Change of Date to unite Australians

January 26, is a date for many which is celebrated as Australia, but for over 800,000 indigenous Australians it is a day of mourning as they remember the loss of many of their ancestors when the first fleet landed on the unknown shores which are now known as Australia.

You may be thinking of another white male, talking about the reasons why a date should be changed to honour all Australians, but why should the date be changed and how can we also honour the indigenous people who have been the longest-living generation on earth.

So, what are the origins of the current date of Australia Day?

The date symbolises when Captain Arthur Phillip arrived at Sydney Cove on the 26th of January 1788, however, the fleet arrived in Botany Bay on the 21st of January before Cpt Phillip decided to move location.

So don’t celebrate a day for all of Australia but for New South Wales it was their Anniversary with the state holding the celebrations till 1946 when the first stages of a national holiday started to become the holiday being taken on the closest Monday to the 26th, while he permanent holiday has been in place since 1994.

 The first Australia day was on July 30 in 1915 to assist in raising funds for the World War I effort, while the other states have held their state-based holiday with the names being changed with WA day being changed in 2012 after changes in the law, recognised WA's Indigenous peoples as the original inhabitants of the land.

While the First Nation people of Australia have been protesting the date since 1938, only recently have all Australians been wanting to see a change of the date.

It is well known that many of Australia’s allies don’t celebrate the day the British empire settled on their land, the US celebrate the day it became independent and moved away from the British Empire, and New Zealand celebrates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

While many people are still divided with multiple surveys bringing different results the Daily Aus saw 72% of people surveyed wanted the date with their target audience being under 35, while a survey by Roy Morgan saw 64% of Australians think the date should stay.

There have been many suggestions for what date could be identified as Australia with suggestions ranging from January 1 or 2 to celebrate when Australia become a nation, May 21 the date First Nations people were allowed to vote, while some people think it should be May 8 and change the name to Mate Day.

Whatever the decision is the debate will continue for years to come but a date hopefully the federal government will change the date to one all Australians can celebrate what it is to be Australia.