This is not the same as Australia. Currently it is not. Our present flag dates from only 1953. If Australia was looking for an alternative national day, it could perhaps take lessons from New Zealand. Would another date be more suitable? It's not like Mothers Day, which is an arbitrary date. ‘Invasion day’ rally organiser says her comments Australia should ‘burn to the ground’ should not be taken literally. Most Australians would have been told of that joyous moment Captain James Cook sailed into Botany Bay and claimed the land as “Terra Nullius”. And they are wrong for seven reasons. THE ABC is now using its huge power to campaign to change the date of Australia Day. Its website even claims: “Momentum is building to change the date of out of respect for indigenous Australians — many of whom view 26 January as ‘Invasion Day’.” Anzac Day, 25 April, is probably Australia's most important national occasion. Why we shouldn't change the date of Australia Day. The … This whole change the date for Australia Day, which crops up anytime from New Year’s Day onwards, has absolutely nothing to do with Australia Day.. By Chris Graham on January 26, 2016 Aboriginal Affairs. Nothing. This whole change the date for Australia Day, which crops up anytime from New Year’s Day onwards, has absolutely nothing to do with Australia Day.. The problem with Australia Day isn’t the actual celebration of our nation, it’s the day on which it’s held. Australia did not become a nation until 1901 when the six British colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia. Therefore, Australia Day should be changed to a more appropriate date that truly represents Australians at our finest. It’s One of Many Days That Could Potentially Be Australia Day. For Aboriginal Australians, the date The day was first called Foundation Day or Anniversary Day before becoming widely adopted by all States in 1935 as Australia Day. Asian and black There is a growing movement in Australia to ‘change the date’ of Australia Day to a day more inclusive of all Australians. 'Being honest about our past means having this difficult conversation…' In a moving online exclusive, @teelareid explains why 2020 needs to be a year of reckoning, not reconciliation, with Australia's past. More and more local councils have begun to reject Australia Day ceremonies. Australia Day has become the annual starters gun for all the … It commemorates the Federation Day - 1 January. However, 116 years on and there is a debate on why the Australian flag should be changed. History. Pro's argument: Australia Day is a day of mourning for many people, and days of mourning should not be celebrated. Polling commissioned by the Institute of Public Affairs, a conservative think-tank, showed just 10 per cent of 1,000 people surveyed want to change the date of Australia Day. The current date reflects a … It makes Australia a more multicultural society and is less offending to the Aboriginal Australians. This article is more than 3 years old. It should have always been obvious that designating a date that British settlers arrived in the country as a national day of celebration would be offensive to indigenous Australians. Australia is a beautiful nation that deserves to be celebrated. The 26th of January commemorates the establishment of the first settlement in the colony of New South Wales. WARREN MUNDINE. I used to want to change the date, however I believe that the campaign has taken away from the reason we celebrate Australia Day. Celebrating on this day is an acknowledgment of the first time … Third, 1935 was arguably the height of the white Australia policy. Well it marks a significant date in Australia's history but not everyone thinks it's a date that should be celebrated. The day was first called Foundation Day or Anniversary Day before becoming widely adopted by all States in 1935 as Australia Day. Australia Day shouldn't need history as a holiday as the date is directly linked to a significant event (arrival of the first fleet). In 1901, the six British self-governing colonies - Queensland, New South … News.com.au, 26/1/2017 'Here's a date that Governor Phillip and Bennelong might call Australia Day', SMH 25/1/2020 Now the talk is far more consequential, urgent and pointed. You cannot change history. It is usual for national flags to change from time to time as a nation evolves. Australia Day which the Aborigines call ‘Invasion Day’, ‘Day of Mourning’ and ‘Survival Day’, marks the anniversary of … This is why we call Australia Day “Invasion Day.” For us, it is a day of mourning. Indigenous leaders have been demanding to change date since 2000. Australia Day has no long standing history, so there should be less resistance to change. I will never vote foe Liberal or Labor, in fact i have been putting my name on the ballot paper when i do not like either party and ticking it. “January 26 is the legacy of the horrific past and the connection of this trauma to the present. Is January 26 an important date in Australia’s history? Australia