Australia Day Speech

Australia Day, celebrated on the 26th of January every year, is a nationally recognised day that signifies the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet. It’s a historic event that also marks the beginning of the oppression of the Indigenous people, that still can occur today, no matter how much the Government has tried to atone for the sins of the past. Australia Day is a day of celebration and mourning, a fact that contributes to the constant bickering between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous. There are many who believe that the meaning behind the modern Australia Day is overshadowed by the past, which will prevent the nation from moving forward, much like Ben Roberts-Smith who published an opinion piece in the Herald Sun on the 26th

of January 2017, titled ‘We are one but we are many’. He assures, through a collected and inspiring tone, that Australia Day should be a day of unity and that ‘our differences make Australia great’, thus justifying his reasoning behind the fact that everyone will view the day differently anyway. The images spread throughout the article are in support of Roberts-Smith’s piece, particularly by indicating that all nationalities within Australia unite as one under the Australian flag and what that day represents to them. However, in stark contrast, Kevin V. Russell, via a letter to the editor, titled ‘End Australia Day’, writes in an abrupt and informative tone that the 26th of January is not a day to celebrate as it is outdated and has served its ‘usefulness’. Both writers use varying techniques, such as evidence, anecdotes and appeals, to influence those on the two sides of this debate to consider what Australia Day means to them.

‘We are one but we are many’, the title of Roberts-Smith’s opinion piece, begins by opening by including the audience into a sense of belonging, as well as playing on the fact that it is a lyric from a well-known traditional Australian song sung by The Seekers, a song that speaks of the unity of all Australians.

Thus, this creates connotations to patriotism and pride towards the country the reader lives in. Coupled with the large image of Australia filled with smaller images of people of all ages, and race, sporting the Australian flag, influences the reader to enter the article with a positive attitude towards Australia Day, as it seems to put this day in high esteem, which consequently convinces the audience, before even commencing to read, that the day is about ‘unity’ and not division. The smaller images of a non-traditional and traditional stereotypical Australian prove that race play no part in this celebratory day, creating the sense of Australia being an accepting

country.

Australia Day is an incredibly patriotic day that connects the nation in more ways than one, but can also divide it on a regular basis. Roberts-Smith, who began in his article by recounting his time ‘serving in the Australian army’, stated ‘how fortunate [he] was to be born and raised in such a lucky country’, this along with his opinion of Australia Day being a day to ‘reflect on all’ that ‘make[s] Australia the greatest place in the world’ indicate that as a man who has seen war torn countries and devastating aftereffects, that the debate over Australia Day means little, especially when modern Australia is trying to prove that the symbol of Australia Day can change and represent everyone. Following on, he relies on the aid of evidence and statistics. ‘Australia Day is [the] largest national day of celebration’ with ‘more than 65 per cent of Aussies’ marking the day in some form, not only that but ‘interestingly, it’s our new migrants who are most likely to embrace Australia Day celebrations’, indicating to the reader that people across the world are envious of the way of life in Australia and wish to belong in this country.

‘Australia Day is also a day that many Australians share with their loved ones’, being that to most it represents a day of coming together and celebrating what it means to be Australian. Although seen this way by most of the nation, there are those that view the day with ‘mourning’. Thus, inciting conflict within the reader on how ‘the day means different things to different people’. Roberts-Smith then emphasises on how beneficial it would be to combine these two differing opinions, as it would help unite the Indigenous and non-Indigenous people today, creating a resolution to the audience’s previous confliction. All in all, Roberts-Smith believes that ‘Australia Day is a day of unity, and a reminder to think about our nation’s past, celebrate the present, and look confidently ahead to the future’. This take on the matter would mark Australia Day as ‘both inclusive and respectful’, which is what Australia needs to move forward.

Alternatively, in a letter to the editor, written by Kevin V.

Russell, titled ‘End Australia Day’, which simply advocates that it’s ‘time to let it [Australia Day] go’. Contrasting with Roberts-Smith, who was calm and collected, Russell is abrupt and almost pleading at times. The day has ‘outlived its usefulness’ and it’s adamant to Russell that it is time for a change. Noting suitable day changes, such as ‘July 9’, is high on his to-do list. However, he also believes the Constitution is ‘outdated’ and that to be fair to all in Australia it would be wise to ‘scrap it and start again’. His factual statements on the past allow the reader to acknowledge that their ancestors did play a part in the oppression of the Indigenous, but the recommendation of changing the Constitution entirely could be viewed as ludicrous. As trying to cater for everyone in the “new Constitution” could still mean that groups are left out, and the cost of this idea could turn heads in the opposite

direction.

Australia’s controversial past plays a role in how Australia Day is viewed today. The arrival of the First Fleet not only marked the birth of a nation but also the discrimination of the Indigenous who lived in Australia beforehand. Roberts-Smith’s opinion piece published in the Herald Sun, titled ‘We are one but we are many’, saw to it that Australia Day needed to be both ‘inclusive and respectful’ and that no one viewed the day in the exact same way. The images associated with the piece emphasised how inclusive the day appears to be, supporting the main article by showing all people of different nationalities banding together underneath the same flag. And alternatively, it was clear that in Russell’s letter to the editor that the day is an insult to the Indigenous and that the Constitution should be scraped and renewed. These articles, though varying in persuasive techniques, coerce the reader into viewing the possibilities associated with Australia Day, leaving them with the incentive of wanting change or consideration into the day itself and how they could help to ‘unite’ the country.