What is happening to this great country of mine / (ours if you wish)

Why can so few objectors have the right over so many to declare that the 26th January should not recognised as Australia Day. 

After all 20,000 years ago no one recorded the settlement date of this land down under.

As for me I will always honour Australia Day being the 26th January.

What day should then be Australia Day?

I have an idea,

why don't we celebrate Australia's national day on my birthday.

16th January.

We better hurry as their is only a couple of days before the big celebrations start.

Jay&Dee

Gday...

JayDee, I have no preference to any particular date. However, I would consider the celebration of Australia as a great country should be celebrated - a special day to reflect on the good, bad, indifferent changes and events of the formation and growth of this mob.

It is good for our national pride to reflect on the way this country was settled by the Europeans initially and of the many nations since and how it has grown. Time to also reflect on some of the events that are not so worthy of celebration but perhaps deserve remembrance.

Here is some history to contemplate ... so just why is 26 January so important? It could be any day .... and I stress, as long as we CELEBRATE this great country.

On 18 January 1788 the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay, which Joseph Banks had declared suitable for a penal colony after he returned from a journey there in 1770.

Captain Arthur Phillip, the fleet's commander, brought a small party of marines and seamen ashore, but found the location unsuitable because the harbour was unsafe and the area lacked fresh water. (The Oxford Companion to Australian History).

The fleet then relocated to Port Jackson. On 21 January 1788 Phillip, with a party of officers and marines, landed at an unnamed place, believed to be the beachfront at Camp Cove (known as 'cadi' to the local Cadigal people). This occasion marks the first landing of members of the First Fleet within Port Jackson, and the first known European landing in Sydney Harbour.

After moving further into the harbour, on 26 January 1788 Phillip raised the British flag at Sydney Cove. 751 convicts and their children disembarked, along with 252 marines and their families.

https://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/convicts-and-the-british-colonies

For more than 30 years, New South Wales was the only colony in Australia. Its borders originally included the areas that are now Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. These became separate colonies between the 1820s and 1850s; Western Australia was established in this period as well. Australia remained as six separate colonies until Federation in 1901.

On Commonwealth Day, 1 January 1901, all six colonies became States of the new Australian nation. All of the former colonies welcomed Federation with special celebrations and ceremonies and no State did so with more pride and excitement than New South Wales.

https://getting-it-together.moadoph.gov.au/new-south-wales/index.html

The tradition of having Australia Day as a national holiday on 26 January is a recent one. Not until 1935 did all the Australian states and territories use that name to mark that date. Not until 1994 did they begin to celebrate Australia Day consistently as a public holiday on that date.

https://www.australiaday.com.au/about/history-of-australia-day/

 I personally don't like to hear the existing date referred to as 'invasion day' ... I could understand and accept it as 'occupation day'.

Anyway, whatever date Australia Day is celebrated, let it be celebrated as a unifying and strengthening day.

cheers - John

I personally also don't care which day it is , so long as we celebrate Australia as a proud nation one day each year .

When I awake every morning in this great Country. To me its, Australia's day all over the world.

The lucky Country.

Which the rest of the world's population, wants to live in.

God bless Australia.

Love it , or leave.

Jim

Izabarack wrote:

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If some pollie got off their bum and organised a treaty with our First Australians to be signed on the 26th, a lot of the stupidity, both sides, would go away. The date has multiple meaning for lots of groups, and that meaning comes from several perspectives. Aust Federation was Jan First. I'd be happy with that and not much chance for bitching from any group.


Iza

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link did not work.....

Desert Dweller wrote:

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Noisy activist minorities rule, take the G&L lobby for instance. They won't be happy until they achieve world domination.

As for Australia Day we should adhere to the day Captain Cook landed on Australian soil & declared it a part of the mighty British Empire.

We should also be assisting the indigenous population of this great country in health, housing & education spheres instead of building Space Bases in Arnhem Land. What a waste of money!

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 Hey Desert Dweller, could you please tell me what the date was that Captain Cook landed on Australian soil?

Hewy54 wrote:

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 Hey Desert Dweller, could you please tell me what the date was that Captain Cook landed on Australian soil?

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Gday...

The number of dates that could be picked to celebrate our great land increases 

Although, it was not Australia when Capt Cook plonked his wellington boot on the land ... it was New Holland or the Great South Land - take ya pick. He called it New South Wales.