Day, which commemorates the arrival of the British fleet in Australia in 1788, is held January 26. Well, let's make September 25 the new Australia Day. Not to cancel Australia Day and deny the country a day of national pride and celebration (despite what some extreme right perspectives would have you believe), just to move it to a day that is more inclusive and sensitive towards the first Australians. Personally, Australia Day does not mean a lot to me. Not everything about Australia’s history is worth celebrating. The day we should celebrate the formation of Australia should indeed be linked to the foundation of Australia. In what form though, I do not know. It should be about celebrating our society as it is now. The interesting thing is that out of the … Australia Day has only been celebrated on 26 January since it was changed … Which groups in society would welcome a change in the date? The social and political environment of the 1935 era is yet another reason to move the date. Why we should not change the date. Over the past few weeks a couple of local councils have confirmed they have cancelled their Australia Day celebrations for 2018. Should it be celebrated? Australia Day is currently celebrated on the January 26 because on that day in 1788 the First Fleet arrived. The date of Australia Day has changed many times before it was settled on the 26th of January. Comment. Keeping Australia Day on January 26 only shows Australia’s collective ignorance. I choose not to repeat myself, because the date will change. The latest version of the British flag dates from 1801, that of Canada 1965, South Africa 1994, France 1848, Israel 1948, Japan 1854, Spain 1936 and USA 1960. Change the Date and we will dismantle the systems and structures that oppress us.” By moving Australia Day to another date, what are we losing? Not only will we celebrate, many will commiserate and call for the day to be changed. 47 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 24 voted to change … Con. Change the date on this one and it will be a win for those people who hate Australia and all it stands for. 2 min read. Why is a national day important? Currently Australia day portrays Australia as all … On that day in 1788, 11 convict ships from Great Britain landed at Port Jackson in New South Wales, where Governor Arthur Phillip raised the British flag … This week we mark a very significant day in Australia’s history. The dispossession of Australia’s First Peoples began on this date in 1788 representing a day of mourning rather than celebration. Sadly this symbolises, all too well, Australia’s treatment, to this day, of the traditional custodians of the land. There is the argument to change it to the 25th of January, to mark what Australia was before the invader’s arrival, while others say May 8! It follows that if we are to have an inclusive Australia Day that the date must be changed. Asian and black Kylie Lang. Why should the date of Australia Day be changed? The day we celebrate Australia was based on events that happened 18 years later. Report this Argument. January 26, 1788, was the first time Europeans landed on … The date of January 26th has been criticised as inappropriate for a day of national celebration as it is a day associated with loss and mourning for Aboriginal Australians and many non-Aboriginal Australians who support them. Seven reasons not to change Australia Day THE ABC's website claims: “Momentum is building to change the date of out of respect for indigenous Australians — many of whom view 26 January as ‘Invasion Day’.” On Monday Albanese told Radio National that 26 January was “a day of great sadness for Indigenous people” but his proposal “would change the meaning, rather than change the date”. Turnbull questioned why the government should be “bullied” by “a tiny minority” of people who want to change the date. Let's face it, if you still don't think the date will be or needs to be changed you are simply denying the inevitable. The Age. What do we celebrate on Australia Day? With Australia Day just around the corner, only half of young West Aussies believe the celebrations should remain on January 26. 'Eight alternative days to celebrate Australia Day that are not January 26', SBS News 20/3/2016 'Change the date: When should Australia Day be held?' Throwing a national party on January 26 is deeply offensive to Australia’s First Nations Peoples. Advocates of change in Australia believe that another flag design would be more effective in representing Australia than the current flag. 75% of Australians support Australia Day being celebrated on January 26 according to a new poll of 1,000 Australian commissioned by the Institute of Public Affairs. "We don't have to pull Australia Day down to actually recognise the achievements of indigenous Australia, the oldest living culture in the world; the … What purpose does it have? Change the date on this one and it will be a win for those people who hate Australia and all it stands for. Who would