Australia Day is a national holiday that is observed once a year on the 26th of January. It is observed because on January 26, 1788, the first fleet landed at Sydney Cove, and Sir Arthur Phillip raised the Union Jack there. Because of this, many first- Nations people find Australia Day a mournful day for them. As with others, many Australians simply do not care what day it is because it is “just a holiday,” and they do not understand the historical significance of the date. Changing the date will not only promote inclusiveness, but it will also foster national unity. Every year, the date of Australia Day doesn’t change, the first-generation people endure mental pain and suffering. This is because when the British colonizers arrived, it was a tough time for the original Australians. The first fleet brought violence, separation from children and parents, and cultural suppression. Every January 26th, First Nations people remember their ancestors who fought against inequality. It is even more depressing for the indigenous Australians because other people celebrate this horrific event rather than commemorate it. As a result, the mental health of many people is severely impacted. …show more content…
Changing the date of Australia Day should not be a big hassle and should have been done a very long time ago. Changing the date does not require lots of planning, it does not require loads of money, nor will it affect businesses. There are quite a few alternatives to the current date, one of the few suggestions is that the date should be changed to the 9th of May. This date is perfect considering that it is one of the most important dates in Australian history, this is because the first federal parliament met on the May 9, 1901, at the Exhibition Building in
December 11th is not a date many Australians want to remember. But why? Because Australians don't condone racism or because they don't accept it is a great part of their society and history?
I personally believe that Australia day should NOT be changed as, Australia Day is the official sthe arrival of the First Fleet of the 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788. However Australia Day for many Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people see as a day of sorrow and grieving.
ANZAC Day has been significant to Australians and New Zealanders since the first service in 1916 for memory of the soldiers who lost their live at Gallipoli in 1914 . Over time Anzac Day has changed to remember all the service men and women of Australia and New Zealand . As this year makes 100 years since the landings on the beach of Gallipoli, Australia has had a larger focus on Anzac Day compared to other years due to the importance .
However, what the Turnball supporters fail to recognise is that the days motives cannot be effectively celebrated by our first inhabitants on a date that coincides with pure heart ache. Hence, we need a day that still embodies these motives, however falls on a date that is also connected to this sense of unity we all desire. The first suggestion is a date that has recently appeared in the news, wattle day. The golden wattle is a symbol that has welcomed all of us over its 30 million year history, and also carries the colours that we have effectively branded as our own…the green and gold. Hence, wattle day can effectively celebrate our land, our people and of course our nation, therefore solving the conflict and sadness that surrounds our current date. Another alternative could be federation day, the day that our 6 British self-governing colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia. Maybe even the day that the White Australia Policy was created….a day that abolished all forms of racism in our country and also embraced diversity. Finally, the day that the Australia Act was formed, a day that terminated the British control of Australian legislature. It is true, as some argue, alternative dates will have their faults and draw criticism, however that is no reason not to consider new dates. Whatever criticism there is of the alternatives they will not attract the criticism of being based on race. The difference between these days and our current date is not in the values they celebrate, but rather the context of the values. The 26th of January is a date that coincides with the beginning of Aboriginal mistreatment, an embarrassing day for us as a nation. These supposed dates all celebrate events that have a positive connotation with our country and all of our
Of course it is naïve to believe that Australians only developed an identity after the First World War, but it is true to say that it was changed forever. Before Australia became the Australia known today, it was a land of bush rangers, farmers and convicts; a penal colony that had ambitions of becoming a nation who self-governed and had unified defence and transport*. Before federation Australia had fought in Sudan and the Boer War to provide support to the mother country as it was thought to be a heroic endeavour that was a type of rite of passage (Australian War Memorial, n.d.) and there was a global perception of who and what Australians were. Upon federation the people were very consciously intent on building themselves into a great nation (Bean, 1993), but not to sever ties to Britain completely as mostly foreign policy relied on what the British government dictated (Rickard, 1992).
The Australian flag was chosen in 1901, when a competition was held to design our country’s flag. The guidelines of this competition included that the Union Jack and Southern Cross should appear on the flag. However, I believe that in the year 2001, the Australian flag needs to be changed. During the course of this essay, I will show that the Australian flag does not represent all Australians, in particular, Aboriginal Australians and that the symbols on our flag are no longer relevant and are not unique to Australia. I will also show that the present flag is not instantly recognisable and is too similar to flags of other countries.
...at these several events in our nation’s history have demoralised our reputation to other countries globally. To make us known as a better country to other nations, we’ve completely abolished the White Australia Policy, gave back the aborigines their freedoms and we were also the first country in the world to give women rights. Australia today in present day is now one of the most multicultural societies on Earth, and we definitely follow our values of mateship, acceptance and freedom.
Anzac Day. On the 25th of April, 1915 Australian and New Zealand forces formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula. Anzac day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates the Australia New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) who served in all wars, battles and conflicts. Anzac day is an important day for many Australians and New Zealanders as it is a day where people take time to appreciate the soldiers who risked or gave their lives to represent and fight for our country in all the wars. Since Anzac day is celebrated so widely, there are many opinions that have developed over time. Some Australians and New Zealanders believe Anzac day shouldn’t be celebrated and others believe
Mid 1930s all ritual were part of Anzac culture-dawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, and two-up games
To begin with, once the policy of assimilation came into effect, Aboriginals were subject to a new environment, resulting in the loss of their culture. It is due to this, that the rates of suicide for First Na...
This day is to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. In Source A, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had apologised publicly on behalf of what happened in the Stolen Generations and the Voting Rights in his speech. In Source A, Kevin Rudd had said “We reflect on their past mistreatment.”, this meant that Kevin Rudd was apologizing for what past White Australians had done.Aboriginal People had accepted the apology Mr. Rudd had given the Aboriginals. The Aboriginals have lived out the 5th Beatitude of “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Aboriginals had lived out this Commandment because they showed mercy and accepted the apology of Kevin Rudd. This is how Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islanders had lived out the Beatitudes throughout their
...s a way of coping with bad memories and changes in culture (Reser, 1991). Many Indigenous are still being affected by the events which unfolded long ago. Alcohol is consumed by many who are known to have mental disorders. Depression is a major issue within the aboriginal population with many suffering with factors like grief, shame, worry, homesickness, and anger due to the colonization and the way it has changed their everyday life, culture and environment (Reser).
Since colonialism after the invasion, Australia indigenous peoples have experienced a great deal of loss of identity, loss, disempowerment, cultural alienation, grief. Many indigenous people's mental and physical health impaired. Suicide, family violence, drug abuse and unemployment rates is higher than the Australian average(Berry et al. 2012). That is complicated to contributing to develop and support sustainable mental health and social wellbeing for Australian aboriginals staying in rural areas ,related to much diversity involved in and between individuals and communities (Guerin & Guerin 2012).
“Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human History. We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations—this blemished chapter in our nation’s history. The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future. We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians” (apology by Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, 16th November 2009, Parliament House, Canberra.)
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been the first nations, which represented the whole Australian population, for centuries. However, the continuous European colonization has severely affected these peoples and, over the decades, their unique values and cultures, which enriched the life of Australian nation and communities, were not respected and discriminated by numerous restrictive policies. As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have turned into the voiceless minority of the Australian population. Fortunately, in recent years, these issues became the concern of the Australian government, promoting a slight improvement in the well being of native Australians. Nowadays, there are numerous social work