Change the Date Day (Australia Day)

Friday in Australia was a public holiday. It's an excuse for everyone to get together, wave a flag or light a barbecue. It was a particularly sunny and warm day on Friday so ideal for outdoor entertainment, but something cast an increasingly large shadow over the day. The 26 January 'celebrates' the 1788 arrival of Governor Arthur Phillip in Sydney and the raising of the British Flag.

 

At the time of the fleet's arrival Australia was referred to as Terra Nullias (no man's land) which kind of implied nobody lived here - overlooking the fact that there was possibly upwards of one million Aboriginals who had made Australia their home for around 40,000 years prior to Arthur Phillip's arrival.

 

The genocide of aboriginal Australians, their mistreatment and inherent racism throughout the country which followed is well documented.

 

I actually think that the early European arrivals tried hard to be peaceful and stories such as Bennelong (an Aboriginal man who forged a relationship with Arthur Phillip and travelled to Britain) show that initial intentions weren't to exterminate and isolate the communities in the way that ultimately transpired.

 

Effectively though now by celebrating the day it almost acts as a microcosm of everything that is wrong in aboriginal relationships over the last two hundred years. Aboriginal life span is 10.6 years less than non-indigenous population. Nearly 30% of the prison population is aboriginal (compared to 4% outside of prison walls) and both health employment and educational outcomes are extremely poor.

 

Many (but not all) Aboriginal communities have started to baulk against Australia day being held on the 26th January. For them Australia Day is "Invasion Day" or "Survival Day". I can sympathise that it holds no positive relevance to someone who has seen their historic land occupied and their forefather's killed in their thousands. Meanwhile much of Australia chooses to look the other way.

 

Almost by accident I joined a march on Australia Day which culminated at the Aboriginal Embassy. There was a 'smoking ceremony' and a couple of people spoke to the large crowd. Australia has many anachronisms and links with a British past. Certainly though the calls to 'change the date' seem to grow stronger every year and the campaign appears to have an awful lot of justification.