We shouldnt invest too much glory in the First Fleets intentions and what it delivered. Not until 1994 did they begin to celebrate Australia Day consistently . The day before Australia celebrated its national day Friday, a statue of British explorer James Cook in Melbourne was vandalized, covered with pink paint and the words No pride.. The Australian flag was chosen in 1901, when a competition was held to design our country's flag. To take the headache out of calculating holiday, we've created our very own easy-to-use Holiday Calculator . But the legacy of it isn't. Not until 1935 did all the Australian states and territories use that name to mark that date. Comments made, both in Europe and Australia, regarding the importance of ensuring all Muslims in France are an equal part of French society and enjoy these freedoms are equally important. It is a day for national unity, and it is too easy to come up with reasons for division. But I celebrate on January 26 with thousands of others for a quite different reason because Australia is a great country to live in. Along with this were the brutal efforts to subjugate the indigenous people. We could all make a list of the things that should be better: trust in politicians, economic competitiveness, standards in schools, safety on our streets (especially in Melbourne), congested roads and inefficient public transport, and yes the well-being of the First Australians, but is anything to be gained by this annual cycle of agonizing over the date of our national day? Australia should not be committed to any other region of the world. So for me its a difficult day and I dont want to celebrate it. Safety is one of the more solid arguments for keeping the lighter evenings of DST. Your decision last year to cut back on route timetables, notably throwing out more than two hours of the Route 4 itinerary, from 11.10pm to the now feeble 9.05pm was, and still is, a total farce and you should be ashamed of your presumption. The 28-year-old is the CEO and founder of Aboriginal-led mentoring program ID Know Yourself. Did you encounter any technical issues? Pros and Cons of Living in Australia vs. UK. If Australia was invaded today, if a foreign power pushed us all from our homes, forced us to speak another language, killed us en masse, then chose to celebrate that fact year after year, would you want to join the party? We need our non-Indigenous people to walk with us on this journey of healing and empowerment for our kids. Increased momentum around changing the date of Australia Day reflects a growing sense that January 26 is symbolic of the Australia we used to be, not the Australia we hope to become. While money goes much further here than in larger Australian cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, it's by no means a cheap place to live. This is the debate Australians have every year as we approach January 26, and really it's a country grappling with its own identity. ", Or as one Torres Strait Islander elder said: "I don't need one day to celebrate, I am always celebrating my culture and customs, I celebrate being the First Australian every day.". Australia has its downsides, too, and more than just some truly terrifying wildlife. Few former British colonies celebrate their national day on the actual day of colonization. Now she believes she's being penalised, Australia looks to press home its advantage with the bat on day two against India, ADF aircraft, personnel to assist evacuation of hundreds from flooded NT remote communities, Toyah Cordingley's accused killer touches down in Cairns to face murder charges, 'Weight of the dead on my shoulders': Academic breaks down at gay hate deaths inquiry, Outside her tent, next to a popular city walking track, homeless Tasha is past caring what people think. Australian Catholic University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU. Then, we'll take a look at some change management cons, including: The cost of failure. There is a lively debate about the pros and cons of Australia Day. Legal and political voices have long called for Australia to lower the voting age to 16. Watch: What January 26 means to different Australians. 2023 Cable News Network. On January 17, after the latest clashes over the date had begun, an impassioned appeal by television host Brooke Boney went viral across the country. Anthony Dillon receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Australia Day remains unprotected, Liberal Party Senator Dean Smith wrote in The Australian on Thursday. SHOULD THE AUSTRALIAN FLAG BE CHANGED? According to the Australia Day website: "The tradition of having Australia Day as a national holiday on 26 January is a recent one. The commemoration of this day has grown contentious in recent years as a result of a "change the date" campaign, in which supporters demand that Australia Day be moved from January 26 to May 9. But I can't separate the 26th of January from the fact that my brothers are more likely to go to jail than they are to go to school" says @BoneyBrooke, a proud Gamilaroi woman. Others said it could help schools reduce overcrowding by staggering start times throughout the year. A cultural debate intensified this week when prominent indigenous commentator