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. change_link = false; Secondly, changing the date would spare indigenous Australian and islanders the painful reminder of their loss of country, family and culture. The 26th of January is a day that will always live in infamy. Additionally, former Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, wasnt interested in changing the date either, saying, Australia Day is 26 January. Related:Why the Indigenous Voice to Parliament Isnt Going to Be as Straightforward as You Think, Related:Know Better, Do Better: The Best Aussie Podcasts to Educate Yourself on Indigenous History. }; These antiquated worldviews of white superiority will continue to haunt Australia until a critical mass has self reflected on power and privilege and whiteness, and acknowledges past and present injustices. window.dm.AjaxEvent = function(et, d, ssid, ad){ } ); It also marks the start of Reconciliation Week. Watch the evidence. Australia Day is the official national day of Australia.Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet, and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip, at Sydney Cove in New South Wales.In present-day Australia, celebrations aim to reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation and are marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian . 5. Wouldnt that send a better message to everyone that Australia Day is a day intended for ALL Australians to celebrate? For all the outrage seen from politicians at the time, this change hasnt undermined Australia Day or caused them to rethink the conversation. Australia has a long way to go Its not like its such a big deal to most. To many Australians, Australia Day is just another day off. 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. Not until 1935 did all the Australian states and territories use that name to mark that date. There is no greater opportunity for that conversation than one simple question: What date should Australia Day be held on? 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. Stop supporting Whites who claim to be victimised Blacks! } Lets have a national day of celebration that includeseveryone. I got a column called timeentered from table table_test which is stored in date format (Australia time). I should know, because thats the entire premise of the book I spent the past year writing: breaking down the arguments and counter-arguments of important social issues to help young people speak up about the stuff they really care about. f.parentNode.insertBefore( j, f ); Back in 2019, 28% of respondents were strongly in favour of seeing a shift from the date. 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. Australian Ethical will also nominate a new date to acknowledge our own Australia Day in the office, celebrating what makes us proud about our nation. Changing the date is accountability, its saying that we f**ked up, real bad. Having lived on this continent for close to 80,000 years and surviving the violence of colonisation and ongoing injustices of non-Indigenous settlement, the voices of First Peoples cannot be dismissed. Despite generations of violence and interference from settler colonialists, First Peoples have not been defeated. This is especially so if you want to be a nation known for its inclusivity and multiculturalism. Crescent Think Tank. Why not share this news? You dont pretend your birthday was on a different day you look at your whole lifes experience, Morrison said. Since 1938, the 26thof January continues to be commemorated as a Day of Mourning. (Getty) Forty-one per cent of those surveyed believed changing the date of Australia Day would be important in improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. For many people, January 26 means two things: a public holiday and a boozy BBQ celebration. Just Another Australia Day Post Hoping To Make You Feel All The Feels. In fact to all Aboriginals, January 26th marks the beginning of a long-standing oppressive regime that took away their rights, their unique cultures, and their resources. By the 1900s, the indigenous population was reduced by 90%, through a systematic method of displacement, and indoctrination of the tribes into the British culture. So its understandable that 26 January is not a day of celebration for our Aboriginal community. Did you find this helpful? Even though many Australians are apathetic about the date that Australia Day should be held (56% polled saidthey didnt care about it), other Australians, including Aboriginals want the date changed. It begins with treating well the people who were there first. /* ]]> */ display: none; In fact, if you consider that the Aboriginals are the backbone of the Australian nation, then its actually beinghighly patrioticto support this change the date Australia Day to some other day. A record number of27,000 people were bestowed with Australian citizenship on January 26th, 2020. According to the Australia Day website, it is a day where we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian.. Today is not a protest: we gather to reflect on why this date is better than any of the other 364 days. If you need help applying or want to talk super, call us on 1300 926 626. However, celebrating these things on the 26th of January can divide us as Australians by marginalising and offending many Indigenous people who see this date as commencing a chain of events that had disastrous consequences for many Indigenous people.. 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. "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. To change this we need a lot more than just changing the date of Australia Day, but to change this we might need a catalyst. Australia Day has become the annual starters gun for all the rabid racists to complain about how we objectors hate Australia & disrespect diggers, when in reality it because we love the ancient . It seems ridiculous to consider that any nation should be celebrating the massacre of hundreds of thousands of people who were in Australia first. Not-for-profit organisation Australians Together has a similar train of thought, writing: Its true, that as Australians, we should be able to come together and celebrate the things about our nation that were proud of and grateful for. Your achievements and a few scars and from some mistakes and things that you could have done better.. Welcome to Australian Ethical, former Christian Super members, employers, and advisers. Either way, it really pays to understand both sides of this one, because you cant change minds or win arguments without understanding your oppositions POV. } if(force != '' && all_links.href.search(force) != -1) { img#wpstats{display:none} Each person will have an individual journey of building their Ihsan in everything they do, whether that relates to character, spirituality or work. text-align: center; We're changing our minds on Australia Day and it's happening rapidly, Australia Talks reveals, Australian Defence Force personnel and aircraft will be involved in the evacuation of residents from remote communities in the NTexperiencing significant flooding, Former government services minister Stuart Robert is being questioned at theRobodebt inquiry, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. 