: A Statement of the Case for the Aborigines Progressive Associations, The Publicist, 1938, p.3. 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. The two sides to the Change The Date discussion were written in consultation with Marlee Silva, founder of Tiddas 4 Tiddas. Its time to air our dirty laundry and heal the wounds side by side, and make a better future for all Australians. Keeping politics out of Australia Day You want a day to celebrate Australia. In 2019, just 28 per centof respondents were strongly in favour of seeing a shift to the date, in 2021 that went upto 39 per cent. The date - 26 January - is the anniversary of the 1788 landing of Britain's First Fleet, which began the era of colonisation. Our work is only made possible because of you. The survey was conducted by Vox Pop Labs for the ABC and is one of the largest conducted in the country. 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. 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. 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Nebrass strategies are always focused on return on investments, customer retention and high brand value. According to the ABC, its the Premier who actually has the power to change public holidays in their state, so writing letters to bring this to the attention of your state government is a start. It involves an active commitment to reform, which includes paying the rent. More than half (53%) of millennials (those born between 1986 and 2002) think we should not celebrate Australia Day on January 26. if(document.links[t].hasAttribute('onClick') == false) { Indigenous designer, artist and activist, Rachael Sarra, explained the importance of this on Instagram. To many Australians, Australia Day is just another day off. He later died in hospital. Watch: What January 26 means to different Australians. Due to systemic racism, power and privilege, and social determinants, these introduced systems of justice, education and health still have entrenched access and equity barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Indigenous people have called Australia home formore than 60,000 years, being custodians of theworlds oldest continuous living culture. j = d.createElement( s ), dl = l != 'dataLayer' ? change_link = false; var ignore = 'https://imgix.pedestrian.tv'; Nothing. The opinions on these two options are incredibly mixed and each person has their own take on the issue. } 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. 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. 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. It took only 120 years to eliminate 90% of them. In 2017, the Australia Institute found a whopping 62% of people did not know what the day marked. Get the latest inspiration, intelligence, events & more. As the national conversation continues to be debated, we think its important to reflect on the ever-present reality the date signifies for our nations First Peoples. Karen Wyld is an author, living by the coast in South Australia. Through his advocacy work, Mr Dawe wants to break the cycle of trauma which happens to Aboriginal children who are placed in out-of-home care. The information shown on this site is general information only. 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. By moving Australia Day to another date, what is the Indigenous community gaining? Consider also using January 26 as an opportunity to donate to an Indigenous organisation or charity, take in anti-racist resources, and refresh yourself on how to support BIPOC in the long term. A day we come together and reflect on our collective national history. By the 1900s the Indigenous population was estimated to have reduced by 90%. }. Isnt that the epitome of cruelty? 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. "It's a remembrance day for us, so we try to remember that by doing our culture, preserving our culture so people can actually see what was here on January 26, 1788," he said. Turvey was walking home from school with his mates when he was allegedly called racial slurs and hit with a metal pole. January 26: Its one of Australias most divisive days. 26 January has been celebrated in varying forms throughout our colonised history but it wasnt until 1994 25 years ago that it became a national public holiday. Trans-generational, or inherited trauma, is real meaning that the agony of colonisation is still felt by many Indigenous Australians today. It's not magically going to undo centuries of marginalisation and disadvantage. The Australia Day website also claims that On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate whats great about Australia and being Australian. Whats so great about the 26th of January that it would make us come together as a nation? 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. Photo: AAP It is the plain and simple truth of what the 26th of January represents, regardless of how you phrase it. 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All of these decisions were criticised by the federal government at the time. He also plays a key role in ensuring research services business intelligence processes and operations are conducted in accordance with all audience measurement guidelines. The changing of the date of Australia Day would broadcast our sincerity and hope for reconciliation for what the first settlers committed. So if a lot of us dont even know what the day is for, whats the harm in picking a date thats less distressing? The unfortunate reality for the Australia Day Council, and for the rest of the nation, is that this isnt an issue that is ever going to go away. . This movement sparked a number of much-needed conversations including the ways in which systemic racism operates within this country. 