Australia Day

H

happy_tiger

Well-known member
I started this thread to get ideas and thoughts on what can or even needs to be done about this day which should celebrate the thoughts of all Australians

I hopefully understand why the Indigenous people of this country are angered and hurt by this day and what it represents to some of them

Do we need to even celebrate being Australians …...I'm a proud Australian ......I don't need to be told that on a particular day I need to feel more Aussie or prouder

My anger in this is when I see people blaming current members of our population for the past mistakes of our forefathers ....

Thoughts .......
 
I think we need to be focusing on real issues in the indigenous community. Higher rates of illiteracy, shorter lifespan, kids getting abused and raped etc.

Then get to the date if thats what is left to repair.

But geez, if that's the #1 issue the indigenous community want resolved, then they also need help with their priorities.
 
Have Australia day on the first Tuesday in November.

Call the Melbourne Cup the Australia day Cup.

WE all get a holiday and get to drink and punt on the ponies…..everyones a winner.
 
@ said:
Have Australia day on the first Tuesday in November.

Call the Melbourne Cup the Australia day Cup.

WE all get a holiday and get to drink and punt on the ponies…..everyones a winner.
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If it were to move , it should be on the Bathurst Monday …

Give me back my Bathurst long weekend :rant
 
It should be the date we actually became a country( 1st January ) but i doubt it will change in my lifetime.At the moment we share the same date with India
 
Im an aussie born (kogarah) of immigrant parents.

Love Aussie day. We decorate wherever we meet up with our rather large family.

We dump on aussie music and appreciate this great nation and usually end up at fireworks (menai last night).

I get the aborigine thing but we have to move forward.

We need to be solid as a people and celebrate being Aussie.
 
Living in the NT for the last 20ish years, having lived and taught in Gunbalanya (West Arnhem land) for 4 years where my kids were born, involved in cultural business and learnt a bit of Gunwinku (the local language) plus visiting many other Indigenous communities around the top end, i can say the date of Australia day is not they're primary concern (not to negate those people for whom this issue is important though).

The way I see it, we can't change history, but what we can do is recognise it. Without causing a fight, to me it seems the default 'down south' mode is to ignore Indigenous culture and history, and by changing the date would allow mainstream Australia to get on with celebrating BBQs, thongs and beach cricket safely in the knowledge that they can go back to not thinking about the first Australians.

Personally, I believe this 'controversy' around Australia day has been good as it shines a light on something most mainstream Australia ignores.

So I think we shouldn't change the date, but instead, make it a day to both celebrate what we are now and commemorate what has happened, recognising that we can still do better. Kind of like Anzac day. And if people want to do that by having a BBQ in thongs on the beach, then great. If people want to do that by attending a celebration where Indigenous mob showcase cultural dance, and celebrating the world's oldest living culture, then great.

But what's more important is that we start to teach Indigenous history in our primary schools, and better yet focus on the local indigenous people of the specific area, their language and culture (regardless if that has been lost in those parts or not) and make it that all Australians, old and new, know OUR history, including pre-colonisation because we are all Australian and this may help us stop thinking in us and them, but rather think that all Australian cultures (Indigenous, Western, Mediterranean, Asian, etc) can come together and be united in celebrating the first Australians and the future Australians.

It's not about changing a date, it's about changing a nation.
 
@ said:
Living in the NT for the last 20ish years, having lived and taught in Gunbalanya (West Arnhem land) for 4 years where my kids were born, involved in cultural business and learnt a bit of Gunwinku (the local language) plus visiting many other Indigenous communities around the top end, i can say the date of Australia day is not they're primary concern (not to negate those people for whom this issue is important though).

The way I see it, we can't change history, but what we can do is recognise it. Without causing a fight, to me it seems the default 'down south' mode is to ignore Indigenous culture and history, and by changing the date would allow mainstream Australia to get on with celebrating BBQs, thongs and beach cricket safely in the knowledge that they can go back to not thinking about the first Australians.

Personally, I believe this 'controversy' around Australia day has been good as it shines a light on something most mainstream Australia ignores.

So I think we shouldn't change the date, but instead, make it a day to both celebrate what we are now and commemorate what has happened, recognising that we can still do better. Kind of like Anzac day. And if people want to do that by having a BBQ in thongs on the beach, then great. If people want to do that by attending a celebration where Indigenous mob showcase cultural dance, and celebrating the world's oldest living culture, then great.

