Australia Day is Australia's national day, marking the anniversary of Captain Arthur Phillip's First Fleet raising the British Union Jack at Sydney Cove in 1788. After the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, the official recognition and dates of Australia Day and its corresponding holidays emerged gradually and changed many times. Further alternations and alternatives have been proposed for debate, but not yet officially agreed or adopted.
Previously, Australia Day public holidays were held on different dates around Australia (such as a movable Monday or Friday for long weekends) with the first "Australia Day" being designated as Friday 30 July 1915 (as fundraising for World War I), and 26 January having been formerly recognised by different names (prior to 1946) as a regionally-specific date lacking national recognition (prior to 1935) and lacking official celebrations in the nation's own capital.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
There have also been proposals to institute a second day specifically for Indigenous Australians in addition to the existing date, which is often referred to as Invasion Day by opponents. Polling has shown a marked shift towards support for a change of date or second day of celebration since 2000, though around two thirds of respondents in recent years have supported the current date.[8] Various proposals for the name and date of a new holiday have been put forward.
- ^ "Australia Day". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ "The many different dates we've celebrated Australia Day". SBS Voices. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ "Australia Day Indigenous reactions". www.aph.gov.au. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ "Seeing Australia Day through Indigenous eyes". CoAct. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ Bongiorno, Frank (21 January 2018). "Why Australia Day survives, despite revealing a nation's rifts and wounds". The Conversation. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ Jones, Benjamin T. (25 January 2023). "Australia Day wasn't always January 26, but it was always an issue". The Conversation. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ "Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Act 1992 (WA)" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Justice Parliamentary Counsel's Office. 17 June 1992. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ Aubrey, Sophie (22 January 2023). "Is the fate of Australia Day heading only in one direction?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 January 2023.