I would also like to see January 26 marked as a far more sombre occasion. While many Australians argue that we have much to celebrate about this country, it shouldnt come at the expense of our First Nations peoples. It only began to be a national public holiday in 1994 - making it a mere 27-year-old tradition. In recent years celebrating Australia Day with barbeques, countdowns and festivals have given way to survival day protests and debates about what Australia Day truly means. The fact that it isnt is an interesting glimpse into the chasm of systemic racism. 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. 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. The two sides to the Change The Date discussion were written in consultation with Marlee Silva, founder of Tiddas 4 Tiddas. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy. } Should we change the date of Australia Day? If we wanted to make the whole thing more Australian, we could celebrate the day the Constitution passed the Australian Parliament. '&l=' + l : ''; A McNair poll showed just 15 per cent of Australians want the date changed. Australia Day should be the day we become a republic. Stop supporting Whites who claim to be victimised Blacks! var change_link = false; 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. For decades, January 26 has been observed as a day of mourning for Aboriginal and Torres Islander people. But Its Not True,, Tony Birch: A Change of Date Will Do Nothing to Shake Australia From Its Colonial-Settler Triumphalism,, All The 2023 Invasion Day Events You Can Attend In Solidarity With First Nations Folk On Jan 26, Female Representation In Sport Is On The Up, But The Online Community Is Still Dominated By Men, WIN: Tell Us Your Weirdest Self-Care Ritual To Nab Free Tix To Our Selfish Sessions Festival, HUGE: Gen Z Feminist Icon Florence Given & More Just Got Added To The Selfish Sessions Lineup. A nation that is not, and has never been fair, free or young. 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. There is a growing movement in Australia to 'change the date' of Australia Day to a day more inclusive of all Australians. Formidable employer power, Jacky and his boyfriend were 'flatmates' for years until his mother found out about the truth, 'Momentous occasion': Spears taken by Captain Cook in 1770 to be returned home, This youth worker can't talk about youth crime without mentioning the kids sleeping in nearby public toilet blocks, Prince Harry and Meghan told to vacate UK home, 'The biggest mistake of our lives': US fertility clinic sued for using embryo with deadly cancer gene, Pedestrian killed after being struck by car on major Darwin road, 'I pretty much cried all day': Devil in one of the last 'disease-free' populations found with facial tumour. 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. For those that protest, there are mixed views over whether to change the date or abolish the national holiday altogether. On this Invasion Day, I am angry. For many people, January 26 means two things: a public holiday and a boozy BBQ celebration. And it enabled colonisers and settlers to participate in and/or witness without objection decades of massacres, land and resource theft, rape, cultural genocide and other acts of violence towards First Peoples. There is literally no other way. Its not like its such a big deal to most. Several local councils around the country have stopped celebrating Australia Day on January 26 against the wishes of the Federal Government. The same holds true if someone names "co-executors" or "several . January 26 is a source of pain that non-Indigenous Australians just dont experience and sends a message to Indigenous people, the true custodians of the country we enjoy, that they arent part of the story of this nation. It is white superiority to insist science, language, religion, law and social structures of an invading force are benevolent gifts. Today many Australians celebrate Christmas for other reasons: family; end of another hard year; food and drink; and summer holidays. No wonder so many people believe that the date should be changed to any other day in the year! We believe 26 January should be a day of learning, respect and reconciliation. Write letters to your elected officials and demand change. Lets focus on the ways we can dismantle the more urgent challenges, rather than focusing on the date of this one day. Tomorrow must come In most other nations, the national day marks independence (often from the British) or foundation. 