Stan Grant dubbed the inscription "Discovered this territory 1770", on a Sydney statue of 18th century British explorer Capitan James Cook, a "damaging myth". But decisions made by elected governments - especially in areas such as education, health and energy - impact young people too. Today, Indigenous peoples are still recovering from the chain of events that were set in motion on that day in 1788. Read our Privacy Policy. To some, January 26 is a modern tradition worth protecting, a celebration of what Australia looks like today. I have seen this wonderful village grow into a city of which we should all be very proud. Now in these more enlightened times, post Mabo and Bringing the Children Home, consideration should be given to the day on which we celebrate our nation, so that all Australians can wholeheartedly rejoice while doing so. A Warner Bros. Let's celebrate. Those opposed to Australia Day, mainly for the date on which is celebrated, do so because of the historical significance the British invasion and the destruction it brought. Their strategy is to engineer and profit from hostility between Muslims and non-Muslims and between different sects of Islam. It might just be a commercial Australian Lambs annual advertisement ahead of Australia Day on January 26 but its struck a nerve with a lot of Australians this year. The UK on the other hand is notoriously rainy or overcast. 2023 Cable News Network. It is unfortunate that the defence of January 26 has included claims that the British arrival guaranteed the creation of a modern nation, and thus must be honoured. Suppose you are to travel outside the country for more than 28 days within a year. But does she really think for one minute that this would be the nation it is today had it not been for the arrival of the First Fleet and the subsequent development of this land as a great democracy in the British tradition? This makes less sense close to the equator, where the amount of daylight does not vary much in a year, or near the poles, where the difference between winter and summer daylight hours is very large. Then, by all means crack down on rorts related to social security but to be fair let's also crack down on rorts enjoyed by high-income earners superannuation, negative gearing and trusts all come to mind. There have been several studies that reported the 4-day school week had positive effects on student's math and reading scores. Personally, if I want all mod cons I stay at home. January 26 marks the day the Union Jack was raised at Port Jackson on the land of the Eora clans, signifying the beginning of centuries of dispossession that permanently destroyed elements of Indigenous culture. The latest poll from think tank the Institute of Public Affairs, found 69 per cent of Australians supported the January 26 holiday. Change Management Pros and Cons. For us, thats a real true sign of reconciliation.. . Our program is addressing the disproportionate rates of aboriginal kids being removed from their parents, families and culture.. One study found that the risk of a heart attack increases 10% the Monday and Tuesday following the spring time change. Con: Pet insurance can be expensive. For anyone who has had an awkward conversation with an older relative at a family barbecue, that's probably not so hard to believe. Look at a bus stop near a school, office, cafe or shopping centre and you will see what I mean. Abso-bloody-lutely! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We must be patient and be wary of deliberately insulting other cultures as this makes integration of recent immigrants more problematic. All times AEDT (GMT +11). The Pros of Longer School Days More Time for Instruction The number one reason for lengthening the school day is to provide teachers with more time for instruction. Australia Day is one of the few times of the year where we are forced to reflect on our nation's identity, and that's a tough conversation for a former penal colony with a bloody history. This was in spite of the fact that its estimated more than 500 First Nations groups had already inhabited the continent, with the total believed to be about 750,000 people. David Denham's measured tones (CT 14 February) bring in to sharp focus the consistent inconsistency of this ACT government. The Pros And Cons Of Australia Being A Republic Around Australia Day, There's A Lot Of Controversies. That eventmight be a long way in the past. "This is the best country in the world no doubt. Why? Drawbacks of Organizational Change. But changing the date is not the answer. Let's get started. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activist Calma said he felt the conservative Morrison government was rushing to make changes to Australia Day before it likely loses power at a national election due to take place before May. I certainly dont see what happened at the time of the invasion as worthy of celebrating nobody does. Benefits of delayed school start times include: 2. 