Australia Day 2021

Australia Day commemorates the landing of the First Fleet from England at Sydney Cove on this day in 1788 and the founding of the first European settlement in the country, albeit a penal one.

The indigenous population, having been here for tens of thousands of years, see it as Invasion Day.

Their lives would be changed for ever and not in a good way, a situation not unknown in other parts of the world either.

As time goes on, discussion for a change of date to celebrate the founding of modern Australia does not go away.

Of course the conservative view is there is no need for change.

Only a few days ago our chronically tone deaf Prime Minister said “When those 12 ships turned up in Sydney, all those years ago, it wasn't a particularly flash day for the people on those vessels either”

Apart from the fact there were 11 ships (Australian history has never been his long suit), this statement has caused considerable angst.

Also it appears currently there is little interest generally in changing the date.
A recent poll for The Age/Sydney Morning Herald and Nine News found only 28% of people surveyed nationally were in favour of shifting the date, while 48 per cent were opposed and a further 25% didn’t care one way or the other.
Drilling down into these results demonstrates the conservative bias.
47% of those aged between 18 and 24 backed the move to a different date compared with 19% of those aged 55 and over.
Those living in regional and rural areas were more likely to disagree with Australia Day being celebrated on a different date with 58% opposed compared to 42% of those from metropolitan areas.
Despite three years of intense debate over Australia Day, the latest poll has similar findings to one in 2017 which found 26% of Australians supported changing the date from January 26th, while 54% were opposed.

But this has not stopped a Covid compliant heavily policed but peaceful protest of around 3000 in Sydney this morning. It was one of many across the country.

Noel Pearson, Aboriginal lawyer, academic and lands right activist has said Australia has an ancient heritage, a British inheritance and a multicultural achievement.
The challenge is to bring those three parts together as a unique whole and choose a day to celebrate that.
It will inevitability happen.....one day.