So, what is Australia Day? Basically, it’s the country’s national day and depending on who you ask, it may represent a day in history that for some, should be celebrated while for others, be mourned. Aside from it being a public holiday (no work, yay!) where you get an excuse to light your barbie again, what else do you know about Australia Day?
Every 26th of January, Australia celebrates their nationhood. Though it is a day that aims to commemorate all things that we love about Australia, honour the contributions of it’s diverse people, and promote a sense of ‘existing together’, it undoubtedly is a day that divides the Australian nation.
What is Australia Day?
Australia Day is celebrated on the anniversary of the raising of the Union Jack when the first fleet arrived at Port Jackson on January 26. It is said that what’s being celebrated on this day has evolved throughout the years. What started out as a celebration for the emancipation of convicts is now a celebration of all the things that make Australia what it is.
History
The Arrival Of The First Fleet (January 26, 1788)
On this day, Australia became a British colony. Eleven British convict ships (known as the First Fleet), commanded by Captain Arthur Philip arrived at Sydney Cove in New South Wales. The beginning of the first European settlement in Australia was signaled by the raising of the British flag.
Image source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-25/australia-day-first-fleet-should-be-remembered-on-january-26/9360398
‘First Landing Day’ or ‘Foundation Day’ of New South Wales (1804, 26th of January)
Australia Day celebrations on the 26th of January were all previously Sydney-centric. It was then referred to as the ‘First Landing Day’ or ‘Foundation Day’. People in Sydney were said to have drinks and dinners to celebrate.
Twenty-Sixth Of January As A Public Holiday
On the 30th anniversary (1818) of the beginning of the British colonisation of Australia, January 26 was acknowledged as a public holiday by Governor Macquarie. On its Jubilee in 1838, the twenty-sixth of January became an annual public holiday.
The Centenary
On its Centenary (1888), representatives of other states have joined Sydney in celebration. The ‘Anniversary’ that was only being celebrated by New South Wales was starting to turn into an Australian celebration when Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria, South Australia, and even New Zealand joined the Centenary.
The First Official Australia Day (30th July 1915)
The very first official national day that was called ‘Australia Day’ was held on the 30th of July 1915. It was held as a fundraising event as a response to Australia’s World War I efforts. It was suggested by Ellen Wharton-Kirke.
Image source: https://www.facebook.com/abcinbrisbane/posts/10157115774484669?comment_id=10157125018534669
Australia Day On A Monday
In 1930, a society in Victoria called the ‘Australian Natives’ Association’ campaigned to have the 26th of January (as Australia Day) to be celebrated everywhere in Australia on a Monday, so it’s a long weekend. This proposal was agreed with by the Victorian government in 1931. All of the other states and territories followed this move by 1935.
The Day of Mourning on Its Sesquicentennial (26 January 1938)
It was widely celebrated throughout Australian state capitals with the main celebrations being held in Sydney. As the state premiers celebrated the 150th anniversary of the British colonisation of Australia, Aboriginal leaders gathered in Sydney for a Day of Mourning. It was a protest against all of the mistreatment that they have been experiencing in their daily life. Aboriginal people as well as their supporters joined a silent march through Sydney’s streets. This was their very first national gathering to seek full citizen rights. This was the beginning of the modern Aboriginal political movement.
The Bicentenary Celebrations And Protest (26 January 1988)
Many Australians celebrated the two-hundredth anniversary of the beginning of British’s colonisation of NSW. The celebratory events and ceremonies for this day continued to be centred in Sydney. On the 26th of January 1988, states and territories have agreed to hold Australia Day celebrations on the 26th instead of doing the long weekend.
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Also on this day, thousands of Aboriginal people as well as their non-Indigenous supporters from all over Australia (even from remote communities), marched in Sydney. It was said that they were protesting because the colonisation of Australia that brought about their sufferings and loss was being commemorated. This protest was done in the spirit of the Day of Mourning from 1938.
Image source: https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2018/01/17/analysis-80-years-after-day-mourning-message-australia-day-still-rings-true-1
1994 till Present
The celebration of Australia Day on January 26 became established in 1994 under Paul Keating’s government, and it is so even up to now. It has become a significant day that most Australians celebrate every year. The commemorations aren’t the only thing that continued as the spirit of the Aboriginal people’s Day of Mourning from 1938 carries through.
Controversy
How can a single day divide a nation? The controversy surrounding Australia’s national day is all about the day that it is being celebrated — January 26. To Aboriginal Australians, this isn’t a day to celebrate as this was when a chain of dreadful events with devastating consequences happened to them, consequences that they still feel until now. Indigenous Australians have been living in this continent for more than 60,000 years. To them, January 26 signifies a lot of terrible things such as the destruction of their culture, being separated from their families, their land being stolen from them, etc. For the Aborigines, it’s not Australia Day but instead, it is ‘Invasion Day’, ‘Day of Mourning’, or ‘Survival Day’.
Australia Day of Present Times
Australia Day is a public holiday so most people will have the day off. It’s a perfect opportunity to spend time with your family. There are plenty of celebrations that are in line for Australia Day. These festivities celebrate a culture that’s continually evolving and changing. These may include events such as:
Australia Day Parade
Citizenship Ceremonies
For most migrants, celebrating Australia Day is very important, so much so that thousands of them would choose this day to become Australians.
Australian of the Year Awards
Invasion Day Rallies/Protests
People have also been marching every year to change the date.
Conclusion
To end this blog post, I would like to leave these three videos so you can hear the different views of different Australians on the Australia Day that we celebrate:
Source:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-26/australia-day-history/11901780?nw=0
https://www.australiaday.org.au/about/history/
https://www.deadlystory.com/page/culture/history/The_1988_Bicentenary_Protest
https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/voices/culture/article/2018/01/23/many-different-dates-weve-celebrated-australia-day
https://neoskosmos.com/en/157025/so-what-are-we-celebrating-on-australia-day/
https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/day-of-mourning
https://www.deadlystory.com/page/culture/history/Day_of_Mourning_protests_held_in_Sydney
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2017/01/18/10-things-you-should-know-about-january-26-nitv
https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-truth-about-january-26-20210121-p56vws.html
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/25/australia/australia-day-morrison-citizenship-intl/index.html
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/why-26-january-is-the-most-controversial-date-in-australia-s-calendar
Disclaimer All content and information in this post is for purposes of sharing my experiences only, does not constitute professional advice and does not establish any kind of professional-client relationship.
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