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. Meanwhile, 1994 was the year that all Australian states and territories began to celebrate Australia Day consistently as a public holiday on January 26. Now, she said, Australians from all walks of life are more invested in learning more "about our shared history [and] understanding Indigenous perspectives". We need to abolish Australia Day and change the discourse it shouldnt be a day of celebration but a day of remembrance.. Change the nation. In 2020 we are giving our staff the option to work on the Australia Day public holiday Monday 27 January and take a day off at another time. After watching that video, we must make a change. Each person will have an individual journey of building their Ihsan in everything they do, whether that relates to character, spirituality or work. The ABC shouldnt be buying into this debate, Fifield said at the time. Should we change Australia Day? The Indigenous communities declared it a Day of Mourning that remains recognised to this day. The Australia Talks National Survey is back again here'swhat we found out. But we are ready to rectify this. The national online poll canvassed the views of 1222 Australians between January 19 and January 22 on their views on changing the Australia Day date, its importance to improving the lives of Indigenous Australians and to what extent they think Indigenous Australians face racism in Australia today. A belief in white righteousness quietened the voices of reason and fairness when the first fleet landed on the shores of this continent. "We're trying to dig a little bit deeper about making it more meaningful," she said. On 26 January 1938, on the 150thanniversary of the British invasion of this continent, a group of Aboriginal people in NSW wrote a letter of protest, calling it a Day of Mourning. This is why the date of Australia Day should be changed. Its important to understand that colonialism is still ongoing. // Load //]]> document.links = document.getElementsByTagName('a'); The first act that was passed after Federation was the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, commonly referred to as the White Australia Policy. The prime, simple reason for Australia Day staying put is that most Australians want it that way so they can salute their nation. However, in recent years the Hottest 100 has become a symbol in the debate about Australia Day. There are no sound reasons why the date shouldnt be changed but there are plenty of reasons why the nation needs to change. Even if the date is a floating one every year the same way Easter or the Melbourne Cup is decided. There are many things we want to celebrate about Australia, but 26 January doesn't represent an inclusive day for everyone. 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. } Gemma McKinnon, If Indigenous Voices Cant Even Be Heard on Australia Day, What Hope Have We Got? ABC News, 23 January 2018. Watch: What January 26 means to different Australians. "I just like spreading the culture around.". The only reasons I can fathom for opposition to changing the date is white privilege, or perhaps even racism. Mr Dawson is raising his daughters to be proud of their Indigenous and Cypriotheritage. If you are interested in our services or have any specific questions, please send us an enquiry. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed on May 9, 1901, when Australia's first parliament convened and the six British colonies merged to . Does Cbd Oil Help Ivdd Dogs. And how can we celebrate our nation on a date that so many mourn? It compares the demographics of the 60,000 survey respondents with census data to weight responses by sex, age, education, language, geography and vote to ensure the views of Australians are accurately reflected. It is not that a date that will ever be forgotten. By comparison, Indigenous Australians have been protesting on the date since 1938 well before it was made a national holiday! In fact, it was only 25 years ago that it . That's 5% down from last year and an 11% drop from 2019. 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. document.links[t].removeAttribute('target'); But Australia Day ends up being a blight on this picture-perfect scene. Although we acknowledge that changing dates will by no means address or make up for the full detriment of non-Indigenous actions, nor will it solve the long term, ongoing impacts and complexities of colonialism, we do believe its a step in the right direction towards reconciliation. For former Christian Super members, the USI is: CHR0001AU. (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. We need to move to a date that is inclusive of all Australians. Today's episode is a very important one. Nebrass strategies are always focused on return on investments, customer retention and high brand value. Now, there are two lines of thinking when it comes to this date. 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. But thats inaccurate. 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. Out of the other 364 days that could be chosen, why January 26th? If this article brings up any issues for you or anyone you know, or you have experienced targeted violence, please contact Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), both of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: CLICK HERE FOR UPDATES ON COVID-19 AND YOUR SUPER, Muslims in Australia A brief history into the trade, migration and settlement of Muslims in Australia, Islamic superannuation Crescent Wealth receives honour roll award for their stance against weapons from ICAN . Crystal Andrews is a journalist, author and founder of social news platform @zee_feed. //

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