Australia Day Archives - Glycerine Queen Media

Another Australia Day has passed. For those who don’t know, Australia Day was on Sunday 26 January (AEST).

On New Year’s Day, I wrote this tweet:

https://twitter.com/gqueenmedia/status/1874388431780089966?s=61

Same old, same old.

And this year, Australia Day didn’t disappoint. People were outraged when 2021’s Australian of the Year, Grace Tame met Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese wearing a ‘F*** Murdoch’ t-shirt. That’s a reference to the CEO of Newscorp and Fox News, Rupert Murdoch.

Tame defended her clothing choice, saying she wore the shirt to “speak truth to power”.

She told the ABC:

One thing that I think unites us is that we want to make progress and a huge roadblock to making progress is the fact… the world for far too long, has been ruled by disproportunately, morbidly wealthy, corporate oligarchs

(‘Grace Tame, former Australian of the Year, meets Anthony Albanese in anti – Murdoch shirt’, ABC, Evelyn Manfield/ Monte Bovill, 25 January 2025)

Grace Tame is a sex abuse survivor and advocate. In 2022, she slammed then – Prime Minister, Scott Morrison for his and the LIberal National Party’s response to sexual assault allegations and a toxic workplace.

After an outcry from members of the public, Albanese addressed the incident:

People were just there , one by one, rolling through, being welcomed. And [Tame’s shirt], was clearly designed to get attention because I do think that it takes away from what the day should be about, which is the amazing people who were nominated as Australians of the Year.

(‘Albanese criticises Grace Tame for her “F— Murdoch” t – shirt”, Michelle Griffin/ Millie Muroi, Sydney Morning Herald, updated 27 January 2025).

Tame hit back at Albanese, arguing that the Murdoch media is more offensive. She made claims that Murdoch media dodges taxes, responsible for destabilising democracies and destroying the earth.

Other controversies

Again, debates raged about whether councils should carry out Citizenship Ceremonies on 26 January. Opposition leader, Peter Dutton swore that he’d force councils to conduct the ceremonies on that day if he won this year’s Federal Election. Dutton. also blasted Albanese for tip – toeing around the issue.

Dutton, himself, went to a citizenship ceremony in Brisbane, Queensland.

Companies, such as Woolworths reversed recent decision not to sell Australia Day merchandise.

This year, grocery monopoly, Woolworths caved to public pressure and began selling Australia Day merchandise again

The Israel- Palestine conflict has become intertwined withvthe debate. Pro – Palestinian protesters view the plight of Palestinians the same as the battle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander has had against British colonisers.

Opinions of readers of Melbourne’s The Age were mixed:

Think about the worst trauma that your family has suffered, in the near or distant past, then imagine how it would feel if you were expected to celebrate that event on that day every year. When a change of date would make such a difference, why are we being so mean – spirited and thoughless in causing repeated grief to our First Nations people

(Grace Brisbane – Webb, Skye, The Age, 27 January 2025)

Are our state (sic) and federal (sic) Labor governments so tone deaf that they cannot read the room and hear the mood of most Australians? No to the Voice, changing the date of Australia Day, to anti – semitism (sic), to the disruptive behaviour of destructive protesters, and a very big no to the relentless leftist, woke, progressive insanity of Labor’s pursuit of idealism over commonsense. For anyone in doubt, just check the views of the silent majority reflected in recent polls in every state (sic).

(Peter Baulch, Safety Beach, The Age 27 January 2025).

Honestly, I’m getting tired of this endless debate. I hope we can get to a point where we can be united. Where we can celebrate where we are and be excited for the future. Can we reach a resolution by next year?

Image: iStock

The dabate over Australia Day hasn’t raged too much this year (yet), but I’d like to add my own view.

Why January 26 and why is it controversial?

January 26 has been Austaralia’s official day since 1994, after it was agreed upon in 1988. Before 1994, January 26 was celebrated, but not in every State and Territory.

This has become a significan’t day, not just for many Australians, but also many migrants who are eligible for citizenship. Citizenship ceremonies are held by local councils across the country on that day, (and if Prime Minister Scott Morrison keeps getting his way, it’s staying that way).

Achievements are also acknowledged and various awards, such as the Australian of the Year and Young Australian of the Year are given out. People are nominated by the public and are chosen by a panel. These people are believed to have made a great contribution to Australia, whether in science, education, charity or a sociaal cause.

January 26 1788 was when the First Fleet from Britain came to Australia. This is when the world for Aboriginal people started to crash down; a start of a number pf years when many Aboriginal people lost their home and culture.

This is why Australia Day is such a controversial and sensitive topic for some Aboriginal and non – Aboriginal people alike. It’s dubbed Invasion Day by a number of critics. A number of people equate it to the loss of culture, family (i.e. the Stolen Generations) and grief. I’m really sympathetic to people who feel that way, I do.

Why Australia Day is hear to stay

Despite debate and controversy, polls suggest that the majority of Australians favour Australia Day remaining on January 26. A Guardian Essential poll from 2017 revealed that 70% of respondents wanted Australia Day to remain on January 26. An article in by the ABC reported that a poll indicated that most people aren’t too fussed about what day Australia Day is celebrated.

Why is this? Maybe people don’t think too much about the history of the day. Unfortunately, I think it’s fair to say that many people may be apathetic to what has happened in history. However, it may be a bit more complicated than that.

Aboriginal people who support January 26 being Australia Day (or don’t protest it).

Not all Aboriginal people support in changing Australia Day. Alice Springs councillor, Jacinta Price is one of them. She argues that the 26 January, despite all the negative impacts of colonisation, is an important day in Australia, shaping the way it is today.

It’s a very significan’t date in our country’s history.
Jacinta Price, SBS 26 January 2018

Price argues the positive of British settlement, including her own existence (her mother, Bess Price is Aboriginal and her father is Caucasian. Price has been more critical of social issues, like domestic violence (Aboriginal women are more than thirty times more likely to be victims of domestic violence than non – aAboriginal women. She goes against the narrative of blaming the trauma caused by settlement, and instead has been critical of attitudes about women that are common in a number of Aboriginal communities.

Former Labor president, now member for Liberals, Warren Mundine has mixed feelings. While he is uncomfortable ablut January 26 and its meaning, he has resolved not to protest it. According to The Australian, Mundine argued that there were more “pressing issues” facing Aboriginal communities.

I’ll alwa6s say that, if you don’t like the day Australia Day falls on, you have every right to not celebrate it. If you have mixed, uneasy feelings about it, that’s OK. Nationally, however, momentum to change the date isn’t stron enough.

What do you think about the date 26 January for Australia Day? Let me knpw in the comments below.