Holiday Politics

In Australia, debate is raging over the status of Australia Day, the country's national day. Celebrated on the 26th of January, Australia Day marks the anniversary of the arrival of Admiral Arthur Phillip on the continent, and the beginning of British colonialism in Australia. Given the inherently colonial flavour of the holiday, the celebration has garnered opposition, with many Aboriginal Australians advocating that the Australian government "Change the Date". Although it represents the interests of a historically marginalised group (Aboriginal Australians), the Change the Date movement now exercises a notable amount of power over Australian cultural institutions. Earlier this week, Cricket Australia announced that they would no longer be referring to cricket matches happening on Australia Day as "Australia Day" games.

Although Australians still largely favour celebrating Australia Day on the 26th of January, the decision of Australian cultural institutions to turn against the orthodox celebration demonstrates the separation between modern institutions and their initial purposes. Cricket Australia is the governing body for Australia's most popular sport, and states that one of its aims is to "unite and inspire [Australian] communities through cricket." Consequently, should Cricket Australia not honour a tradition that Australian communities still vehemently stand by? If unity is truly the concern, why side with the minority? Cricket Australia, under social pressure from a vocal minority, have eschewed Australia Day.

The fact that potentially moving Australia Day to a date other than the 26th of January demonstrates that Australia Day, to most Australians, means much more than a short break from school or work. The most oft-cited argument against Australia Day is that it glorifies colonial history. However, the primary flaw in this line of reasoning is that it tries to separate the modern Australian nation from the British colonial settlers. Even after much non-British immigration Australia, one in every five Australians is descended from British convicts. When Australians express their desire to celebrate Australia Day on the 26th of January, they are celebrating their heritage. No other day than the day that the first of their forefathers arrived on the continent properly celebrates the origins of the Australian nation.  

Australia was, and still is, a colonial nation. This is not an indictment on Australia, but rather a description. Separating Australia from its colonial history is nonsensical, and it strikes the face of the pioneers that risked their lives to create one of the world's most prosperous societies. By delegitimising the origin of a nation, one discredits the nation itself. 

Lithograph of the First Fleet, Edmund Le Bihan