Comments on: Rethinking the basis for the Australia Day holiday

By: Plunko

Plunko — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:01:53 +0000

The history is fine, and the dates are garbled, so let’s have the public holiday on the last Monday in January, so we all get a 3-day break without the need to chuck a sickie.

And while we’re at it, lets call it National Sorry Day, ’cause we’re all sorry we have to go back to work or school the next day, sorry we burnt the snags on the barbie, sorry we got full as a tick, sorry we got sunburnt again, and sorry for all the “sorry bastards” who don’t know how to enjoy a day off!

By: Christina

Christina — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:39:59 +0000

Thanks for such an interesting post. I enjoyed reading about the history behind Australia Day.

By: BurgerKing

BurgerKing — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:42:44 +0000

Shame! look at the living condition of indigenous people now. Who cares? U came, U killed, U now enjoy other people’s land and gave it a new name Australia. Sadly, it also happened to all the other third world nations. Don’t u feel ashamed? U thief.

By: Simon

Simon — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:43:45 +0000

Duncan: New Australia Day March 16th, St Patricks Day March 17th – I like your thinking!.

By: Duncan

Duncan — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:28:46 +0000

Some interesting points Jack – although unlikely in the current political climate; it deserves to at least be discussed !

One perceived negative could be that the new ‘Australia Day’ would be only one day after New Zealand’s Waitangi Day – on the other hand it could be sold as a Trans-Tasman super-long-weekend !
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitangi_Day

It’s interesting that the word ‘Australia’ doesn’t appear anywhere in the proclamation document – as Nic M says it really should be re-named New South Wales Day – although the real Australia Day would then be January 1st which would be a terrible waste of a public holiday. Reading between the lines, even the referenda were held on different dates in the 4 colonies so we can’t even use that date ! Maybe March 16th, when (in 1898) the Australasian Federal Convention finally agreed on a bill ?
http://naa.gov.au/collection/explore/federation/index.aspx

By: Liam

Liam — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:58:32 +0000

Good article. Many indigenous Australians call it “Survival Day” instead.

By: muso

muso — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:21:21 +0000

Thanks for the history – very useful as I am writing a book on the Amazing People of Sydney due out later this year as mentioned at http://myamazingpeople.com/2010/01/26/australia-day-convicts-and-colonials/

By: billy blog » Blog Archive » A one-term presidency is in order

billy blog » Blog Archive » A one-term presidency is in order — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:31:43 +0000

[...] friend Sean Carmody has an interesting perspective on Australia Day [...]

By: OldFuzz

OldFuzz — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:45:11 +0000

…had been thinking along the lines of Nic M … however, we are really celebrating the date or ceremonial date (cf Queens Birthday or Christmas) of just one stage in the procession of inhabitation of Sydney Cove/Sydney/NSW/Australia … this time by a group strong enough to lord it over the incumbents and establish a new “order”.

I am wondering whether we would continue to celebrate this event if we become a republic some time?

Do South Africa, India, Canada, USA, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malay(si)a etc. celebrate the day the British/Dutch/Spanish etc colonised those lands ???

Finally, do we really need to see the proliferation of Australia Day decorations on sale in supermarkets and department stores . . like Xmas and Easter marketing extravaganzas??

For my druthers, Australia Day will continue to be a quiet day of celebrating and giving ALL of our forebears thanks for our great lives downunder, our great standard of living and our wonderful families and their futures!

By: Ms Fifikins » Blog Archive » Pride or Conceit?

Ms Fifikins » Blog Archive » Pride or Conceit? — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:39:44 +0000

[...] Day’ tomorrow. The day commemorates the British setting foot on Australian soil. The ‘discovery‘ was a few days earlier, the settlement a few years [...]