oppose it and what effect might this have? And, funnily enough, 26 January is not even the day the First Fleet set foot on Terra Australis – that was actually 18 January. Hi Pauline, No we do not need to change Australia day because it does cover all Australians who live here, the aboriginals need to get over this how long do they want to hold the country for Ransom. Tom Calma, co-chair of the advocacy group Reconciliation Australia, said there needed to be more education for people to understand why the date should be changed. Con's attempts of justify celebrating Australia Day come across as irrelevant and poorly thought out, especially when Pro points out both parties can be happy if the date of Australia Day is changed. As I was not born in Australia and only received my Australian citizenship in 1995, I have never really seen the significance of the public holiday; however one thing I do believe in, is that the date should be changed. But January 26, the day the first fleet arrived to our shores, marks the start of a dark period in Indigenous history. It Celebrates a Failure of Border Security. Recently, there have been calls for Australia Day to move. I want to change the date and I've got seven "other" reasons as to why January 26 is a really dumb date on which to celebrate our national day: More reasons not to celebrate Australia Day on January 26. The First Fleet arrived in Sydney on 26 January 1788 and proceeded to proclaim the Colony of New South Wales. Based on the size of the protests and the media commentary, it appears that momentum is building to change the date of Australia Day. That rhetoric sends a very clear message that diversity of opinion is not an important Australian value, and it is further problematic when Aboriginal people are seen as synonymous with the Change … Australia Day celebrations are under way, marking the anniversary of the beginning of modern Australia - although thousands are attending "Invasion Day" protests instead. The date of Australia Day should be changed so the Aboriginals get their say and so they receive the recognition and respect they deserve. In Opposition, Labor had promised Aboriginal people if it was elected it would change the date of Australia Day to one that is more inclusive. Explained: Australia Day, and the controversy surrounding it; Explained: Australia Day, and the controversy surrounding it Australia Day: In recent years, the celebration has become controversial because of a "change the date" campaign, the supporters of which demand the date of Australia Day be changed from January 26 to May 9. 22 January 2020 Australia came into being on January 1st 1901. Why Australia Day should stay as it is | Opinion 3 years, ... not changing Australia Day. The Australian flag was designed in 1901 after a competition was held to allow Australians to design our own flag – something that had never been done before. January 26 is Australia Day because it marks the birth of Australia as a modern western nation. Year on year, increasing numbers of non-Indigenous Australians would also like it changed out of respect for Indigenous culture. Australia Day is not inclusive, it celebrates the triumph of imperialism whilst rejecting the guilt that the day represents; the guilt of displacement and disempowerment of the Indigenous Australians. It's a debate that pops up all the time: should we change the date of Australia day? This is why. Keeping Australia Day on January 26 only shows Australia’s collective ignorance. The simple reason we shouldn’t change the date. Third, 1935 was arguably the height of the white Australia policy. Australia Day has changed over time. The marking of 26 January is an important date in Australia’s history and has changed over time: starting as a celebration for emancipated convicts and evolving into what is now a celebration of Australia that reflects the nation’s diverse people. It is the plain and simple truth of what the 26th of January represents, regardless of how you phrase it. During this article, we will discuss both sides of the debate. So, I choose to put my energy into changing the nation. And, the day wasn't even declared as Australia Day until around 150 years later and since that time, the date of Australia Day changed many times. DON’T change the date of Australia Day to appease a disgruntled minority. Australia Day is a national public holiday on the 26th of January, the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia. There was never any formalised plan by the British Empire to “invade” Australia the continent either. January 24, 2017 - 1:35PM. In 1931 the Victorian Government signed off on a proposal to make the Monday nearest to 26 January a public holiday called Australia Day… And the moral ledger is overwhelmingly in the positive. Recent moves to promote changing the date of our national day are informed by the fact that many Australians - both Indigenous and non-Indigenous - … Dudgeon, P 2016, ‘ Solutions that work: What the evidence and our people tell