Australia Day, is January 26th the right day?

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
Why create a new thread when such a glorious shitfight already exists!

Anyway, it's January 26th tomorrow and I think it's all time for us to pause and reflect our shared history on such an auspicious day:

Full Article here: “Australia Day: No-one can stop me celebrating the anniversary of Captain Cook’s 334 not out against the advancing Japanese troops at Gallipoli” | The Shovel
Once again I wonder to myself why we celebrate what should be Sydney day, if anything. Australia was formed on the 1st of January.

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jrewing

Eats Squid
It's an impossible subject. I hate and avoid pretty much all media so I'm not from any influence but my feeling.
I have 'skin in the game' on this subject. Being 1/16th does my opinion matter as much...But I know I harbour underlying resentment over Stolen Generation situation as that directly included my bloodline.
Me, I'd rather we leave the Commonweath and start something new. But that's me and my opinion.
 

mas2

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Just read the 1st entry from @Dales Cannon and thought you did a pretty good job explaining it for me. I honestly didn't realise it was linked to any historical event (had heard a few times that it wasn't) and it wasn't even until the last few years that I had even heard that anyone even had an issue with it. While I always took it as a celebration of what Australia is, rather than what it was, I can see why some people would want it changed.

I didn't read the other 11 pages but there are things that I really like about where it is currently - it's in summer, it's a public holiday, and that even though it's at the start of the year it is separated just enough from the new years and Christmas period that it feels special and different and people are still in a relatively good mood.

There would definitely be better argued positions than mine but for me I think the focus should be less on choosing a date that represents something looking back historically, but more about the process of how the date is chosen now in order to move forward. If it was up to me I would rather just choose a random new date selected by an Aboriginal representative and the prime minister sitting down together. For example - One draws the month out of something like an Akubra, ugg boot, the big pineapple, and the other draws the date out of something like a VB, koala, or giant thong.
 

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
How about we just can the whole thing? Screw changing the date, just ditch it.

Get over the bullshit flag waving nationalist crap and act like adults instead. Overt public mass displays of “patriotism” is creepy…
wouldn’t that be awesome.
 

ForkinGreat

Knows his Brassica oleracea
How about we just can the whole thing? Screw changing the date, just ditch it.

Get over the bullshit flag waving nationalist crap and act like adults instead. Overt public mass displays of “patriotism” is creepy…
yes, but don't anyone dare take away a public holiday FFS.

The flagwaving nationalist crap is ingrained in the psyche of every bogan.

Think of any time you have been overseas and happen to be in a pub on Jan 26th. Odds are that the place will be full of aussie bogans getting smashed, and covered in australian flag clothing or wearing a flag as a bogan superhero cape.
 

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
yes, but don't anyone dare take away a public holiday FFS.

The flagwaving nationalist crap is ingrained in the psyche of every bogan.

Think of any time you have been overseas and happen to be in a pub on Jan 26th. Odds are that the place will be full of aussie bogans getting smashed, and covered in australian flag clothing or wearing a flag as a bogan superhero cape.
I'm inclined to lay blame for much of the behaviour you describe with Paul Hogan's "slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you" tourism compaign in the 80's and the success of Crocodile Dundee overseas. We were a backwater up until that point, when Australians abroad suddenly became celebrities and we've relished in it ever since. Agreed, it is cliché now and at also at odds with current sentiments toward Australia Day.

If as a nation we can't engage in constructive debate and overcome the stigma of Australia Day being a symbol for the poor treatment of First Nations Australians, then it won't matter what date it is. If we can't all be proud of our national identity then there's nothing to celebrate. Past injustices can't be undone, nor can those of us with colonial heritage live in perpetuity with the burden of guilt bestowed upon us by our predecessors. We need to look forward as @mas2 suggests; focus on what unites us rather than divides us. The land is our shared identity; we all belong to this land, we're all equally Australian. A day that celebrates the country itself more than the people would bring us together more than some event or date that anchors us in our colonial past. It might help to remind us to take better care of this country too.