But what's more important is that we start to teach Indigenous history in our primary schools, and better yet focus on the local indigenous people of the specific area, their language and culture (regardless if that has been lost in those parts or not) and make it that all Australians, old and new, know OUR history, including pre-colonisation because we are all Australian and this may help us stop thinking in us and them, but rather think that all Australian cultures (Indigenous, Western, Mediterranean, Asian, etc) can come together and be united in celebrating the first Australians and the future Australians.

It's not about changing a date, it's about changing a nation.
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Gamak
 
@ said:
Living in the NT for the last 20ish years, having lived and taught in Gunbalanya (West Arnhem land) for 4 years where my kids were born, involved in cultural business and learnt a bit of Gunwinku (the local language) plus visiting many other Indigenous communities around the top end, i can say the date of Australia day is not they're primary concern (not to negate those people for whom this issue is important though).

The way I see it, we can't change history, but what we can do is recognise it. Without causing a fight, to me it seems the default 'down south' mode is to ignore Indigenous culture and history, and by changing the date would allow mainstream Australia to get on with celebrating BBQs, thongs and beach cricket safely in the knowledge that they can go back to not thinking about the first Australians.

Personally, I believe this 'controversy' around Australia day has been good as it shines a light on something most mainstream Australia ignores.

So I think we shouldn't change the date, but instead, make it a day to both celebrate what we are now and commemorate what has happened, recognising that we can still do better. Kind of like Anzac day. And if people want to do that by having a BBQ in thongs on the beach, then great. If people want to do that by attending a celebration where Indigenous mob showcase cultural dance, and celebrating the world's oldest living culture, then great.

But what's more important is that we start to teach Indigenous history in our primary schools, and better yet focus on the local indigenous people of the specific area, their language and culture (regardless if that has been lost in those parts or not) and make it that all Australians, old and new, know OUR history, including pre-colonisation because we are all Australian and this may help us stop thinking in us and them, but rather think that all Australian cultures (Indigenous, Western, Mediterranean, Asian, etc) can come together and be united in celebrating the first Australians and the future Australians.

It's not about changing a date, it's about changing a nation.
Click to expand...

Good comments, all.

I had this discussion at length with my wife this morning, who was not born in Australia. My opinion is that if you are sensitive to 26th Jan as being the "Invasion Day", then I don't see that some arbitrary date change helping. Frankly, the thing that is "Australia" and the celebration of it does not in any way address the hardships and mistreatments of the indigenous community and it never will. Any form of "Australia celebration" can be viewed as a thumbs-up for a nation that has historically mistreated its Indigenous inhabitants. I can just hear it now "oh here's another white man telling me how happy he is that his ancestors pushed my ancestors off our native lands".

It's just like Thanksgiving in the US - giving of thanks by the white invaders, bringing their culture over from Britain and gradually pushing out the Native Americans.

Consider, for instance, Jan 1st 1901 - Federation. Make that "Australia Day" and you are still in the situation where you are celebrating the consolidation of the continent by "the white man" and without input from or recognition of Indigenous people.

So there is no solution for Australia Day - move it anywhere you please, but it doesn't erase the fact that the nation of Australia, whilst a brilliant place, has negative aspects of its past. At least the Kiwis have Waitangi Day, where an agreement was reached with the Maori.

The best solution I could come up with was to move the anniversary for Australia Day to as big a possible positive Indigenous date as we can - the Mabo Decision, voting rights for Aborigines, the formal apology for the Stolen Generation - something like that. I could definitely swallow the date, although Jan 26th is rather convenient for Summer and school holidays.

Then as previously said, make Melbourne Cup a national holiday and that can be the day for all the beer-swilling and gambling buffoonery that we are fond of.
 
@ said:
Living in the NT for the last 20ish years, having lived and taught in Gunbalanya (West Arnhem land) for 4 years where my kids were born, involved in cultural business and learnt a bit of Gunwinku (the local language) plus visiting many other Indigenous communities around the top end, i can say the date of Australia day is not they're primary concern (not to negate those people for whom this issue is important though).

The way I see it, we can't change history, but what we can do is recognise it. Without causing a fight, to me it seems the default 'down south' mode is to ignore Indigenous culture and history, and by changing the date would allow mainstream Australia to get on with celebrating BBQs, thongs and beach cricket safely in the knowledge that they can go back to not thinking about the first Australians.

Personally, I believe this 'controversy' around Australia day has been good as it shines a light on something most mainstream Australia ignores.