us’ , The University of Western Australia, Viewed 4 December 2018. CHANGE THE DATE: Read This If You Want To Know Why Australia Day Is So Offensive 0. Why is Australia Day held on 26 January? But changing the date is not the answer. The poll also shows a pretty strong generational divide over whether the date should be changed or not. But that happened in April of 1770. Australia Day, which commemorates the arrival of the British fleet in Australia in 1788, is held January 26. These moves followed the City of Freemantle’s 2016 decision to cancel its Australia Day fireworks display, in favour of a more ‘culturally inclusive’ celebration to be held on 28 January. Burney mentions the suggestion for 'Australia Day' to be moved to Wattle Day, which is September 1 and marks the beginning of Spring - seen as a symbol of new life and growth. ... since being declared so by William Cooper in 1938. You cannot say that Australia day embraces all Australians while simultaneously saying that people who think the date should change are unpatriotic by “turning their backs on Australian values”. The polling conducted by Research Now reveals that only 10% of Australians think the date of Australia Day should be changed. Its national day, Waitangi Day, is a reflective affair that has indigenous-state relations at its centre. Hint: It’s not the day Australia was founded. references to Australia Day and joined the push to change the date of our national celebration. Opponents of Australia Day proffer several reasons as to why they believe it is inappropriate to celebrate it on 26 January, mostly on the grounds that this day is not inclusive of Indigenous people. Chris Hemsworth has spoken out about the controversy surrounding Australia Day, calling for the date to be changed. The First Fleet is nothing to celebrate about. January 24, 2019 1.43pm EST. But what has changed markedly is the subject of debate around Australia Day. But January 26 is the genesis of all the good things, as well as the bad. Australia Day does not exist on January 26. The Aussie actor, 36, voiced his concern on Instagram, telling his almost 40 million followers of the "pain, sorrow and deep loss" that January 26 … Changing Australia Day. Australia Day’s date will not change while I’m prime minister, Turnbull says. 71% of Australians support Australia Day being celebrated on January 26 according to a new poll of over 1,000 Australians commissioned by the Institute of Public Affairs. This is a movement we support as a company. January 26, 1788 was the last day Indigenous Australians were the sole custodians of their land. In the cultural warfare over whether January 26 should be retained as Australia Day… Voters chose to retain the current flag, 56.6 per cent to 43.1 per cent. "My personal view is if the date is going to change, then you choose a neutral day so … Australia′s flag has changed many times. Why It Should Not Be Changed. But critics want to change the date—or scrap the event altogether. News Corp reports 29% of more than 1,000 people surveyed said they would celebrate Australia Day 2021. 'Being honest about our past means having this difficult conversation…' In a moving online exclusive, @teelareid explains why 2020 needs to be a year of reckoning, not reconciliation, with Australia's past. In 2013, Fiji announced plans to change its flag, which features the Union Jack, but three years later abandoned that idea. THE POINTS - against Australia Day has always been an issue for the aboriginals ever since the arrival of Captain Cook in Botany Bay the Aboriginal community have constantly taken up arms to fight for their freedom so they would not have to be pushed aside and live with the The social and political environment of the 1935 era is yet another reason to move the date. Change 26th January to Citizenship Day, become a Republic, and make Australia Day the anniversary of the adoption of a Treaty with Indigenous Australians. In 2021, Mamamia will only refer to January 26 by its date, to acknowledge that it is not a day of celebration for all Australians. Are they right to call for change? Our recent poll, conducted exclusively for The West Australian newspaper in collaboration with rewardingviews.com.au , revealed a clear generational shift in attitudes towards celebrating Australia Day on January 26. January 26, 1788 was when the boats started coming. Should the date for Australia Day be changed? Sleeping Giants Oz @slpng_giants_oz. Why the Flag Should Change. New research reveals our complex attitudes to Australia Day. Explained: Australia Day, and the controversy surrounding it; Explained: Australia Day, and the controversy surrounding it Australia Day: In recent years, the celebration has become controversial because of a "change the date" campaign, the supporters of which demand the date of Australia Day be changed from January 26 to May 9. The ground ’ should not be preserved changing the nation it follows that if we are to an! 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