To reiterate - we should change Australia Day to 1 January - the day Australia as a nation state was declared, not 26 January when the first colony, New South Wales was declared. People who insist on 26 January being "Australia Day" are merely showing their ignorance. Let NSW keep 26 January as their foundation day. Australia Day is about celebrating Australia as a nation, not the single colony of NSW.
Very well said Brian. The best of this Topic so far.
Jan 1 should be Australia Day ...its a 'TIME' thing and we as Australians, may be 'Down Under' to appease the USA 'ego', but we are able to 'trascend time' in many ways and 'changing' to Jan 1 really should be no problem for anyone who is truly Australian that can "escape the 'shackles' that imprison us to the past".
We are also a part of the 'region' known as SAHUL that we share with Tasmanians, Melanesians (can be white too you know
) and half of Indonesia this side of the WALLACE LINE. and Sahul is at the 'Start of Time' to take into consideration of the International Dateline being the 'Vertical' boundary around the world, compared to the horizontal of the Equator.
Throw in the curve ball that Jan 26th is also RUM CORP REBELLION DAY, that it is also indeed 'NSW's' Nationalisation day.
Now we have Aboriginal peoples headed by Australia's version of the Zulu Inkatha Party, the Kooris (from around Newcastle) - trying to invade the Day. Not to claim it as another Aboriginal Day among their many (more than anyone else HERE) - but just to destroy it for what it currently is....
...a Day that many 'FRIENDS' come together to BBQ in Public spaces. A Family comes to spend a day with other families and friends outside their own cultures. Hardly, do you see groups of Indians or Moslems meeting together with others of their own kind at the same Park. A group of Friends or one Family go out and spend the day with 'strangers' arriving at the same Parks.
I would definitely recommend the Australia Day Celebration to be moved to January 1st NEW YEAR'S DAY, even if 'Kooris' didn't give a hoot about Jan 26th.