So I think we shouldn't change the date, but instead, make it a day to both celebrate what we are now and commemorate what has happened, recognising that we can still do better. Kind of like Anzac day. And if people want to do that by having a BBQ in thongs on the beach, then great. If people want to do that by attending a celebration where Indigenous mob showcase cultural dance, and celebrating the world's oldest living culture, then great.

But what's more important is that we start to teach Indigenous history in our primary schools, and better yet focus on the local indigenous people of the specific area, their language and culture (regardless if that has been lost in those parts or not) and make it that all Australians, old and new, know OUR history, including pre-colonisation because we are all Australian and this may help us stop thinking in us and them, but rather think that all Australian cultures (Indigenous, Western, Mediterranean, Asian, etc) can come together and be united in celebrating the first Australians and the future Australians.

It's not about changing a date, it's about changing a nation.
Click to expand...

Great Post

many schools now recognize the Aboriginal and indigenous culture ….went to St Brendans for their local sports carnival ( it is the local rugby league school in CQ ) and the performance by the local indigenous school kids was amazing

We need to teach more about our past .......it seems we focus far less on the local early explorers .....but we need to focus on what happened and how we can learn and improve on ALL relationships with ALL nationalities

Understanding culture no matter how different it is can help cross and break barriers

Ask any Eastern European , Italian ,Greek , Vietnamese how much opinions and ideas have changed just with the exchange of culture in the last 40 years .....
 
@ said:
@ said:
Living in the NT for the last 20ish years, having lived and taught in Gunbalanya (West Arnhem land) for 4 years where my kids were born, involved in cultural business and learnt a bit of Gunwinku (the local language) plus visiting many other Indigenous communities around the top end, i can say the date of Australia day is not they're primary concern (not to negate those people for whom this issue is important though).

The way I see it, we can't change history, but what we can do is recognise it. Without causing a fight, to me it seems the default 'down south' mode is to ignore Indigenous culture and history, and by changing the date would allow mainstream Australia to get on with celebrating BBQs, thongs and beach cricket safely in the knowledge that they can go back to not thinking about the first Australians.

Personally, I believe this 'controversy' around Australia day has been good as it shines a light on something most mainstream Australia ignores.

So I think we shouldn't change the date, but instead, make it a day to both celebrate what we are now and commemorate what has happened, recognising that we can still do better. Kind of like Anzac day. And if people want to do that by having a BBQ in thongs on the beach, then great. If people want to do that by attending a celebration where Indigenous mob showcase cultural dance, and celebrating the world's oldest living culture, then great.

But what's more important is that we start to teach Indigenous history in our primary schools, and better yet focus on the local indigenous people of the specific area, their language and culture (regardless if that has been lost in those parts or not) and make it that all Australians, old and new, know OUR history, including pre-colonisation because we are all Australian and this may help us stop thinking in us and them, but rather think that all Australian cultures (Indigenous, Western, Mediterranean, Asian, etc) can come together and be united in celebrating the first Australians and the future Australians.

It's not about changing a date, it's about changing a nation.

Gamak
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Yor, kamak! :smiley:
 
Let’s get back to Tigers and football - I have enough politics and crazies all over the TV news.
 
I am going to go against the grain here…. change the date - May 8 Maaa8te!
There was a lot of genocide.. for those that might be interested in some of the more gruesome history there is a book called 'Blood on the Wattle'. Unfortunately, what we were taught in schools was not the whole truth, it was a more 'palatable' version of events.

I don't believe Indigenous Australia blame anyone alive today for what happened, but it would be a sour taste in the mouth that we all celebrate on a day they mourn what happen to their ancestors, I guess I liken it to how we mourn on ANZAC day, how would we feel if the Turks were throwing parties in Australia every year on that date celebrating what they believe they did to make this country great. Not nice. But that is the easiest way I can describe why I don't like the date. I love celebrating Australia, I do love living here, but I just can't get into the spirit of the day on Jan 26\. If it was moved I would have a clear conscience and be able to really get into it again.
 
I think the date should stay the same yet the discussion of the date should change.

Jan 26th was a very significant day in both our history’s . For aboriginals probably one filled with sorrow. However if that day was used to celebrate the people and how they lived before the settlers arrived in almost a remeberance like ANZAC day it would go a long way into keeping the culture alive and passing it on for generations.

If it could also be used to celebrate the second chance the convicts received by coming here.

If it was a day that actually focuses on Australia’s history it would be good and met with less trepidation.

Our ANZAC holiday works well. Solemn rememberance in the morning, and celebration in the afternoon.
 
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