The debate around celebrating Australia day is fierce. We’ve heard about it on radio stations and seen it plastered across news stands. There have been heated conversations in workplaces, and no doubt it’s been raised at the dinner table.
On the surface, it is the anniversary of January 26, 1788, when the British First Fleet landed at Port Jackson New South Wales and the British flag was raised at Sydney Cove. Deeper than this, however, and it is the anniversary of the beginning of a new colony, and the forced ending of another.

As the years scrolled on from that 1788 landing, White Australians marked the occasion with barbecues and eskies and beach parties fuelled by locally brewed beers. Throughout this, Aboriginal Australians were nowhere to be seen.
Left out of the celebrations the same way they'd been banished from their homes, raped, murdered, stolen from, forced into slavery, and, later, pushed into alcoholism and drug abuse after an entire generation of their children were ripped from their homes.
Is this day really cause for celebration? Will changing the date really make any difference? What are we celebrating, when we say we're 'celebrating' Australia?
All of these are questions that go round and round and round within the politically charged conversation. And perhaps they should.
But today, as you argue about the issue - because no doubt it will be raised - remember the people.
Top Comments
I was married to Audrey on the 26/01/1956 never going to forget this date.
We cancel it until we have earnt a national day to celebrate - the day we become a republic!
Come on Malcolm -do another postal vote and we can get it sorted ready for ‘nation day’ in 2019!
The endeavours of the early pioneers, the explorers who risked their lives opening up this great country, the young men who fought in 2 world wars, the men who stopped the Japanese from invading this country in WWII, the strength of the pioneering women braving loneliness and hardship, the camaraderie which has been a feature of Australian life (now nearly extinct), are great reasons to say we have well and truly earned the right to celebrate a national day.
We don't need to be a republic to make Australia great.