Like other Royal Navy captains of his time, Cook did not take the International Date Line (IDL) into account when recording dates, even when sailing west across the Pacific. An extra complication in interpreting dates in his log is that he was using nautical time that began at noon and was 12 hours ahead of the civil day. Thus in his journal he recorded his landing at Botany Bay on the afternoon of Sunday 29 April 1770. In civil time that was the afternoon of 28 April and that is the time inscribed on the Captain Cook monument at Kurnell. However, as Cook did not add the extra day on crossing the IDL it is now usual to correct his date to 29 April.

https://maas.museum/observations/2011/10/20/when-did-captain-cook-land-in-australia-and-did-any-changes-in-the-international-date-line-lead-to-a-change-in-dates-in-australia/

Just be proud of this country ... our forebears didn't necessarily do everything right or as good as they could ... but hey it's not a bad place now. The date chosen is immaterial really.

Cheers - John

Hewy54 wrote:

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Desert Dweller wrote:

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Noisy activist minorities rule, take the G&L lobby for instance. They won't be happy until they achieve world domination.

As for Australia Day we should adhere to the day Captain Cook landed on Australian soil & declared it a part of the mighty British Empire.

We should also be assisting the indigenous population of this great country in health, housing & education spheres instead of building Space Bases in Arnhem Land. What a waste of money!

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 Hey Desert Dweller, could you please tell me what the date was that Captain Cook landed on Australian soil?

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 Sure mate! 29th April 1770 at Botany Bay, EASY one. Everyone knows that, obviously you failed Australian History at school Sunshine? Our point was that that date gets it well away from any arguable dates at present. Simple really.

You have a wonderful way with words Desert Dweller, and I am glad to know that you are an expert on my educational background.
Quite happy to leave Australia Day where it is.

Hewy54 wrote:

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You have a wonderful way with words Desert Dweller, and I am glad to know that you are an expert on my educational background.
Do not agree that I would support a day that we became part of the mighty British Empire.
Quite happy to leave Australia Day where it is.

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Gday...

We, us Strayans, were "part of the mighty British Empire" on 26 January 1788 ... and stayed very much that way until well into the 20th century.

I believe we were all British citizens until the Old Dart allowed us to be Strayan citizens ...

Australian citizenship was created through the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948, and came into effect 26 January 1949, soon after the post-war mass migration program was launched (in 1945). Prior to 1949, Australians could only hold the status of British subjects.

https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BN/0910/AustCitizenship?print=1

cheers - John

Hewy54 wrote:

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Not really sure if it is worth commenting on any more of this.
Obviously some here are much more learned than me and their opinions are more important.

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Gday...

Very much far from the truth Hewy.

It is simply that it was decided by those who hold positions of power and greatness at some stage in the 20th century to have 26 January as the day to celebrate Australia.

There are many days and many reasons why they could have picked any day - all quite probably valid.

The problem now is that for those of us born in the first half of the 20th century have only known 26 January as Australia Day ... although it did not become a firm public holiday in all States until 1994.

The problem is that any discussion of any alteration of 'a norm' is fraught with debate ... unfortunately, we all have emotive ties to that 'norm' which complicates the situation.

If the celebration of Australia Day was of 'importance' then it would be ONLY on 26 January for instance, no matter which day of the week it was ... but with good Strayan spirit we try to ensure all our public holidays make a long-weekend.

Personally, I have no preference to when Australia is celebrated as a nation. All I am interested in is that a day is set aside that the nation celebrates this this great and diverse land and its accomplishments and that, as a nation, we reflect on events that have made us great and those that could have been done differently.

cheers - John

While I'm quite happy to celebrate Australia day on the 26th I think if the date was to change it should be the day Australia became a federation as until then we were a collection of states.The 26th really is for NSW to celebrate as it was the beginning of that state not Australia as most of it was unknown other than Botany bay and surrounds.

Pete

What a "crock"

Us Aussies celebrate Australia Day and the rest can......well, you all know.

Some on here have got to analize the crap out of each and every subject.

The date is the date FFS,....it is the 26th of January

Just go buy your lamb and snags and beer or whatever takes your fancy and get together with your family and friends and celebrate the fact that we are so fortunate to be born into this country or for some, be invited here to live, in the best country in the world.

Keep up the crap and the "lefties greenies and snowflakes" will eventually bring us all undone.

Just enjoy and VALUE what we have, if not go somewhere else just leave us aussies alone...

-- Edited by Dickodownunder on Saturday 13th of January 2018 12:27:04 AM

I hope you are an Aus.....Kiwi..

Aus-Kiwi wrote:

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Well ?? If the others donât like it ? They can go to work !!!

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Born NZ . Lived and worked here since 1980 . Support Aust donât worry !! Sport is a different story. All blacks . Lol Cricket ?? Hmmm ?? Lol Talking WORK . Plenty of times I have been called out to work Aust day or public holidays ! Why wouldnt I ? Double time !!  Plenty of hours and vertually my own boss out there working lineworker .  Money is there to earn !! 