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. They considered it unsuitable to raise the Union Jack (flag) and moved to Sydney Cove instead. A belief in white righteousness quietened the voices of reason and fairness when the first fleet landed on the shores of this continent. This move was criticised, with the Resources Minister at the time, Matt Canavan, calling it a disgraceful decision. Thats a full 64 years before the day became an official holiday. Should we change Australia Day? 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. "We're trying to dig a little bit deeper about making it more meaningful," she said. True. But we are ready to rectify this. The 26th of January is a day that will always live in infamy. Australia Day, holiday (January 26) honouring the establishment of the first permanent European settlement on the continent of Australia. Like Christmas Day, Australia Day is a holiday where most. And thats one of many reasons why Australia Dayshould be changedfrom January 26th to some other more suitable day. Were joiningChange It Ourselves, celebrating Australia Day on a different date. Counselling and bespoke consulting programs to help you make better decisions and navigate complexity. if(typeof window.DotMetricsObj != 'undefined') {DotMetricsObj.onAjaxDataUpdate();} Definitely. 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 . He knew that Australia Day was not a celebratory day from an Aboriginal perspective, and did not bother with the pretense that it ever could be. Crescent Wealth acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Cancelling the commemoration completely would move the conversation around racism forward in this country, while also highlighting the needs of First Nations peoples. But there are some, like prime minister Scott Morrison who believes that the day should remain as it is. That will take policy designed in concert with Indigenous communities and leaders, representation in places that matter, understanding of past wrongs, and likely several decades. A large proportion of the population 45 per cent disagree or feel neutral about the push to move Australia Day and Ms Reys said it was important to make room "for different views". change_link = false; Just Another Australia Day Post Hoping To Make You Feel All The Feels. It is not that a date that will ever be forgotten. The fact that it isnt is an interesting glimpse into the chasm of systemic racism. func(); Though it has been a staple of Australian media in recent decades to run a few stories acknowledging the existence of Indigenous people protesting Australia Day in one form or another (this year it was the Lamb ad and the Aussiebum undies ordeal so far), but thats about it. A catalyst that will make us pause, reflect upon, and discuss what sort of country we have been, where we are today, and where we want to be in the future. Australia Day was made a national holiday in 1994. In fact, its a day when many immigrants become Australian citizens, which is a day of great joy for them to be finally included as an official member of a family and country they love so much. color: yellow!important; Change the nation. Two-factor authentication (2FA) should also be enabled. Planning the change process and troubleshooting and reporting bugs with vendors. Australias First Peoples are diverse with different perspectives and views. We are seeing the modest improvements in Indigenous rights eroded and dismantled. (Supplied: Australian War Memorial)January 28. And no, its not being unpatriotic. It's a day "for all Australians, no matter where our personal stories began, [to] reflect on being Australian, celebrate contemporary Australia and recognise our history," according to the National Australia Day Council. In 2016, Fremantle Council voted to change its Australia Day celebrations out of respect for Indigenous Australians, while Byron Shire Council in New South Wales has moved some of its festivities from January 26. Its purpose is to shed light on important community-based issues facing minority groups. 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. I choose not to repeat myself, because the date will change. var force = ''; h = d.getElementsByTagName('head')[0], Its time to rethink our decision to celebrate a day that is painful for so many. None of those things can only be done on the 26th of January, and if it was on any other day then maybe more Indigenous people would feel like celebrating with the rest of the nation. display: none; Jack Latimore, Its Convenient to Say Aboriginal People Support Australia Day. Two years ago the ABC asked tens of thousands of people to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences. Now, there are two lines of thinking when it comes to this date. When it comes to January 26, instead of organising a party with friends, consider attending an Invasion Day rally. News Corp reports 29% of more than 1,000 people surveyed said they would celebrate Australia Day 2021. 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