A day to celebrate Australia used to be a day to relax and enjoy the fortunate country we live in. But now things have changed. Some people find the whole day offensive and it has become a day of confusion. It didn’t start out to offend anyone, but now that we know, maybe we should choose another day that has no attachments. Then we’ll all be okay, right?

What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.

Maya Angelou (American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist)  

I think we have reached that point … something has to change. Maya has given us a way forward but let’s just glimpse at where we have been.

It is a matter of public shame that while we have now commemorated our hundredth anniversary, not one in every ten children attending Public schools throughout the colonies is acquainted with a single historical fact about Australia.

Henry Lawson (Australian writer and Bush poet born 1867)

Fortunately, our education system has improved and we no longer ignore our history with the aboriginal people. Change is knocking on our doors and we are open to talking about it but how long is it going to take to make everyone happy.

There is no power in the world like that of women … this most potent constituency we seek to represent, and for their suffrages we sue.

Louisa Lawson ( Australian poet, writer, publisher, Suffragist and Feminist)

Henry Lawson’s mother, Louisa, was involved in the women’s movement when women got the right to vote in Australia in 1902. It was a positive change, but what’s that got to do with Australia Day? It’s just a slight detour … keep reading to connect the dots.

Modern history is, as you all know, full of examples of great movements that disappeared because they had ceased to have any genuine reason for existence. The important thing is to have a faith to live by, and that goes for us in this party.” ~

Robert Menzies (Former prime Minister of Australia 1939-1941)

Obviously, movements are important, like the women’s movement, because they create change and challenge our beliefs. Faith, on the other hand, is a belief in something beyond ourselves that we commit to for the betterment of society. What comes first: the movement or faith?

In Australia, there is no hierarchy of descents. There must be no privilege of origin … the commitment to Australia is the one thing needful to be a true Australian.

Bob hawk (Former Prime Minster 1983-1981)

So, our shared goal of freedom, fairness, justice, and peace was to unite Indigenous Australians and people from over 190 countries. This was to honour our history and determine our national identity. We can’t take a trick … it’s 2024 and we are still not there yet.

Now, I know that there are some Aboriginal people who aren’t happy with Australia Day. For them it remains Invasion Day. I think a better view is the view of Noel Pearson, who has said that Aboriginal people have much to celebrate in this country’s British Heritage.

TONY ABBOTT (Former Prime minister of Australia 2013-2015)

Like before, on the 24th and 25th of January, there was Australia as it was, and then on the 26th of January, came the British Invasion. Sounds good?

I love food, all types of food. I love Korean food, Japanese, Italian, French. In Australia, we don’t have a distinctive Australian food, so we have food from everywhere all around the world. We’re very multicultural, so we grew up with lots of different types of food.

Hugh Jackman (Australian actor)

Maybe that’s a good note to finish up on. We’re diverse and multicultural and we love our food, and we love Australia. Let’s celebrate that and move on. That will be our legacy for generations to come. As for a national identity agreement, let’s shake hands, mate.