What does Australia Day mean to you?

To me Australia Day does mark the start of the country and culture we live in.

Of course no country or culture is perfect and all have things that they are ashamed of. But we also have many things to be proud of.

Without the First Fleet we probably would not have Australia as a nation. Certainly without European colonisation it is extremely unlikely that this continent would be a single nation. Instead it would probably be a patchwork of many smaller nations.

The legal and social systems we have here today are based on those we inherited from the British.

Two of the reasons Australia is so attractive to immigrants are our legal and social values. People who say that our colonial history is of no significance to new Australians are wrong.

Wow! Thanks for sharing all of your thoughts on this. It’s certainly something people feel passionate about and there have been some good points raised here by many of you too. Interesting tongue-in-cheek response, Janos.

I think that most would like to enjoy this day (and largely do so) – I for one, would like to see more unified solutions, rather than this “us and them” divisiveness that seems to be all pervasive throughout the world right now.

On the surface it sounds like a good idea to change the date, but the extreme left will simply hijack it again, rope Aborigines in and wreck the day with protests and discord. They just hate Australia, our values and way of life and the thought that people are having a good time so they see it as their sacred duty to grandstand in front of the cameras in order to make a statement no matter what day it is.

A day to spend with mates & family. Pretty sure all Australians could get on board with that, regardless of colour or creed. If not, then Australia probably isn’t for you

I’m sick and tired of the annual debate over changing the date. Go right ahead and change it – just to prove it will not make an iota of difference. The same old stuff will be dredged up the week before, then forgotten about for another year. This debate is whipped up by the media, especially the ABC. The focus should be on the fact we’re lucky enough to live in the most free and peaceful country in the world. But no, even among my perfectly white anglo Australian family and friends it’s become very cool, anti-authority and anti-government to make it about “invasion day”.

The common line is we’re celebrating genocide. No, nobody is celebrating this. Australians generally are not chest-beating patriots like Americans – but if anyone’s celebrating it’s because, again, we live in the most free and peaceful country on Earth.

Respect and recognition of indigenous people is at the absolute top of the list for any Australia Day event. From meetings at work, to school assemblies, to sporting events – all constantly recognise indigenous land and culture. Yet it is clear all of this does very little to appease those who want to rain on the Australia Day parade each year.

For once I mostly agree with Joe Hildebrand: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/changing-the-date-of-australia-day-wont-change-our-past-says-joe-hildebrand/news-story/d9a6ecdff0c2a85a77d227dcc6f79ce8

Chris Mordd Richards said :

First nation people’s cannot enjoy this day, because it is the day a war was declared on the 240+ nations of australia, and the war has never ended. Until a treaty is signed, this will not change, as was made clear at the Tent Embassy protest today. Until FNP can enjoy the day, I cannot enjoy the day, and many others feel the same way. A minutes of silence was observed at the tent embassy today, in recognition of all those killed by the invasion of their land and those killed by institutionalised racism ever since. Over 600 people attended the Sovereignty protest today, am editing footage and writing a report of it now.

Instead of further inflaming things and attempting to further divide society, why don’t we put these efforts that involve looking back, to looking forward to help to close the gap in Indigenous education, health and employment. That would be much more constructive than white anting and rebel rousing – but also harder to do !

Australia Day must be renamed as “Invasion and Genocide Day”. Better still it should be renamed as “Invasion and Genocide By White Middle Class Men Day”, so as not to offend women, people of non-English speaking background, the disabled, the descendants of mixed indigenous marriages and the LGBTQIAPD community in the guilt-fest.

One minute’s silence just won’t do. There are too many distractions around. Shopping malls. Updating Facebook. That last tweet. The next selfie. What that women over there is wearing, OMG it was like sooooo … you know…..

To show our genuine contrition and penitence on “Invasion and Genocide By White Middle Class Men Day”, there must be a national wailing procession and self-flagellation with chains and whips.

Anything less and we will demand another renamed day and date.

Read this by an indigenous person:

https://www.facebook.com/JacintaPriceForCouncillor/posts/1799874823606889

Changing the date will do nothing, quoting from the Telegraph:

“If Australia Day was moved to January 1 – or any other alternative – would they rejoice? Would a simple change of date end their reflexive bitterness towards a celebration of Australian accomplishments? How these people would respond if the Australia Day celebration was changed. They would still reject Australia Day because they reject both the concept and reality of Australia. To them, Australia will always be a symbol of racism, colonialism and oppression. Changing the date would not make a scrap of difference. This is because they are utterly incapable of recognising what Australia has become – the most successfully and peacefully integrated nation on earth.”

And if you changed the date mate, then bet you to a bottom dollar the following holidays would be sought to be changed:

-Western Australia Day: the founding of the Swan River Colony (bad word Colony)?
-SA, Proclamation Day: the establishment of government in South Australia as a British (British another bad word) province.

And the people who say that Australia Day should only be celebrated on 1st January as it is the date of Federation, lets not forget something about history of “New Holland” and its exploration and annexation for alternative dates to mark when New Holland Terra Australia become one continent under the new rulers. so here are some alternative dates:??

29 September 1791, explorer Captain George Vancouver while exploring the south coast, entered and named King George the Third’s Sound and Princess Royal Harbour, and took possession of New Holland for the British Crown.?

21 January 1827, as instructed by the Colonial Secretary, the Union Jack was raised at Albany WA and a feu de joie fired by the troops, formally annexing the territory of New Holland, then not a part of New South Wales, in assertion of the first official claim by the Imperial Government to British possession over the whole continent of Australia. ??

I interested in making the national day a marking of Indigenous black history. We have Mabo Day, Sorry Day, Naidoc Week. Why don’t we agree to mark one of these days as a National Holiday?

Its a day to celebrate our achievements, have a bbq and a beer with your mates. Its a day off to remind us that we need to take a break and think how lucky we have it compared to some parts of the world. We made it this way, all of us, white, black, Asian…whatever.
In the meantime however, I’d like a minutes silence to remember my poor Briton ancestors murdered by Romans when they colonized Britain. While we’re at it, I’d like a minutes silence for the other side of the family who were no doubt terrified of Ghengis Khan and his gang of ruffians. Damn Mongols, and who needs an aqueduct anyway, big nosed Romans.

Suzanne Kiraly said :

Charlotte Harper said :

I agree with a RiotACT reader suggestion last year that we should have a minute’s silence on Australia Day in recognition of the fact that the British invaded the country on this day and subsequently decimated the population, culture and language of the first Australians. If this became a nationally recognised institution in itself, with appropriate fanfare, it would go a long way to turning sentiment towards the day as a whole around.

As for changing the date, the May 8 (maaate) idea is funny but wouldn’t work for two reasons: mothers all over the country would miss out on Mother’s Day every few years because of the clash, and we’d lose the positives of celebrating as a nation at the end of the summer holidays when we can host BBQs and spend a long weekend at the beach, by the pool or watching the tennis.

Yes, Charlotte – a minute’s silence – what a great idea. I would love for everyone to enjoy this day – all Australians having a celebration together, without the controversy that we have as it is today.

First nation people’s cannot enjoy this day, because it is the day a war was declared on the 240+ nations of australia, and the war has never ended. Until a treaty is signed, this will not change, as was made clear at the Tent Embassy protest today. Until FNP can enjoy the day, I cannot enjoy the day, and many others feel the same way. A minutes of silence was observed at the tent embassy today, in recognition of all those killed by the invasion of their land and those killed by institutionalised racism ever since. Over 600 people attended the Sovereignty protest today, am editing footage and writing a report of it now.