change the date essay

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Australia Day: Change the date? Change the nation

Opinion + analysis climate + environment politics + human rights, by karen wyld 24 jan 2019, like clockwork, every january australians question when is, or even if there is, an appropriate time to celebrate the nationhood of australia..

Each year, a growing number of Australians acknowledge that the 26 th of January is not an appropriate date for an inclusive celebration .

There are no sound reasons why the date shouldn’t be changed but there are plenty of reasons why the nation needs to change.

I’ve written about that date before, its origins and forgotten stories  and recent almost-comical attempts to protect a public holiday . I choose not to repeat myself, because the date will change.

For many, the jingoism behind Australia Day is representative of a settler colonialism state that should not be preserved. A nation that is not, and has never been fair, free or young. So, I choose to put my energy into changing the nation . And I am not alone.

People are catching up and contributing their voices to the call to change the nation, but this is not a new discussion. On 26 January 1938, on the 150 th anniversary 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 . They asked the government to consider what that day meant to them, the First Peoples, and called for equality and justice.

Since 1938, the 26 th of January continues to be commemorated as a Day of Mourning . The date is also known as Survival Day or Invasion Day to many. Whatever people choose to call that day, it is not a date suitable for rejoicing.

It was inconsiderate to have changed the date in 1994 to the 26th January. And, now the insensitivity is well known, it’s selfish not to change the date again. The only reasons I can fathom for opposition to changing the date is white privilege , or perhaps even racism.

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. I believe we’re almost there – which explains the frantic push back.

A belief in white righteousness quietened the voices of reason and fairness when the first fleet landed on the shores of this continent. 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.

The voice of whiteness is also found in present arguments, like when the violence of settlement is justified by what the British introduced. It is white superiority to insist science, language, religion, law and social structures of an invading force are benevolent gifts.

First Peoples already had functioning, sophisticated social structures, law, spiritual beliefs, science and technology. Combining eons of their own advances in science  with long standing trade relations with Muslim neighbours , First Peoples were already on an enviable trajectory.

Tales of white benevolence, whether real or imagined, will not obliterate stories of what was stolen or lost. Social structures implanted by the new arrivals were not beneficial for First Peoples, who were barred from economic participation and denied genuine access to education, health and justice until approximately the 1970s.

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.

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. It involves an active commitment to reform, which includes paying the rent .

The frontier wars did not result in victory for settler colonialists, because the fight is not over. The sovereignty of approximately 600 distinctly different cultural/language groups was never ceded. Despite generations of violence and interference from settler colonialists, First Peoples have not been defeated.

“You came here only recently, and you took our land away from us by force. You have almost exterminated our people, but there are enough of us remaining to expose the humbug of your claim, as white Australians, to be a civilised, progressive, kindly and humane nation.” ‘ Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights! : A Statement of the Case for the Aborigines Progressive Associations’, The Publicist , 1938, p.3

Having lived on this continent for close to 80,000 years and surviving the violence of colonisation and ongoing injustices of non-Indigenous settlement, the voices of First Peoples cannot be dismissed. The fight for rights is not over.

The date will change. And, although it will take longer, the nation will change. 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.

Karen Wyld is an author, living by the coast in South Australia 

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Why so many australians are changing their minds about australia day.

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Welcome to Dig Deeper, a content series allowing you to dive as deep as you like into topics that are underserved in the current media landscape but need and deserve more coverage and attention.

Its purpose is to shed light on important community-based issues facing minority groups. To start with, we’re having honest and open conversations around January 26, the national mood and changing the date.

Warning: This article deals with the topic of targeted violence against certain groups and may be triggering for some readers.

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January 26: It’s one of Australia’s most divisive days. More and more Australians continue to change their minds over whether this date is an appropriate time to celebrate ‘Australia Day’. Because, when it comes to this tradition, what exactly are we celebrating?

According to the ABC’s Australia Talks National Survey 2021 , a whack of people now believe Australia Day should not be celebrated on January 26, given the historical significance of the date for First Nations peoples.

Back in 2019, 28% of respondents were strongly in favour of seeing a shift from the date. In 2021, this number jumped up to 39%.

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. A lot has happened in the last few years which has forced us to reflect on our values and the racial inequality of the world we still live in.

In June 2020, following the death of Black man George Floyd at the hands of the American police in Minnesota, Black Lives Matter protests occurred around the world, including here in Australia. This movement sparked a number of much-needed conversations — including the ways in which systemic racism operates within this country.

At the time, many people pledged to educate themselves on what it takes to be an effective anti-racist ally .

