Every year, 26 January brings discomfort for me. It’s supposed to be a day of celebratory barbecues marked as #AustraliaDay. But for so many of us, it’s #InvasionDay - a day that signifies the beginning of colonisation, dispossession, and ongoing pain.
This year, I want to reflect as a proud Australian but also as a brother to Lee Willis-Adler, an Aboriginal man who has taught me so much about resilience, culture, compassion and truth. Debate about Australia Day isn’t abstract for me. It’s personal.
The truth is, January 26 has never been a day that unites us or celebrates what it means to be Australian. It’s a day that commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 - a moment that marked the start of the violence, disease, and destruction inflicted on the world’s oldest continuous cultures. For First Nations peoples, it is a painful reminder of what has been lost: lives, land, languages, and sovereignty.
But it’s not just First Nations who are excluded by January 26. More than half of all Australians today come from non-English-speaking backgrounds. For these Aussies, many of whom arrived here seeking a better life, January 26 is neither relevant nor welcoming. Instead, it’s a reminder of colonial systems and attitudes.
It’s also worth noting that January 26 hasn’t always been the date for Australia Day. As a nation, and in different states and territories, we’ve celebrated Australia Day on different dates throughout history. This rigid fixation on January 26 is a relatively modern invention - not a long-standing tradition.
And here’s the most damning truth: Australia is the only former colony that celebrates its national day on the day it was invaded. Most former colonies celebrate their independence. What does it say about us as a nation that we continue to celebrate a date tied to invasion and dispossession rather than progress and unity?
Changing the date is not about erasing history. It’s about acknowledging it and choosing a day that brings us together as a nation. It’s about creating a space where we can all celebrate what makes Australia extraordinary.
For those who still feel that “changing the date” is unnecessary, I ask this: Can you truly celebrate while ignoring the pain of so many fellow Australians? And if you love Australia, don’t you want to make it better?
It’s time to stop pretending January 26 unites us. It doesn’t. Let’s choose a date - and a future - where we can all stand together, proud of a nation that values truth and justice as much as it does mateship and a fair go.
What do you think? Please share your thoughts below in the comments section.
Well said Greg. Celebrating the invasion of the land of the Gadigal and Cammeragal peoples by the English in 1788 is inhumane. It has nothing to do with our nationhood and it is inhumane for us to celebrate the beginning of the mass death of Aboriginal peoples and theift of their land. Australians have such a long way to go in understanding this and creating an inclusive society. Changing the date to one that celebrates an inclusive Australia would be a start.
Your words resonate with me.
It upsets me deeply that so many of my fellow Australians reject the day intended to be a celebration of the best things about this wonderful country because for them the date is inherently linked with events that are traumatic.
My ancestors settled here a hundred years after colonisation started but I feel a certain amount of discomfort celebrating when so many others aren’t.
If changing the date is a going to help others move forward, I say do it asap.
Well said Greg. Move the date to a day where all Australians can celebrate. There's no need to ram it down the throats of First Australians. It's the same kind of idiocy that led to the No Vote. Shame on those who feel the need to hurt others just because they can.
Agree it is not a good date to celebrate in 1901 1st of January Australia became a nation. Celebrate on this day and make a holiday the first Monday or Friday of New Year (not 1st of Jan) this would reduce disruption and bunch public holidays around Xmas & New Year. So not lose a long weekend, but celebrate something unifying for all Australians.
Also we could get a new flag without a flag of another country in the dominant position, it works well in Canada.
Absolutely agree. I put it this way: What nation celebrates the raising of a foreign nation's flag on their national day!?
I'd like to see September 7th celebrated. On 7/8/1790 Governor Phillip was speared under aboriginal law, without reprisal. This teaches us that living in peace without using violence to get there, requires more bravery than using brute force.