3. Its worth noting that it was on the third ever national Australia Day that a notable Indigenous protest was created. First of all, adding your voice to this conversation helps to make it a lot louder. if (!document.links) { Australia Day is marked on 26 January every year with a national public holiday. It is not just Indigenous people who have a long history of opposition to this date. This is a fundraising ribbon circulated for the first Australia Day on July 30, 1915. You should consider seeking advice from an authorised financial adviser before making an investment decision. j.src = There are many things we want to celebrate about Australia, but 26 January doesn't represent an inclusive day for everyone. In 2017, national youth radio station triple j announced it was moving its annual Hottest 100 music countdown from January 26 to another date close by. Australian Ethical acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the country on which we work, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and recognise and celebrate their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. From a political standpoint, there are a few ways to move Australia Day. } Changing the date is not the outcome nor is it a magical cure to generational trauma, but it is the key in changing mindsets. [CDATA[ The frontier wars did not result in victory for settler colonialists, because the fight is not over. : A Statement of the Case for the Aborigines Progressive Associations, The Publicist, 1938, p.3. [CDATA[ */ Much like the work you need to do to become an effective anti-racist ally, having conversations about this with your family and friends brings the issue to the forefront. document.links[t].removeAttribute('target'); It took only 120 years to eliminate 90% of them. Indigenous groups have been protesting against celebrating January 26th as any sort of public holiday for90 years now!!! 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. To start with, were having honest and open conversations around January 26, the national mood and changing the date. var oldonload = window.onload; } By contrast, many non-Indigenous Australians dont actually know what the date signifies. Whyshould Australia Day be changed? } There has also been a marked shift in the number of people who "strongly agreed" celebrations should move. But that's actually a false assumption. First Peoples already had functioning, sophisticated social structures, law, spiritual beliefs, science and technology. Celebrating on this day is an acknowledgment of the first time Europeans inhabited Australian land: men, women and children. .page-id-1799240 .entry-title { if(document.links[t].hasAttribute('onClick') == false) { When Ms Reys began her work with Reconciliation Australia, she observed limited support for changing the date of Australia Day. They had been living on this land now called Australia for more than 60,000 years and most were all gone within a bit more than a century. So, before you get into a Facebook comment war with a profile picture of a V8 Commodore, read the below excerpt from How to Win Every Argument: A No-Filter Guide to Being Right About Everything. The Djirribul woman was the inaugural co-chair of Reconciliation Australia and helped to establish the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program, which is now used across the corporate world. and fast. Read the kidcyber page about the First Fleet. In 2017 thousands marched in protests across the country. Two-factor authentication (2FA) should also be enabled. Planning the change process and troubleshooting and reporting bugs with vendors. Coconut oil why am i hungry on keto to hit your macros for the day. It should not be relied upon for tax, legal or accounting advice. Its important to understand that colonialism is still ongoing. It is not that a date that will ever be forgotten. And they are wrong for seven reasons. And yes, the survey was multiple choice. } Changing the date is saying, we trust you to determine your own lives, we value your knowledge, and most importantly, its saying we dont want you to hurt anymore at the hands of our celebration. } Watch: What January 26 means to different Australians. display: none !important; Australia Day or Survival Day as they know it is a date of immense significance for the Dawson family from south-west Sydney. The number of people who agree with that sentiment has jumped by 12 percentage points since the last Australia Talks survey in 2019 one of the biggest moves in public sentiment between the two surveys. January 26: Its one of Australias most divisive days. .podcast-banner.show_mobile { Changing the nation involves settler colonialists being more aware of the history of invasion and brutal settlement, as well as the continuing impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. } Its like ignoring the pleas and plights of the biggest populace of what makes Australia uniquely Australia. On this Invasion Day, I am angry. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and thank them for protecting Country since time immemorial. After all, doesnt the national anthem say: Australians all let us rejoice? Therefore, Australia Day should be changed to a more appropriate date that truly represents Australians at our finest. // forced if the address starts with http (or also https), but does not link to the current domain In 1938, 100 Aboriginal people from across the country chose thatdate to meet to condemn "the degrading and humiliating" treatment of Indigenous communities. I've written about that date before, its origins and forgotten stories and recent almost-comical attempts to protect a public holiday. They treasure it and use the anniversary to mark it, as do their children. func(); Combining eons of their own advances in sciencewith long standing trade relations with Muslim neighbours, First Peoples were already on an enviable trajectory. 