“Australia Day” or Invasion Day

In 1994, Australia's former Prime Minister, Paul Keating, announced January 26 as Australia Day. The Australia Day Council stated, "We celebrate our nation, its achievements and most of all our people."

There are many misconceptions about what happened on January 26. The truth is that on January 26, 1788, the First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove. Governor Arthur Phillip raised the Union Jack flag, establishing Australia's first penal colony. January 26 marks the date Australia was first colonised.

However, "Australia Day" has not always been celebrated on January 26. It has been celebrated on July 30, 1915, July 28, 1916, July 27, 1918, and July 26, 1919, as a day to bolster national pride and as a fundraiser for World War One. It was repeated in subsequent years to raise money for the war effort.

“But it's tradition, it has always been Australia Day on January 26.” This isn't true. It only became a national holiday in 1994. Before that, it was called Anniversary Day, First Landing Day, or Foundation Day, not Australia Day. It was a day seen as more relevant to the New South Wales colony and ex-convicts, with sister colonies of South Australia, Western Australia, and Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) having different celebratory days. Australia Day isn’t a sacred and well-established tradition, nor is it a concept imposed on First Nations, who have resisted it since 1788.

“Australia Day” is simply a day of mourning for Aboriginal Australians, reflecting on the start of mass massacres, deaths, removal, and dispossession of land and culture. The 150th anniversary in 1938 was not a day of ‘rejoicing’ for Australia’s Aboriginals; it was a day of mourning. This festival of 150 years of ‘progress’ commemorates 150 years of misery and degradation imposed upon the First Nations people of this land we call home.

As we saw with the passing of Queen Elizabeth, the Prime Minister was quick to declare a day of mourning. Despite First Nations people having declared and observed the Day of Mourning, it has gone officially unrecognized for 80 years. This country has consistently undergone reinvention to suit the agenda of the colonial project. There is no well-established tradition to hark back to, no important ritual to protect. However, the day continues to stay the same.