After all, doesnt the national anthem say: Australians all let us rejoice? There are no sound reasons why the date shouldn't be changed but there are plenty of reasons why the nation needs to change. Crystal Andrews is a journalist, author and founder of social news platform @zee_feed. '&l=' + l : ''; For all the outrage seen from politicians at the time, this change hasnt undermined Australia Day or caused them to rethink the conversation. "I just like spreading the culture around.". [3] [4] Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding . But that's actually a false assumption. In fact, many have decided to join the movement of Change It Ourselves. Instead of waiting for the governments to do something about it, they have decided to take the first step themselves. Well, most people assume that the reason this day was chosen because that's when the First Fleet landed in Australia. We are willing to look at our bias, and we are ready to put your needs first because we know we could have done better. 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 . So its understandable that 26 January is not a day of celebration for our Aboriginal community. When the First Fleet arrived there were more than 500 Indigenous groups and about 750,000 people. And, although it will take longer, the nation will change. 2023 Australian Ethical Investment Ltd (ABN 47 003 188 930, AFSL 229949). When Ms Reys began her work with Reconciliation Australia, she observed limited support for changing the date of Australia Day. if(force != '' && all_links.href.search(force) != -1) { In fact, they label it a Day of Mourning, Invasion Day, or Survival Day.. 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. Australian Ethical Superannuation Pty Ltd (ABN 43 079 259 733, RSE L0001441,AFSL 526 055) Trustee of the Australian Ethical Retail Superannuation Fund (ABN 49 633 667 743, USI/SPIN AET0100AU). 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. Watch the evidence. de 2014 . And how can we celebrate our nation on a date that so many mourn? Secondly, changing the date would spare indigenous Australian and islanders the painful reminder of their loss of country, family and culture. Write letters to your elected officials and demand change. (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. 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.. Australia Day is our national day. In fact,every year around December, the debate starts over again. That seems like a more appropriate day to celebrate Australias independence and sovereignty rather than January 26th. Therefore, Australia Day should be changed to a more appropriate date that truly represents Australians at our finest. 872 Words 4 Pages Good Essays How To Spend A Long Weekend In Townsville If The Thought Of Winter Is Already Crushing Yr Soul, Dysons Slinging Up To $400 Off Its Famous Sucky Bois If Yr Sick Of Crumbies Underfoot, Weve Already Copped A Bit Of Spicy Intel About What Goes Down At The MAFS 2023 Reunion, Rihanna & A$AP Rockys Sweet Bb Has Made His Official Debut With An Adorable Vogue Shoot, Sign up with your Facebookor Linkedin account, Please select at least one of the following options to continue. 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. -------------------------------------------------------------. { 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. 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. The date signifies the beginning of a long, painful history of bloody genocide, slavery, stolen land and stolen children that lasted hundreds of years. window.dm = window.dm ||{ AjaxData:[]}; From a political standpoint, there are a few ways to move Australia Day. What is Australia Day? if(change_link == true) { 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. why shotgun shell shortage Earlier this year, we temporarily stopped shipments of Wegovy 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg dose strengths. I choose not to repeat myself, because the date will change. The entire premise upon which this Australia Day is based is shoddy and thus, the idea that this day should be celebrated is farcical. But we are ready to rectify this. Today many Australians celebrate Christmas for other reasons: family; end of another hard year; food and drink; and summer holidays. They treasure it and use the anniversary to mark it, as do their children. The changing of the date of Australia Day would broadcast our sincerity and hope for reconciliation for what the first settlers committed. It should not be relied upon for tax, legal or accounting advice. text-align: center; "It's a very significant day for the foundation of Australia, and . Performed multiple server activities using HPSA automation tool. Its that a full community of people, who are directly hurt and traumatized by the chosen date, say that it should be changed. Lets just party on a date where everyone can be involved! There has also been a marked shift in the number of people who "strongly agreed" celebrations should move. Sorry, the video player failed to load. We know this isnt a solution, but we take it as a sign of solidarity with the First Peoples. 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 . Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Its important to understand that colonialism is still ongoing. } Join over 10,000 members by joiningAustralias only Islamic Super Fund. Australias First Peoples are diverse with different perspectives and views. 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. Australia Day was only formalised as a national holiday in 1994 to some, thats not a very longstanding tradition. /* ]]> */ 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. Its not like its such a big deal to most. 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. 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. } 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. The only reasons I can fathom for opposition to changing the date is white privilege, or perhaps even racism. Australia Day: Change the date? 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. 26 January is an important day in our history, but it is not a day for celebrations. dm.AjaxData.push({ et: et,d: d,ssid: ssid,ad: ad}); 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. Wouldnt we want a date that represents our Australian way inclusive and multicultural? Australia Day should be the day we become a republic. By moving Australia Day to another date, what is the Indigenous community gaining? Each year, a growing number of Australians acknowledge that the 26thof January is not an appropriate date for an inclusive celebration. It is not that a date that will ever be forgotten. Not only is the date inaccurate about the First Fleet landing, but more than that, why is Australia as a nation that considers itself a humanitarian one, celebrating the day when the annihilation of the 500 indigenous groups began? Even in 1938, on the first Day of Mourning, Australia Day was referred to as the anniversary of the whitemens seizure of our country, and nothing about that sentiment has really changed that much in the decades that followed. Tony Birch, Tony Birch: A Change of Date Will Do Nothing to Shake Australia From Its Colonial-Settler Triumphalism, IndigenousX, 21 January 2018. if(document.links[t].hasAttribute('onClick') == false) { Today is not a protest: we gather to reflect on why this date is better than any of the other 364 days. Moreover, another fire was lit when a 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, Cassius Turvey, died in 2022. Just Another Australia Day Post Hoping To Make You Feel All The Feels. The date change is like the key to your house, you need it to open the front door, Sarra wrote. Counselling and bespoke consulting programs to help you make better decisions and navigate complexity. for (var t=0; t