Most Australians celebrated Australia Day on the 26 th of January. Traditionally this is a Public Holiday which ordinary Australians like to celebrate with a few beers and a barbie (BBQ) and perhaps a day at the beach. Usually there is an Honours List (good to see scientist, Emeritus Professor Alan Mackay -Sim being named Australian of the Year this year) and there are also Citizenship Ceremonies. While this is mostly pretty harmless, it does offend the descendants of people who were not on the winning side on January 26, 1788, when the First Fleet landed in Botany Bay. Many of our Indigenous people who make up around 3% of the population today, call it “Invasion Day” and see it as a day of mourning since this marked the beginning of their dispossession, annihilation and oppression. For this reason many people are calling for the abolition of Australia Day, or at least holding it on another day. The argument goes like this: Not all Aboriginal people feel thi
Practising Geographer - nature culture places people