Australia Day 2017 – a change of heart
I think it is important to be able to reflect on our own thinking and be willing to change our minds. And when you share a lot of your opinions in a public forum such as this, you also need to be ready to openly admit when you might have been wrong about something (unless you’re in politics where it seems acceptable to just avoid the question). Last year I published some thoughts about Australia Day. I am mostly happy with what I wrote, especially the point that you are not demonstrating a love for the country by expressing bilious hatred for those Australians you deem unworthy. Wearing the national flag and take no effort and as such is a poor illustration of patriotism (Pauline Hanson take note). If you want to show how much the country means to you, start by not being an inconsiderate or hateful jerk.
On the other hand I do feel my views around the date of Australia Day are shifting and I now disagree with some of what I wrote. As I said in last year’s article, I have no attachment to the date, January 26. It was neither the date the country was discovered (by Aboriginals or Europeans) or founded. Having said that, last year I did not support calls for changing the date.
I felt this debate was something of a distraction from more pressing issues such as Indigenous incarceration and mortality rates, as well as ongoing racism in Australian society. I said this with full sympathy and complete acceptance that European colonisation – or invasion – had catastrophic impact on Australia’s Indigenous population. I am not sure there is anything that can be done to properly atone for the crimes committed in the past. For this reason I wrote that priority for effort should be to address extant challenges of the present. And with the increasingly strident efforts of a conservative groups to push the narrative that Anglo Saxon Australians are somehow the true victims of multiculturalism, you know that every concession or initiative made towards addressing issues such as indigenous health or education will be held up as another example of how ‘Australian values’ are under threat from political correctness. For this reason I thought maybe Aboriginal activists would be better served by saving their energy for fights that would have immediate impact on the welfare of indigenous Australians and not poke the angry white bear over more symbolic issues.
I’m a little embarrassed about writing that now as I was looking at that backwards. The fact that something costs political capital to a movement is hardly a good argument not to do it. If there is a good reason to do something, especially if it goes some way to righting a wrong, should we be dissuaded by the fact that it may be difficult politically? Indigenous Australians would argue there is certainly a reason, as the date, January 26, to them represents genocide and abuse. Whether or not you feel that Australia day represents something different to you or that the continued focus on the distant past is unhelpful, the argument that celebrations around this day are offensive to many Indigenous Australians, and as such hinder our progress towards true reconciliation, is valid nonetheless.
Instead of telling Indigenous Australians to ‘get over’ a brutal history at the hands of Europeans, something that everyone would ‘get over’ a whole lot more easily would be doing something as simple as changing the date. I started thinking, who would actually suffer if we did? Who is it insulting? It isn’t taking anything away from other Australians, it is just making many of the first Australians more comfortable joining in our celebrations. Borrowing a phrase from a good friend of mine, you are not being oppressed when others are being treated with the same respect and sensitivity you always have. That’s equality.
Those who have fought vocally against the change may be a little uncomfortable having perhaps backed themselves into a corner with their choice of rhetoric, but that is the most anyone has to fear from a change of date. Being ‘on the wrong side of history,’ is not just a pithy catchphrase. It is a pretty powerful and accurate description of people advocating a course of action that in future years will be looked back on the same way we now look back on other outdated notions such as apartheid, slavery and tolerating domestic violence. I don’t like to think that I was on ever on that side, but in arguing that the positives of moving the date of Australia Day were outweighed by the negatives of upsetting conservative white Australia, perhaps I was toeing that line.
In any case, I was dead wrong. Changing the date is a no-brainer. It will mean a lot to many Australians and be another step towards reconciliation. At the same time it will not really hurt anyone anything more than a bit of embarrassment or anger at not getting their way. The debate will be another rallying point for the right-wing extremist groups such as Reclaim Australia, but it can hardly make them more racist.
I am pretty confident that the date of Australia Day will be changed in the near future, over the protestations of the last diehards and I look forward to that day. As a society, we are maturing each year and, as with many issues of social justice, large sections of the community are leading the government.
This article was originally published on Quietblog.
