Australia Day - Shifting the Date

[Nankervis brothers]

It seems a no-brainer....

There are many reasons why Jan 26 is an inappropriate date for a celebration of nationhood.

The most obvious is the meaning the date carries for Indigenous Australians. It's rich asking them to annually celebrate a date that signifies the moment a foreign aggressor took their land, disrupting a way of life that had been going on for 40 millennia. Asking Indigenous Australians to celebrate Jan. 26th is like asking them celebrate their dispossession, or be 'un-australian' if they choose not celebrate the day at all. It's a no-win situation.

The second reason Jan 26 is problematic is that it's historically inaccurate. Jan 26th is the day the first fleet arrived and with that came the birth of the colony of New South Wales. Later colonies of Vic, SA, and WA did not celebrate the day as result - it was considered a NSW thing. It was not until well into the twentieth century that it became nationally recognised.

Thirdly, the day has at its heart a celebration of the first fleet narrative, and by extension British Colonisation. This is a narrative for Australian Monarchists with English heritage. It has a different meaning and/or less affinity for Australians of Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Serbian, Lebanese, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese, Sudanese, etc, heritage.

Now, I don't want to deprive all the nationalists from having a special day where they can drape themselves in the flag, show off their southern cross tattoo, and vomit on the 389 bus back from Bondi. But surely there is a date that could be set aside to celebrate Australia day that is more relevant and inclusive.

The most obvious event is Federation, when each of the six self governing colonies united to form 'Australia'. The three main dates involved with Federation are: 5th July 1900 (when the UK passed the constitution), 9th of July 1900 (when Queen Vic. stamped it), and Jan 1st 1901 (when Australia proclaimed it). Jan 1st is out for obvious reasons, and Queen Vic. giving her assent is pretty meaningless. July 5th might have legs...

Anyway, with the cheap suit of Australia Day about to be taken out of the closet once again, I'm curious to see if anyone can find a good reason (counter the criticisms above) why the day should remain on Jan 26. I'm also curious if anyone has any bright ideas for alternative dates.

 

[wmvaux]

It's about the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the first fleet and the raising of the union jack flag. It's got nothing to do with the indigenous. Like it or not that's where it started for the majority of us. Yes there were some atrocious things done, but lets not try and re-write history and try and make everyone happy. Lets celebrate the day they arrived and changed this country, because if they hadn't, it would be a completely different place and probably no better.

 

[Todman]

You have got greater chance of changing the Queens Birthday weekend.

 

[Jakko]

And so it begins for another year. When flag draping, southern cross tattoo stereotypes reign supreme.

Invasion day, Victory day, BBQ day, don't have to work day, beach day, cricket day, whine on the internet day.... people need to get over it and just do their own thing.

 

[Fire]

Once we become a republic we can use that date.

Until then no other date really makes sense, as we aren't really a fully fledged nation.

 

[Maggie5]

It is only a special day for politicians, press and Lamb industry as most people are just happy to have the day off and a long week-end.
OP does makes some good points though.

Perhaps when Australia becomes a Republic, that day will be celebrated.

 

[Cmarsh]

I find the whole "Australia day only applies to New South Wales" argument a strange one. For one does it really matter where the first settlement was? People seem to get hung up about the fact that the colony was called New South Wales as if it was the same as the state as it is today.

 

[Gough]

27 July, AB's birthday.

 

[The Punter]

Once we become a republic we can use that date.

Perhaps when Australia becomes a Republic, that day will be celebrated.

The July dates are problematic for the same reasons as the other dates are problematic - they refer to the actions of an English Parliament and an English Monarch.

Seems to me a bit like the Republican movement overall - everyone can agree that a change needs to be made; no one can agree on the change.

 

[coerced]

James Hird's birthday.

There's an easy way to protest Australia Day: go to work on the day.

 

[Roylion]

Once we become a republic we can use that date.

Until then no other date really makes sense, as we aren't really a fully fledged nation.

We are a fully fledged nation and became officially so at 4 pm AEST on the 3rd March 1986 when the Australia Act came into force.

The Australia Act eliminated the remaining possibilities for the UK to legislate with effect in Australia, for the UK to be involved in Australian government, and for an appeal from any Australian court to a British court. The Australia Act also removed the power of the British government to be involved in the governing of an Australian State.

So if you want a date to replace "Australia Day" the 3rd March is the date Australia became totally independent from the UK and would be a good choice.