Aus-Kiwi wrote:

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Well ?? If the others donât like it ? They can go to work !!!

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In the late '60's and early '70's I worked for a company that had an NRMA contract to service a country area.

I drove their tow truck providing a mechanical breakdown service, breakdown towing and accident recovery and as such I worked most public holidays.

Like you AK I earned a lot of money due to penalty rates....as you say if the opportunity exists then grab it.

Today is a bit different, I would much rather be at a BBQ with a chop, a snag and a beer on Australia Day.

The real Aussies don't celebrate Australia day because its the day the boat people arrived with their European diseases which decimated their population, not to mention the slaughter that came later from land greedy settlers. What can't you understand about why it should not be celebrated as Australia day. Maybe the day we invaders gave them the rite to vote would be a better day, but I don't think so. Perhaps it may be better if somebody [but not a politician of any description] asks their elders which date they deem appropriate as an appropriate time to celebrate together as Australians. Personally I don't think any of our current crop of Politicians have the balls to tackle the question and neither did any of their predecessors. 

Brenda and Alan wrote:

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The real Aussies don't celebrate Australia day because its the day the boat people arrived with their European diseases which decimated their population, not to mention the slaughter that came later from land greedy settlers. What can't you understand about why it should not be celebrated as Australia day. Maybe the day we invaders gave them the rite to vote would be a better day, but I don't think so. Perhaps it may be better if somebody [but not a politician of any description] asks their elders which date they deem appropriate as an appropriate time to celebrate together as Australians. Personally I don't think any of our current crop of Politicians have the balls to tackle the question and neither did any of their predecessors. 

-- Edited by Brenda and Alan on Sunday 14th of January 2018 12:51:38 AM

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 There is a good show called the first australians, i think. Helped me understand the aboriginals view. I understand how the 26th jan. Is not a day for aboriginals to celebrate. I am a proud aussie but i would like a day that we can all join in n celebrate our great country.

Lancelot Link wrote:

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Raspberry to all of you. Australia day is every day we wake and celebrate the life we have here in Oz. ya dead rite! All those whingers and whiners, please take the next ferry to somewhere else and lets all celebrate with a snag and a lamb chop on the 26th because we can! Red Wine, White Wine, Cider, or whatever! It is Australia day because we should take pride in Australia. Is there a movement against American Independence Day to celebrate the removal of shackles of English Rule? But they are as confused as we are about when it should be. Then why cannot we have Australia Day? Because some minority groups find it displeasing? Why do I accept Indians with their Del whatever festival taking over our Rose Festival? Because I am good natured and accept them. Do I resent them? Not yet, they haven't wanted to stop Australia Day. But by fetid dingo kidneys, if ever they did!
That's all I want to say and have a happy Australia Day!

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Gday...

Ya pretty right Lancelot ... I don't care which day it is as long as it is celebrated as a unifying day when the whole nation joins together to reflect on the achievements of this country and to also reflect on some of the events and actions that could have been done much better.

Yeah ... the yanks are as confused on what day they should actually celebrate their independence -

The Declaration of Independence

We celebrate American Independence Day on the Fourth of July every year. We think of July 4, 1776, as a day that represents the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America as an independent nation.

But July 4, 1776 wasn't the day that the Continental Congress decided to declare independence (they did that on July 2, 1776).

It wasnt the day we started the American Revolution either (that had happened back in April 1775).

And it wasn't the day Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence (that was in June 1776). Or the date on which the Declaration was delivered to Great Britain (that didn't happen until November 1776). Or the date it was signed (that was August 2, 1776).

So what did happen on July 4, 1776?

The Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. They'd been working on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on July 2nd and finally agreed on all of the edits and changes.

July 4, 1776, became the date that was included on the Declaration of Independence, and the fancy handwritten copy that was signed in August (the copy now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.) Its also the date that was printed on the Dunlap Broadsides, the original printed copies of the Declaration that were circulated throughout the new nation. So when people thought of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 was the date they remembered.

In contrast, we celebrate Constitution Day on September 17th of each year, the anniversary of the date the Constitution was signed, not the anniversary of the date it was approved. If wed followed this same approach for the Declaration of Independence wed being celebrating Independence Day on August 2nd of each year, the day the Declaration of Independence was signed!

https://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-declaration-of-independence/fourth-of-july/

I said earlier that the problem is that once a date is declared and is celebrated for some time, then it becomes an emotive issue to re-consider whether that date is the most representative date. Perhaps when Australia Day is celebrated, be it to continue on 26 January, then there should be an acknowledgement of ALL people of the nations that have made this country the great one it is ... including the first nations we displaced.

Jest sayin' 

Cheers - John