21 to watch hosts Annabel Crabb and Nazeem Hussain take you through the key findings and explore the survey with some of Australia's best-loved celebrities. Australia has only had 21 years of holding Australia Day on the 26th of January, surely that isnt too many years to acknowledge that it was a poor choice and move it to a better day. Australia Day is our national day. } window.dm.AjaxEvent = function(et, d, ssid, ad){ We know this isnt a solution, but we take it as a sign of solidarity with the First Peoples. Australia Day should be a day that reflects what our ideals are and how we imagine our country. When the First Fleet arrived there were more than 500 Indigenous groups and about 750,000 people. The prime, simple reason for Australia Day staying put is that most Australians want it that way so they can salute their nation. First of all, adding your voice to this conversation helps to make it a lot louder. Performed multiple server activities using HPSA automation tool. //]]> On January 26, 1788, Arthur Phillip, who had sailed into what is now Sydney Cove with a shipload of convicts, hoisted the British flag at the site. Not only does January 26 mark the day the dispossession of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples began, it sets up European invasion as an important source of Australian identity and. In 2017, the Australia Institute found a whopping 62% of people did not know what the day marked. } ()); There is growing opinion that although January 26th is Australia Day, the celebration of Australia Day on January 26th does not allow all Australians to join in celebrating Australia's greatness, and every day we get to spend being part of this great Nation and the opportunities it gives us is an 'Australia Day' we celebrate separately, so why not choose a day that we can All celebrate . The only way to aspire towards a day where we can come together as a nation is to change the date. Australia Day is marked on 26 January every year with a national public holiday. Indigenous groups have been protesting against celebrating January 26th as any sort of public holiday for90 years now!!! var d = document, text-align: center; And they are wrong for seven reasons. 10 de jul. j.src = if (typeof window.onload != 'function'){ Read on to see what those reasons could be and why there is a serious push from the Aborigine community and others todo an Australia Day date change. It is not something that is worth celebrating, and there is nothing about the arrival of the First Fleet that gives pause to reflect on what it would take to become great. Australia Day as a public holiday was only nationally gazetted in 1994 so it's not even a generation that has thought of it purely as a celebration of national pride. So its understandable that 26 January is not a day of celebration for our Aboriginal community. will accept a renunciation made under section 34 of the Estates Act.2 If the renunciation is by a person entitled to administration with will annexed, the form may be varied and must include a statement that the will failed to appoint an executor, and must show the relationship of the person who . Like Christmas Day, Australia Day is a holiday where most. A protest that has never dissipated in the decades that followed. Before then, in the lead to the 1888 celebrations, Henry Parkes the premier of NSW at the time was asked if he was planning anything for Aboriginal people on Australia, to which he simply retorted, And remind them that we have robbed them?. Putting ethics at the centre of everyday life. window.onload = function(){ According to the official Australia Day website, all states and territories didnt use the name Australia Day to mark the occasion until 1935. That's 5% down from last year and an 11% drop from 2019. Change the nation. That was the day that Australias course changed forever. To conclude, the date of Australia day should be changed to reflect changing community attitudes. The Hottest 100 wasnt created as an Australia Day celebration.. Why would the Aborigines wish to celebrate this day every year? This event communicated how broken Australia still is. As one Aboriginal person said, You dont visit someones house, rape, and pillage them, and then tell them you are going to celebrate that day as their birthday.. There are flag raising ceremonies all around the country and it is a day when many migrants (people from other countries who want to live in Australia) become Australian citizens at citizenship ceremonies. After watching that video, we must make a change. //