We had Australian History as a Year 9 subject back in the 1980s (Victoria) but it was a very whitewashed view of history IIRC. We also had an American teacher who didn’t really have any appreciation of Australian history, so that didn’t help either.
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The Myall Creek Massacre and also the treatment of Indigenous people in Tasmania was covered in quite a bit of detail during Year 5 at my school. And I went through the system relatively recently too.
What is taught may vary based on the state.
Wow. If only they were more like white people I guess.
So it’s embarrassing to you that they want to preserve cultural heritage which goes back centuries probably longer on that site?
Here’s a good read about those trees.
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Why can’t it be the date they first celebrated Australia Day? Being 30th July when they raised funds for World War 1? It’s only been on the 26th since 1994.
We did too. But our australian history was watching crocodile Dundee and learning Australian slang… the Australian history subject is an absolute joke and I really do hope they are doing it better now.
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As a national holiday held on 26th January. In Victoria we observed Australia Day each year on I think the last Monday in January to guarantee a long weekend.
1988 was the first to I recall it being a big deal for the bicentenary with the First fleet reenactment and tall ship visits to ports around the country.
I am not a fan of making it January 1 because obviously it would take away a public holiday. It’s like the kid who has their birthday at the end of December and thus can’t have parties or get as many presents as they would if their birthday was in June or something.
I like how Australia Day signals the real start of the working year for many people, and the school year for kids.
I think a solution that would satisfy almost everyone (except those who staunchly want it to remain January 26) would be to make it the final Friday of January so that it is no longer specifically connected with January 26 (it probably will fall on January 26 every few years). Make it a celebration of summer rather than connecting it to the arrival of the First Fleet.
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Also it will be get shadowed by New Years
I think having it in summer really symbolises what Australia is all about. If we changed it, it still needs to be held in January or early December.
Particularly here in nsw where we already have one less public holiday than some of the other states. It is annoyingly inequitable.
Are you really complaining that you miss out on a public holiday?
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Sure am. Things need to be equitable. Why should people in nsw work an extra day.
One day doesn’t make a big difference! How about you speak to your premier about it!
Because there is a reason that state has chosen to enact that extra public holiday which is irrelevant to the other states.
Is this is a serious question?
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As far as I’m aware, the only public holiday of significance that other states get but NSW doesn’t is a local show day?
Good luck persuading the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW to move the Sydney Show away from Easter when (aside from wars and pandemics) the event has been held at that time of year for nearly two centuries…
I think Qld, ACT and Vic get more than nsw. The others are roughly the same.
Every single poll I’ve seen shows the majority of Aussies Don’t want the date changed. That’s 1 huge reason there
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Changing the date still won’t appease the 28% - do we really believe changing the date will silence all those arguments people are providing here?
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It’s a damn good place to start.
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