January 26, known as Australia Day, has become a day of celebration for many, but also a focal point for protest and division, as deep-seated issues regarding the nation’s colonial history come to the forefront.
While thousands across Australia celebrate the day with barbecues, ceremonies, and festivities, for Indigenous Australians and their allies, it marks the beginning of a painful legacy. The day commemorates the arrival of the British First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, which established a penal colony and laid the foundation for British colonial claims over the continent—without any treaties with its Indigenous inhabitants.
For Indigenous advocates, January 26 is observed as Invasion Day or Survival Day, symbolising violent colonisation, dispossession, massacres, and cultural erasure. It represents the onset of systemic injustice that continues to affect Indigenous communities today. Despite the passage of centuries, Indigenous Australians still grapple with higher incarceration rates, lower life expectancy, and pervasive inequality.
This year, protests erupted in major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, with demonstrators holding signs such as “Abolish the Date” and “No Pride in Genocide,” calling for a national day that fosters unity rather than division. Tammy Miller, an Indigenous protester, expressed that the day is one of mourning, adding, “It’s about changing the date, but it’s more about making people aware of our injustices … Seeing all the people here makes me so proud.”
The protests not only garnered support from Indigenous groups but also drew solidarity from other marginalised communities, with many drawing parallels between the struggles of Indigenous Australians and oppressed groups globally.
Polling by Resolve Strategic indicates a growing divide on the matter. While 61% of Australians still support maintaining the current date, younger generations are increasingly open to change. Advocates argue that moving the national celebration could help Australia confront its colonial past and promote a more inclusive future.
The controversy surrounding Australia Day has turned into a political flashpoint. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government has taken a more flexible approach, allowing public servants to work on January 26 and take another day off instead. However, opposition leader Peter Dutton has criticised this stance, pledging to mandate citizenship ceremonies on January 26 if his party wins the next election.
The debate over the national day is part of a larger discussion on Indigenous rights, including the failed 2023 referendum on establishing an Indigenous advisory body, known as the ‘Voice to Parliament,’ within the constitution.
Indigenous activist Gary Foley, speaking in Melbourne, urged the public to confront “Anglo-Australian racism born of fear and ignorance,” calling for greater awareness and reconciliation. “We need to gently educate those who are not here today about the true nature of Australian history,” Foley said, underscoring the need for collective acknowledgement of past injustices.