Moreover, another fire was lit when a 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, Cassius Turvey , died in 2022. Turvey was walking home from school with his mates when he was allegedly called racial slurs and hit with a metal pole. He later died in hospital. This event communicated how broken Australia still is.

Australia Day Resistance

For many people, January 26 means two things: a public holiday and a boozy BBQ celebration. For First Nations people, this is a day of mourning called Invasion Day. The disparity between these two experiences couldn’t be starker.

While many Australians argue that we have much to celebrate about this country, it shouldn’t come at the expense of our First Nations peoples. 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. The fact that it isn’t is an interesting glimpse into the chasm of systemic racism.

Additionally, the origins of celebrating Australia Day on January 26 don’t actually date back that far. According to the official Australia Day website , all states and territories didn’t use the name ‘Australia Day’ to mark the occasion until 1935. Meanwhile, 1994 was the year that all Australian states and territories began to “celebrate Australia Day consistently as a public holiday” on January 26.

What Can Be Done

Now, there are two lines of thinking when it comes to this date. One is to scrap the celebration completely, which, given that Australia is rooted in colonialism, and any celebration of it would be celebrating this fact is a fair argument. Cancelling the commemoration completely would move the conversation around racism forward in this country, while also highlighting the needs of First Nations peoples. It might not be the easiest sell, however.

“It’s important to understand that colonialism is still ongoing. Having an alternative date will still mean they are celebrating the colonial project here in so-called Australia,” Ruby Wharton, (Gamilaraay Kooma), member of the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance and the Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy, told Clothing the Gap , a Victorian Aboriginal owned and led social enterprise .

“We need to abolish Australia Day and change the discourse – it shouldn’t be a day of celebration but a day of remembrance.”

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. The opinions on these two options are incredibly mixed and each person has their own take on the issue. Kamilaroi man and Channel 9 sports journalist, Jake Duke told Clothing the Gap that he would like to see the date of Australia Day changed.

“There are many other options that would be far more unifying and inclusive,” Duke said.

“Even if the date is a floating one every year – the same way Easter or the Melbourne Cup is decided. I still think it should remain in January so that people can enjoy a public holiday in summer and celebrate all the things that are great about being Australian. I would also like to see January 26 marked as a far more sombre occasion. A day to reflect on the dark parts of our history, so we can move forward together as a nation.”

Not-for-profit organisation Australians Together has a similar train of thought, writing : “It’s true, that as Australians, we should be able to come together and celebrate the things about our nation that we’re proud of and grateful for.

“However, celebrating these things on the 26th of January can divide us as Australians by marginalising and offending many Indigenous people who see this date as commencing a chain of events that had disastrous consequences for many Indigenous people.”

The triple j Example

In 2017, national youth radio station triple j announced it was moving its annual Hottest 100 music countdown from January 26 to another date close by. In this announcement, triple j said it could no longer ignore the issue after a survey conducted by the station revealed that 60% of listeners wanted the Hottest 100 moved to a different date.

“As the public broadcaster representing all Australians, triple j and the ABC doesn’t take a view in the discussions,” triple j said in a statement . “However, in recent years the Hottest 100 has become a symbol in the debate about Australia Day. The Hottest 100 wasn’t created as an Australia Day celebration.”

This move was criticised, with the Resources Minister at the time, Matt Canavan , calling it “a disgraceful decision”. Former Federal Communications Minister, Mitch Fifield, also joined the conversation, saying he was “bewildered” by the decision. Fifield also wrote to the Chair of the ABC urging the station to reconsider.

“The ABC shouldn’t be buying into this debate,” Fifield said at the time. “Australia Day is our national day. The ABC should honour it and not mess with the Hottest 100.”

Six years later, triple j’s Hottest 100 is just as popular, despite not occurring on January 26 and there’s barely been any discussion about the date change since. For all the outrage seen from politicians at the time, this change hasn’t undermined Australia Day or caused them to rethink the conversation.

What’s the Point of Changing the Date?

A common argument about changing the date is questioning what it will actually achieve. For white Australians, changing the date will simply mean coming together on a different day and the public holiday would still take place. For First Nations peoples, changing the date would acknowledge the pain associated with January 26. Indigenous designer, artist and activist, Rachael Sarra , explained the importance of this on Instagram .

“The date change is like the key to your house, you need it to open the front door,” Sarra wrote. “Changing the date is not the outcome nor is it a magical cure to generational trauma, but it is the key in changing mindsets.

“It’s key because changing the date of Australia is an invitation, it’s an invitation for us mob to feel at home in our own country. It is NOT a deportation letter to those who don’t identify. Changing the date is accountability, it’s saying that we f**ked up, real bad. But we are ready to rectify this.