 

[ManWithNoName]

We are a fully fledged nation and became officially so at 4 pm AEST on the 3rd March 1986 when the Australia Act came into force.

The Australia Act eliminated the remaining possibilities for the UK to legislate with effect in Australia, for the UK to be involved in Australian government, and for an appeal from any Australian court to a British court. The Australia Act also removed the power of the British government to be involved in the governing of an Australian State.

So if you want a date to replace "Australia Day" the 3rd March is the date Australia became totally independent from the UK and would be a good choice.

Day before my birthday. I endorse this.

 

[Taylor]

We celebrate Australia day when we do just as we celebrate ANZAC day, and the events that took place after it's special date.

The day holds more meaning that the single moment in time that chose it.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Seriously though, would January 1 not be the logical date?

 

[Taylor]

There is a huge void in WA between our last day off in the first half of the year all the way to our Queen's birthday at the end of October.

As the nun said to the priest, anywhere in there will do.

 

[The Punter]

If we were to choose the 3rd of March, could we then move Labour Day to the Friday before the Grand Final and have those two holidays together?

 

[Cmarsh]

Seriously though, would January 1 not be the logical date?

Holding the national holiday on Nyd would not be logical

 

[ManWithNoName]

Holding the national holiday on Nyd would not be logical

It's the date we officially became a nation though.

 

[Roylion]

If we were to choose the 3rd of March, could we then move Labour Day to the Friday before the Grand Final and have those two holidays together?

That would make sense to me.

It's the date we officially became a nation though.

I understand we officially became a nation on 1st January 1901, but our total independence from Britain has evolved over 85 years. Despite those opining we will never be truly "free" from Britain until we become a republic, we actually became totally independent from Britain on 3rd March 1986.

Were the UK to become a republic tomorrow, Elizabeth II would still be the Queen of Australia. Had Scotland left the United Kingdom last year and subsequently removed the Cross of St Andrew from the Union Jack, it would make no difference to the Australian Flag.

 

[Pessimistic]

If we were to choose the 3rd of March, could we then move Labour Day to the Friday before the Grand Final and have those two holidays together?

Cant like enough.

 

[The Punter]

Just for clarification, I mean the Friday before the Grand Final being Labour Day. Currently we have two separate public holidays for these events; I'm advocating a single public holiday for these events.

 

[Pessimistic]

Except Labor day is the one which has decent historical significance. Eight hour day originating in 1856: pre dating and probably enabling the growth of victorian\australian football and other sports

 

[The Punter]

Then just call it Labour Day.

We didn't need the extra day off last year, and we still don't.

 

[Ratts of Tobruk]

Back on topic, I can't help feeling like there could be a way to re-frame the 'Invasion Day' story so the indigenous don't feel it is such a depressing day for them. Phillip himself was very much in favour of not being aggressive to the locals. Of course it is an 'aggressive' act to come and claim land that is already being used, but so long as Phillip's action is seen as more than simple self-preservation, and we emphasise whatever cooperative aspects of colonisation we can find, then it could still be a celebration of the coming together of the two cultures that define Australia.

A separate day of mourning could be commemorated to note the importance of the pre-existing cultures and the vast loss associated with us immigrants. We were not wanted, but the rest of the world was going to come here eventually (the Dutch, Portuguese, French and English had already been, plus Asian traders and there were probably more).

Looking backwards should be done, but it is not the sole story of Aboriginal Australia.

The idea is very Pollyannaish, but isn't that what a day celebrating our country should be?

 

[Pessimistic]

Back on topic, I can't help feeling like there could be a way to re-frame the 'Invasion Day' story so the indigenous don't feel it is such a depressing day for them. Phillip himself was very much in favour of not being aggressive to the locals. Of course it is an 'aggressive' act to come and claim land that is already being used, but so long as Phillip's action is seen as more than simple self-preservation, and we emphasise whatever cooperative aspects of colonisation we can find, then it could still be a celebration of the coming together of the two cultures that define Australia.

A separate day of mourning could be commemorated to note the importance of the pre-existing cultures and the vast loss associated with us immigrants. We were not wanted, but the rest of the world was going to come here eventually (the Dutch, Portuguese, French and English had already been, plus Asian traders and there were probably more).

Looking backwards should be done, but it is not the sole story of Aboriginal Australia.

The idea is very Pollyannaish, but isn't that what a day celebrating our country should be?

Like rebranding van deimens land into Tasmania after its poor reputation for human rights?