'How can changing the date be about 'unity' when it's catering to one part of the community?' Charlie Hebdo is a wrecking ball, in this respect, rather than a builder. January 26 is fast approaching. It is understandable for indigenous Australians to note January 26 as the start of a hostile occupation which led to massacres and cultural destruction. As a follower of his column years ago, I have thought of him often since hearing of his illness. During World War I (1914 to 1918), Australians had been divided over the question of . Australia has the 12th highest cost of living in the world, with the US and the UK well behind it at 21st and 23rd, respectively. By presuming not only that all Canberrans work 9-5 but also that Canberra is a city where good civilians are expected to be docilely tucked up in bed by 11pm, you are both perpetuating the negative reputation of Canberra as an inaccessible and dry city, undeserving of the title of capital, and refusing to extend public transport courtesies to those outside of a very particular working class. A German analysis of 44 studies on energy use and DST found a positive relationship between latitude and energy savings. Calma believes the movement to change the date Is gaining momentum, adding: We see the big marches and the protests, and participating in events around Australia. So, when we spring forward an hour in spring, we add one hour of natural daylight to our afternoon schedule. Why was Daylight Savings Time created, who invented it, and what is the point of having a time change every year? In 2017, 60 per cent of young Triple J listeners backed moving the iconic Hottest 100 countdown to a new day, out of respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. So lets grow up and treat Australia Day as a good time to reflect on how far weve come as a country and, for those in public life, how far weve yet to go. Im not just going to not change it, Im going to ensure it doesnt get eroded Thats our historical day and we need to work together, to come together on that day to ensure that we can make it an important day for all Australians, Morrison said earlier this month. Aboriginal academic Chelsea Bond writes: I march in remembrance for those who lost their lives simply defending their own land and people. The Prime Minister is showing admirable leadership in his care for the words he uses when referring to the terrorists. Personal loans often come with lower interest rates than credit cards. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 160,400 academics and researchers from 4,572 institutions. But how will protesting about the date and Australia Day help those Aboriginal people most in need? Is it time for Australia to move its national day of celebration? The Captain Cook statue in Catani Gardens in St Kilda is seen vandalised on January 25 in Melbourne, Australia. Four-fifths of the US population identify as Christians and a goodly number of those take as literal truth Adam and Eve and the creation stories and other biblical fables. Inc. Australia; Private Media; wpDiscuz. Australia, weve always believed in a fair go. Why the Flag Should Change. For younger Australians who were taught a more inclusive history at school, or have been educated by music, movies or social media, it looks like this change is already happening. The prime, simple reason for Australia Day staying put is that most Australians want it that way so they can salute their nation. It's a reckoning other colonised countries are having, too. Given a significant number of people see only a day off rather than a national day, the figures are significant. On the 26th of January 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip raised the British flag at Sydney Cove, beginning the long destruction of Indigenous people and their culture. They didnt. K-12. I hope you are ashamed to have been part of such a regressive and pointless gesture. More from Letters to the Editor Barnaby is both out of touch and running out of time Celebrating on a particular day does not have to be tied to historical events, even if its origins are rooted in those events. All day long, the intrusive sound never stops. Weve changed the date before in fact, January 26 has only been a national public holiday since 1994 and must do so again if we want to achieve a national day that unifies all Australians. Useful Byproducts 3. Immigration helps to create a global market. To others, it can never be detached from the past, from an event that started systematic oppression of an ancient culture. If we look at what appears to be an emerging generational divide, the conversation may eventually change and with it the way we mark the day. The conscription debate. Its slow and its usually hard fought, she says. People walk past a statue of Captain James Cook stands in Sydney's Hyde Park on August 25, 2017, as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull labelled calls to change colonial-era monuments and the date of Australia Day, in attempts to better reflect the country's indigenous past, as a 'Stalinist' excercise in re-writing history. That's how most Australian's, celebrate the day, if they celebrate it at al Continue Reading Matt Jennings Former Youth Basketball Coach Updated 6 mo Promoted Just over 26 per cent of our 24 million Australians were born overseas and many were granted their citizenship on January 26. However, I believe that in the year 2001, the Australian flag needs to be changed. The national online poll canvassed the views