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21 comments
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Steve Laing - makeourvoiceheard.com -
Kate Ahearne -
Kaye Lee -
Ella Miller -
roma guerin -
Ian Ellis -
Michael -
kerri -
jimhaz -
jimhaz -
John Skene -
Kate Ahearne -
Kate Ahearne -
corvus boreus -
Kate Ahearne -
Deanna Jones -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
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Florence nee Fedup -
Johno -
Kate Ahearne
Return to home pageWell done Dave. I salute your ability to reflect and adapt your thinking. I admit to having come on the same journey, which I suspect is one felt by many new Australians who love the concept of Australia Day as an opportunity to become more integrated with ones new home, but then as one learns more about what the day means for the original custodians of the land, find that overt celebrations leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
I continue to be amazed as I learn more and more of the culture of our first peoples. Their ability to not only survive this brutally harsh continent, but to build cultures that have lasted in some cases over 10,000 years without “technology” (by which I mean a written language) is nothing short of awe-inspiring. We have much to learn, if only we can learn how to do so from their perspective instead of our own.
Dave, What a brave piece! I wonder if you or your readers could suggest other dates that might have some resonance for a new Australia Day.
The First Fleet of ships to carry convicts from England to Botany Bay sailed from Portsmouth, England, on 13 May 1787. It arrived at Botany Bay on 18 January 1788.
1788 – Captain Arthur Phillip, commander of the First Fleet of eleven convict ships from Great Britain, and the first Governor of New South Wales, arrived at Sydney Cove on 26 January and raised the Union Jack to signal the beginning of the colony.
The tradition of having Australia Day as a national holiday on 26 January is a recent one. Not until 1935 did all the Australian states and territories use that name to mark that date. Not until 1994 did they begin to celebrate Australia Day consistently as a public holiday on that date. It was a NSW thing initially.
Dave Laing,
My question to you is ,”how can Australia Day mean anything to those who are vilified, those who feel they have no voice?”
I was a refugee 50 odd years ago, I have considered my self an Australian for most of that time, yet I wonder if some in this society considers anyone not born here as Australian.
This is a message I received from someone who considers himself to be “true blue” and I quote
“bloody refugees, Ive only met one good one.No wonder Australia is stuffed importing muppets like you’
Whilst we have attitudes like this promoted by some of our representatives….I feel nothing but shame and regret on Australia Day.
The date is irrelevant when we have a society that is as divided as ours seems to be.
Thanks Dave. That was so well expressed. Thanks Kaye too for the in-a-nutshell history of the date. For Kate: Re other dates. In another forum I read that 1 January 1901 would be good, the declaration of Federation – protestations that this is ‘already a public holiday’ just sounded silly to me. There was also a mid-year date but I forget what significance this one had. Again cries went up ‘who wants a public holiday in the middle of winter’. More silliness. We have had Queens Birthday in June for yonks, and her birthday is in April! Surely if we all get our heads together we can come to an agreed date that will please a majority of the population (who actually care about the reason, that is).
Perhaps the very notion of a celebratory ‘day’ is almost as outmoded as is the concept of a flag. Both the text and the music of our ‘National Anthem’ are, in my opinion, utterly ridiculous, but, until I discover a valid reason for a ‘jolly good chaps’ sing-a-long boasting about belonging to a country stolen from the aborigines, I won’t waste time advocating its replacement. After reading the commandant’s order to take Sydney aborigines into custody as ‘prisoners of war’, and to shoot those who resist, hoisting their carcasses conspicuously as a ‘deterrent’, I am beginning to feel that a ‘Mia Culpa Day’ should be planned, and that no flag be raised, no National Anthem be sung, until a state of complete contrition is reached, P Hanson has died, and….
Please correct me if I am wrong – Botany Bay was first stop – found unsuitable for settlement – sailed northward – spied a break in shoreline – into the Heads and turned right (no political ideology behind that decision intended) to North Harbour (one of three, North, Middle, Sydney harbours in Port Jackson) and described a human figure as “manly” looking (hence name of area as Manly) – stayed a while to explore “what if I turned left” (again no political ideology behind that decision intended) – found Circular Quay – and here we are ….
Not claiming any firsts here but could this add backing to the timeline suggested?
The date is largely irrelevant to any celebration. Melbourne Cup is first Tuesday in November. Wouldn’t it be more convenient to be a Monday? Whenever a Public holiday falls on a weekend we get a weekday in lieu. We have never celebrated the Queen’s birthday on her actual birthday and when she does snuff it will we then open the ski season on November 14!!
Change the date!
It won’t make any difference to the knuckle dragging hypocrites who drape themselves in flag and swill booze while cheering Pauline.
But it will make a huge difference to the people who daily give permission for us to live on their land.
[But it will make a huge difference to the people who daily give permission for us to live on their land]
Offensive PCism.
[Their ability to not only survive this brutally harsh continent, but to build cultures that have lasted in some cases over 10,000 years without “technology” (by which I mean a written language) is nothing short of awe-inspiring]
No it is not. It is what would be expected in a large isolated country with few large areas of high fertility.