“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. Changing the date is saying, we trust you to determine your own lives, we value your knowledge, and most importantly, it’s saying we don’t want you to hurt anymore at the hands of our celebration. Australia Day does not exist on January 26.

“January 26 is the legacy of the horrific past and the connection of this trauma to the present. Change the Date and we will dismantle the systems and structures that oppress us.”

By moving Australia Day to another date, what are we losing? Nothing. By moving Australia Day to another date, what is the Indigenous community gaining? A lot. So, how do we go about actually making this change? First of all, adding your voice to this conversation helps to make it a lot louder. Much like the work you need to do to become an effective anti-racist ally, having conversations about this with your family and friends brings the issue to the forefront.

Who Can Change Australia Day?

From a political standpoint, there are a few ways to move Australia Day. According to the ABC , it’s 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. You could also lobby your local council to stop holding citizenship ceremonies on January 26.

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. According to SBS , Yarra Council and Darebin Council in Melbourne also voted to cancel citizenship ceremonies on this date for the same reason.

All of these decisions were criticised by the federal government at the time. Additionally, former Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, wasn’t interested in changing the date either, saying, “Australia Day is 26 January. That was the day that Australia’s course changed forever”.

“You don’t pretend your birthday was on a different day… you look at your whole life’s experience,” Morrison said . “Your achievements and a few scars and from some mistakes and things that you could have done better.”

While it’s undoubtedly an uphill battle to get governments to listen, it’s not impossible, which is why pressure needs to be continually applied for them to listen. Write letters to your elected officials and demand change. Let your local MPs know that this is an issue that is important to you. Check out our tips for writing to your MP here .

What You Should Do on January 26?

When it comes to January 26, instead of organising a party with friends, consider attending an Invasion Day rally. These are held every year around the country and allow you to support First Nations people on an upsetting day.

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 .

It’s time to rethink our decision to celebrate a day that is painful for so many.

Related :  Why the Indigenous Voice to Parliament Isn’t Going to Be as Straightforward as You Think

Related :  Know Better, Do Better: The Best Aussie Podcasts to Educate Yourself on Indigenous History

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. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.

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How to have a conversation with someone who's against the push to change the date.

Every year in Australia, once the New Year festivities are behind us, the same debate mounts in the press, on social media, and around dinner tables. 

Should our national day be  held on January 26 , the day the Union Jack was raised at Port Jackson on the land of the Eora clans?

To some, January 26 is a modern tradition worth protecting, a celebration of what Australia looks like today. It feels like a moment to pause and acknowledge what we have.

To others, it can never be detached from the past, from an event that started the systematic oppression of an ancient culture. It feels, as Woolwonga/Gurindji woman Susan Moylan-Coombs says, "like pressing on a bruise".

Watch: What January 26 means to different Australians. Post continues below.

If you are among those who see changing the date of our national day as one way to help heal that bruise, here's a guide to common arguments against it and how to address them.

'We deserve to celebrate Australia and being Australian.'

Abso-bloody-lutely! We've got so much to celebrate as a country. 

But by having that celebration on January 26, we're tying it to British settlement and positioning that invasion (in Reconciliation Australia 's words) as "the primary source of Australian identity and pride."

There's more to us than that, more that deserves to be celebrated.

That includes the communities that thrived on and cared for the land for 65,000 years before Captain Arthur Phillip planted a flag in it.

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'settlement happened more than 200 years ago, though. it's got nothing to do with modern australians, so why can't we just move forward'.

That event might be a long way in the past. But the legacy of it isn't.

January 26 marked the beginning of policies and practices that sought to steadily erase Indigenous people, their culture and language (think removal from their lands, massacre, slavery and the Stolen Generations ). 

The consequences of that have filtered through the generations, contributing to huge differences in health and financial outcomes for First Nations people, higher rates of incarceration and the number of children in out-of-home care.

If we 'move forward' without acknowledging that legacy, we'd only continue to leave some people behind.

'But changing the date of Australia Day wouldn't improve conditions for Aboriginal people. It's tokenism.'

True. It's not magically going to undo centuries of marginalisation and disadvantage. 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. 

But changing the date of Australia Day is something we can do now .  

You may see it as tokenism, but for many, it's a signal of that understanding, of a willingness to move forward together as a unified country.

'How can changing the date be about 'unity' when it's catering to one part of the community?'

Because as it stands, that community is being ignored, that community is being told their history isn't as important as white history, that their pain isn't as important as other Australians having a particular date off work.

That is not inclusive.

Perhaps think of it this way... If Australia was invaded today, if a foreign power pushed us all from our homes, forced us to speak another language, killed us en masse, then chose to celebrate that fact year after year, would you want to join the party?

Feature Image: Getty.

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