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. In 2021, this number jumped up to 39%. 2. Before you arc up, no one is suggesting we dont celebrate this beautiful country we live in. More from Letters to the Editor Barnaby is both out of touch and running out of time 26 January is an important day in our history, but it is not a day for celebrations. But there are some, like prime minister Scott Morrison who believes that the day should remain as it is. external_links_in_new_windows_load(external_links_in_new_windows_loop); 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. Australia Day was only formalised as a national holiday in 1994 to some, thats not a very longstanding tradition. Gemma McKinnon, If Indigenous Voices Cant Even Be Heard on Australia Day, What Hope Have We Got? ABC News, 23 January 2018. By moving Australia Day to another date, what is the Indigenous community gaining? We know this isnt a solution, but we take it as a sign of solidarity with the First Peoples. A lot. You came here only recently, and you took our land away from us by force. By the 1900s the Indigenous population was estimated to have reduced by 90%. Solution: The email address associated with your Amazon account should have a strong, unique password. An elderly man walking along the boardwalk was adamant the date should not be changed. Already others have suggested alternative dates such as ANZAC Day on April 25th. To conclude, the date of Australia day should be changed to reflect changing community attitudes. 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. In fact, the real date is actually somewhere a week or so before January 26th. We need to abolish Australia Day and change the discourse it shouldnt be a day of celebration but a day of remembrance.. Its time to rethink our decision to celebrate a day that is painful for so many. They asked the government to consider what that day meant to them, the First Peoples, and called for equality and justice. Six years later, triple js Hottest 100 is just as popular, despite not occurring on January 26 and theres barely been any discussion about the date change since. The history of Australia, and the history of its national day, is fraught with controversy and suffering.There are a tonne of good reasons why the calls to change the date get louder each year and there is growing recognition amongst the non-Indigenous population that January 26th is not the date to celebrate. 'gtm.start': w[ l ].push( { 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 . Isnt that the epitome of cruelty? Putting ethics at the centre of everyday life. We cannot seek an end to the oppression of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by cajoling the broad majority of Australians with soft entreaties of change the date. Maybe youre going to end up in a heated argument at a BBQ this weekend (dont blame you), or perhaps youve only just started to explore your own feelings on the topic (dont blame you either). For former Christian Super members, the USI is: CHR0001AU. 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. Even if the date is a floating one every year the same way Easter or the Melbourne Cup is decided. Should we change Australia Day? 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. This happened back in 1788, and it marks the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia. #post-1784265 .brightcove-video-container { change_link = false; Thats when the First Fleet landed on Sydneys Botany Bay. The ABC should honour it and not mess with the Hottest 100.. I believe were almost there which explains the frantic push back. Changing the date of our current Australia day celebrations provides an outlet for all Australians to come together and rejoice for everything good about our nation whilst being respectful and helping to break down colonially embedded stigmas around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Given how NSW centric the day has historically been, most other states and territories also had a long history of opposition to it being the day that we celebrate Australia. Indigenous designer, artist and activist, Rachael Sarra, explained the importance of this on Instagram. Moreover, another fire was lit when a 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, Cassius Turvey, died in 2022. de 2014 . But Australia Day ends up being a blight on this picture-perfect scene. Read more stories fromThe Latchand follow us onFacebook. In June 2020, following the death of Black man George Floyd at the hands of the American police in Minnesota, Black Lives Matter protests occurred around the world, including here in Australia. Why would the Aborigines wish to celebrate this day every year? 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. "Part of a maturing nation is the willingness to listen and learn from someone else's view and to keep a dialogue open," she said. Even then, it wont make it a perfect day where we will all hold hands and sing We are the voice, but at least you could make a decent case for the idea that it is a day created for such a lofty purpose as celebrating what is great about Australia and being Australian.. It is the plain and simple truth of what the 26th of January represents, regardless of how you phrase it. Not until 1935 did all the Australian states and territories use that name to mark that date. Itll help, promise. Ihsan is used to describe Islamic excellence and its pursuit. The sovereignty of approximately 600 distinctly different cultural/language groups was never ceded. Seeing how this negatively affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be enough for white Australians to understand the importance of changing the date. oldonload(); There are no sound reasons why the date shouldn't be changed but there are plenty of reasons why the nation needs to change. Its that a full community of people, who are directly hurt and traumatized by the chosen date, say that it should be changed. 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. The annual public holiday on January 26 was establishedin 1994, and thousands of new Australians use the occasion to attend their citizenship ceremonies. It's not magically going to undo centuries of marginalisation and disadvantage. // console.log('force ' + all_links.href); 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. - 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. 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