I’d just like to chuck this out there and see what happens…

I know that there is significant and understandable disquiet with the current Australia Day, January 26, a celebration day that might feel like it’s been around forever but hasn’t and a day that causes anguish for many indigenous Australians. The current Australia Day only became generally accepted throughout Australia in 1935 and only came into real prominence when the public holiday shifted from a long weekend to the actual date in 1994.

Of course indigenous Australians are reminded every year that their country (or rather, the colony of New South Wales) was annexed by Governor Arthur Phillip for Britain on that colonisation date. So for many, it is a day of sad reflection on their history after that date rather than a day to celebrate. Imagine a Tanzanian being asked to celebrate, as their national day, the date that they became a British possession rather than, Uhuru Day (freedom day) – 9 December, the day in 1961 that the country gained its independence.

The overwhelmingly obvious celebration day for Australia is the date we joined to become a united Australian federation on January 1, 1901. However, having a dual celebration of a New Year combined with a national day would dilute both (and even worse, deprive us of a cherished public holiday).

An alternative, May 27, would celebrate the day in 1967 that Australians voted to amend the Constitution to recognize the indigenous population (previously they had been excluded from the population census and were not full citizens) and the right of the Commonwealth to make law relating to indigenous Australians (previously that had been a state prerogative). While there might be a compelling case for selecting this day, I believe a strong argument could also be proffered to instead choose the date 3 June 1992 when Mr. E. Mabo won his momentous High Court ruling that overturned ‘Terra nullius‘ (which had previously assumed Australia to be uninhabited prior to British colonisation). Both these days celebrate an unfinished process of inclusion and reconciliation that may never be completely realised but will certainly not be satisfied until an indigenous treaty and/or full constitutional recognition is achieved.

In the meantime I’d like to suggest January 25 and 26 as ‘Australia Days’, with the public holiday shifted to the 25th. These two days symbolise the critical demarcation between ancient and modern Australia while providing an opportunity to showcase indigenous cultural heritage and celebrate the immigrant nation that is Australia. And, as a trivial aside, the days are a lot warmer than a wintery day in May or June and… hell, how many countries devote a whole two days to celebrate their nationhood?

I’d also like to suggest that May 27 be declared Australian Citizenship Day, the day when Australia voted to confer citizenship rights for all Australians, including the first nations. The current Citizenship Day is 17 September, a day which recognises an obscure event in 1973 when the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 was renamed the Australian Citizenship Act 1948.