In a sense the nature of the land was their worst enemy. It did not enable a sufficiently high concentration of people in any area to enable a society that would evolve into a nation – thus they were invaded easily and lost their attempts at resistance.
The nature of the land in my view also prevented an earlier invasion from Asia, who accordingly to the link below traded with Darwin area aborigines for sea cucumbers well before whites invaded down south
http://www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/handle/10072/5783/24493_1.pdf;sequence=1
I made the following post on the 21st on another thread. I’m wondering what others might think of its content.
“A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson
Watkin Tench 1793
http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/ozlit/pdf/p00044.pdf
This journal really grabbed my attention particularly in regard to the settlers relationship with aboriginals at the time. I skipped to those bits at first.
I think this is a document every Australian should read. Watkin Tench seems worldly enough to have not lied too much to please the audience for his journal, though you’d expect at least a bit of whitewashing.
I expected us invaders to be cruel bastards and more often at fault as a cause of conflict, and we were, but there was also kindness and a desire for restraint, until population and territory creep started causing too much harm and conflict.
Even though many aspects would sting an aboriginal person very deeply, there are also many worthy of pride. In adding factual individual personalities to the generic and negative term “primitive”, it humanises and enables one to see how they would have reacted the same way emotionally if the boot was on the other foot.”
I suggest May 27, the date of the 1967 referendum that recognised all those that were here before 26 January 1788.
John, That’s a great suggestion. I had been wondering about maybe Sept 1st as the first day of spring with all the symbolism of new hope, regeneration and so on. Or perhaps the spring equinox, which would be Sept 22nd (I think). The term ‘equinox’ literally means ‘equal night’, but also means equal day, of course. That’d get us all celebrating equality!
This video just turned up on fb page from JUNKEE – starring Jordan Raskopouos. She’s suggesting May 8, which, if you stretch it a bit, becomes maaaaaaaate. http://junkee.com/jordan-raskopoulos-reckons-change-australia-day-may-8-maaate/94421/
Technically, any ‘Australia Day’ celebrations should really be celebrated on January 1st.
That is, after all, the anniversary of our official federation into nationhood in 1901.
Sentimental commemoration of the 26/01/1788 British landing could be retained in the form of ‘Colony Day’.
Corvus, Yes, but that date is pretty much taken. I suppose the two public holidays could be strung together, but it would just be a bit messy.
For me, tomorrow is invasion day, and I have openly shunned it for quite a few years now. The celebration of certain ‘days’ to cement the identity of the masses is nothing but pro status quo rhetoric and that is the whole purpose of it. The perpetuation of white male supremacy, whoop whoop.
Even white supremacists have been hoodwinked over this ‘day’. It was the day some of our/my ancestors landed here as slave labour to build the latest arm of the British Empire. Those poor bastards were the criminal poor, who were spat out the bottom of the industrial revolution. What the hell is to celebrate about the day they first dragged their sick and miserable arses to shore? The very idea of it offends my convict-descended sensibilities.
Our First Nations peoples of NSW will acknowledge their survival tomorrow and I fully recommend the Yabun Festival.
We already have Anzac, which is itself fraught with bullshit, but people seem to like it.
I would personally love a day acknowledging women’s achievements, the vote for example, to become A Thing, something status quo challenging.
Maybe if we are ever civilised, we could have a dialogue with First Nations peoples, come up with a day that honours their long held role as custodians of this land and white recognition of that role. Maybe a “the day we stopped being A holes day”.
‘Change the Date’ is acceptable in light of indigenous Australians’ non-acceptance of 26 January as an invasion anniversary.
I also agree with Deanna Jones that a strongly recognised, designated date is overdue for women’s significant achievements, such as gaining the vote, parliamentary representation, fighting the good fight even when the chips are against us, leadership in our communities, leadership in our homes and the list goes on.
It should be moved to April 1st – it has always been a joke.
Maybe date first election or day first parliament sat until the date we become a republic. It wasn’t until middle last century we become Australian citizens with our own passports. Our own flag and anthem. Our own supreme courts. Cutting ties with the British crown will be the final act. Please put penal in front word colony.
Deanna, agreeance to your comment. Any day that smells of patriotism disgusts me. However, I could celebrate something like an earth day, where all cultures of the planet could embrace each overs differences.
The Guardian has one of its live blogs going on re. Australia Day. Lots of interesting stuff.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/jan/26/january-26-australia-day-invasion-day-protests-hottest-100-live