of 1222 Australians between January 19 and January 22 on their views on changing the Australia Day date, its importance to improving the lives of Indigenous Australians and to what extent they think Indigenous Australians face racism in Australia today. But whats indisputable is the historical origin of the date. January 26 is not a day for celebration thats why news.com.au is campaigning to change the date of Australia Day, so we can celebrate the best country in the world, without leaving anyone behind. Super-efficient Energy Sources 2. There's more to us than that, more that deserves to be celebrated. It's getting harder and harder to find peace and quiet anywhere. By increasing the cultural awareness of everyone, more moments of common ground can be found. I am firmly of the view that if the decision was being made today, the 26th of January would not be the date chosen, because I think Australia is moving progressively to want to know the full story of this country, she says. I have usually been told that even if I only wanted a new prescription, the practitioner would need to review my condition as well. They brought the worst elements of an empire from tyranny to syphilis with no thoughts of creating a shining, democratic outpost. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. In this article the truth is January 26 should be first fleet day, not Australia day by Smith in the. By changing the date, Australia can show that it is ready to truly accept and include Indigenous histories, cultures and contributions as a valued part of the Australian story. In recent years there has been a call by left-wing groups to move the date to a less controversial day. (Photo by Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images), British explorer James Cook in Melbourne was vandalized, 56% didnt care when the national day was held. Daylight Saving Time (DST) is bad for your health. Every year, January 26 rolls around, and each time the same debate about our national day floods the country's consciousness and for some of us it can feel tiringly predictable. If we wanted to make the whole thing more Australian, we could celebrate the day the Constitution passed the Australian Parliament. Far from playing into the hands of the terrorists by irresponsibly encouraging fear of Islam, the media and other commentators should follow Tony Abbott's example in this. The singer couldnt resist breaking into laughter after two Aussie fans roped him into an elaborate tale with a NSFW punchline. Lecturer, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University. As Australia is the only western democracy without such a document, in order to re-establish its standing as a country which respects and defends the rights and . 'An unthinkable tragedy': How did this train crash happen? Letters may be edited. While many Australians see it as a chance to celebrate the countrys lifestyle, culture and achievements, typically through barbeques and public events, the date is not a happy one for Australias Indigenous people. Pros And Cons Of An Australian Republic 734 Words | 3 Pages. In Ms Burneys decade-plus career in politics, shes witnessed a shift in attitude towards January 26 shift, especially in the past five years. The most common application of year-round education uses the 45-15 plan. Surely Westfield Retail could display some moral fibre by granting shop owners rent relief from the colossal sums it saves from avoiding Australian tax, as identified by the international Tax Justice Network and Uniting Church research (12 January)? Not in a hyper-nationalistic way but as an occasion for family and suburban-based celebration. Join the conversation, you are commenting as. Let's not knock this proposed light rail project: 50 years from now, when all major centres are connected by light rail including the international airport and the fast rail interstate network, the rest of Australia will look at us with envy. Why do I not see them upset by the injustices committed by Aboriginal people against other Aboriginal people today? As the children of the digital age grow up, and take public office, run corporations and make decisions for our country, maybe the pendulum of this debate will start to swing. Then of course there are the rallying cries of those who say a celebration on the anniversary of British occupation is the equivalent to dancing on their ancestors' graves. One West Australian mayor said that telling new citizens what they could or couldnt wear to their ceremonies wasnt fair dinkum, and he wouldnt be enforcing dress codes. Nurses and midwives in NSW have been warned against posting on subscription site OnlyFans by the industrys professional complaints body. Environmental Degradation 2. Australia's Constitution as it stands protects only a limited number of rights. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people see the date as the beginning of the deliberate destruction of their people and culture as colonists took lands they deemed uninhabited despite large indigenous populations living there. Premium subscribers also enjoy interactive puzzles and access to the digital version of our print edition - Today's Paper. 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