Having a separate, sombre national day of reflection isn't the answer either, as it risks opening old wounds, perpetuating divison, or simply eroding into a day just like Australia Day is now for many; a day off to get on the beers. Instead, our kids need to be taught an unbiased version of our history at school along with a core understanding of First Nations culture, so that future Australians don't need to be reminded once a year to respect each other, it's just part of our DNA.
 

indica

Serial flasher
Hmmm, I don't know what to say.

Maybe ask Briggs? He seems outspoken.

Probably shouldn't have one, there was no Australia (lots of different and intermingled nations) way back so I cannot imagine those that were here before us wanting to celebrate europeans uniting this country.
 
I'll admit to falling for it back in the day, now its just a day off to me and I spend it reflecting on being grateful (not to the sky fairy, more like keeping things in perspective) for how lucky I am, not pride.

I agree it needs to be changed, maybe to the date we split from the colony, being symbolic of a country on the path of reconciliation ?

Sometime in Feb sounds good, its still warm :)
 

ForkinGreat

Knows his Brassica oleracea
its the 28th. Can we pick this up again on the 25th of jan next year, like all good aussies?
ok, but I propose that we ditch the flag stuff and just have a public holiday in the last weekend of every January

"Fuckit Monday". People don't like mondays anyway, by and large, so a non-specific long weekend to mourn the summer holidays ending and/or celebrating the kids going back to school seems to be in order. :)
 
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Plankosaurus

Spongeplank Dalepantski
its the 28th. Can we pick this up again on the 25th of jan next year, like all good aussies?
Yeah, save protesting Australia Day for the week preceding it. And the Melbourne cup, same deal.

Much easier to deal with if it's only a week of the year, we can go back to ignoring it for the 51 other weeks

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Plankosaurus

Spongeplank Dalepantski
I loved Australia Day, used to make a pretty big deal of it and thoroughly enjoyed getting good and toasted in a day long drinking session. I stopped short of the whole wearing a flag as a cape and shouting fuck off we're full, but I definitely let my inner bogan come out a bit. I'm proud of my country as a whole because we are an eclectic mess of everything from around the world and generally don't have enough rich history and tradition to get bogged down with it. We are pretty much whatever we want to be and that's not a terrible way to be.

Anyway, if celebrating my country on a certain date causes misery to a group of people, I don't want to do it. Once I started getting wise to the situation, it became just a day off work - I like a day off, but it has nil significance past that.

Move it elsewhere, make it respectful and inclusive, and let us all get back to enjoying a day off that we can be proud of. Even the stubborn racist uncles that want to dig their heels in can't be enjoying this now right?

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Squidfayce

Eats Squid
I've said it before - moving the day is easy - just make sure its moved after the 26th Jan, give people 2 days off in the first year, no one will give a shit after that....(or will they?)
 

Halo1

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I am happy to move the date to please whoever. I still value some kind of OZ date to be happy to be who we are and acknowledge where we are no longer the past. I am not sure what that date/day looks like. I spent the day at Jamberoo action park. It was very multicultural all people were in a good friendly mood. Some of my family spent the day protesting. I would say that i had a better day.
MTB riders still ride trail at MT keira against the wishes of the local aboriginal community so stuff like that is ignored and makes me wonder what is really important.
 

Asininedrivel

caviar connoisseur
I loved Australia Day, used to make a pretty big deal of it and thoroughly enjoyed getting good and toasted in a day long drinking session. I stopped short of the whole wearing a flag as a cape and shouting fuck off we're full, but I definitely let my inner bogan come out a bit. I'm proud of my country as a whole because we are an eclectic mess of everything from around the world and generally don't have enough rich history and tradition to get bogged down with it. We are pretty much whatever we want to be and that's not a terrible way to be.

Anyway, if celebrating my country on a certain date causes misery to a group of people, I don't want to do it. Once I started getting wise to the situation, it became just a day off work - I like a day off, but it has nil significance past that.
Pretty much exactly the same thought process and feelings I went through too.
 

Calvin27

Eats Squid
In true aussie bludger fashion, I'm happy to move AUstralia day provided, we get to keep the day off on Jan 26. I move that we should also have an indigenous day and elevate that to a public holiday and need to be more inclusive and have one for indians, chinese and african migrants. So that's 5 extra holidays per year, more if we identify more migrant groups.
 
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