The real issue is that Australia only has a handful of public holidays each year compared to France, Denmark etc. so we really need to keep the 26th January as Australia Day and add Aboriginal Day sometime in November but also Immigrant day in August and another couple of days, but I haven't figured out what they should be for yet - Denmark has a 'general prayer day' that would be amazing and make people feel grateful, relaxed and dynamic.

You can be sure that the thousands that get naturalised each year on Australia day would not of wanted to come to this nation if it was still under tribal warfare/rule. Thank God for the hospitals, schools, roads, running water, electricity etc.

I think we should commemorate "our day", with a rerun of the "INVASION"! With a few wooden boats ferrying massively emaciated prisoners Of Mother England to these fateful shores.

We may need to remind ourselves the overwhelming bulk of these "INVADERS" arrived here in chains. (leg irons) That here was no element of choice! But they were transported here against their will! With the first fleet losing half its human cargo to virulent pathogens.

And it's those quite massive, deaths in custody, we need to remember, as the consequence of a rare calloused English indifference and inhumanity to man. Some of which demonstrated by the injudicious use of the whip! That saw men/women beaten within an inch of their lives and way long past unconsciousness.

We should lay a few, lest we forget wreaths, for all those deaths and those in clash of culture that followed.

Then conduct a solemn broken spear ceremony, followed by, a welcome to county smoke ceremony.
Alan B.

Alan B. you are not correct in stating that 'the first fleet [sic] losing half its human cargo to virulent pathogens'. The death rate was very, very low at 47. Quite remarkable for such a long journey in conditions, for the convicts, that must have been horrendous.

The 2nd and 3rd Fleets (often overlooked in history) had much higher death rates but nowhere near half of the contingent though.

If you want to look at extensive death rates associated with the arrival of the First Fleet then go no further than the smallpox outbreak of April 1789. It killed up to 90% of Aboriginal people in the Sydney Cove area. The descriptions of the suffering and deaths by Lt. Watkin Tench are quite revealing.

2.8% of Australia's population [1] bad mouthing Australia Day don't have the right to change the date.

The vast majority of Australians, who are happy with that date, have a greater say.

Any change from 26th would still breed complaints from that tiny 2.8% + a few odd lefties from Melbourne, about the whole idea of having an Australia Day.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Australians

The following quote, from a recent article by Frank Bongiorno, seems apt:

"...a successful national day's normal civic burden [is that] of fostering common belonging and social cohesion."

The 26th January each year is the anniversary of the beginning of colonisation of Australia by the British.
It seems to me self evident that having Australia Day on the 26th January is an affront to anyone agreeing with the above sentiments.
For many Australians, it is indeed unfortunate that the country was not devoid of humanity on that day - then the 26th January would be, perhaps, a perfectly good day for Australia Day (assuming that they are not republicans)