Alan B. if you're going to make comment on history then at least get some facts right. Jan 26th is not the day the First Fleet lay anchor in Botany Bay...that happened a full week before (something Ponder should think about too).

Australia Day didn't become a fully unified national day until 1994. The term itself wasn't widely used until the 1930s. And in 1938 there was a protest organised and held in Sydney to coincide with the sesquicentenary of the founding of New South Wales. The protest is also considered to be the first civil rights protest to be held in Australia.

In 1988 one of the biggest protest marches ever held in Australia was done in Sydney to protest Australia Day. Over 40 000 people attended. So much for your claim that Australia Day has been commemorated for over a 100 years without causing offence to anyone.

And Raycom, Senator Di Natale does not come from Tasmania. Seems facts are not really important in OLO.

No matter what is done our aboriginal brothers and sisters will complain, moan and whine! So why bother changing Australia Day?
Just today it was reported that the poor hygene experienced by aboriginal children can lead to a deadly heart disease, Well you cannot blame a child for being dirty but you can blame it's parents. So next time they complain let's remind them of their responsibilities that go along with their rights!

To whom it may Concern,
Jan 1 is a better day as its when the States federated & became the Commonwealth of Australia,we of course never bothered to ask the Aborigines as they were under Flora & Fauna & as far as White Australia was concerned did not exist though the whites still managed to massacre them in various places all over Australia.
The only thing Australia day meant to me was a day off from school or when I was working work nothing more nothing less,it meant nothing to most of my friends ect.
Born in WA why should I have to celebrate the foundation of a corrupt NSW & Sydney it is of no interest to me,"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"which Howard most certainly was,war criminal ect.

JBowyer, if you'd bothered to have done any research you'd not make sweeping generalisations about people and look like an absolute goose.

The rheumatic heart disease rates in Aboriginal people are primarily in those who live in remote communities. Those communities often have poor infrastructure and housing completely unsuited to the conditions. Getting treatment for even small health issues can be problematic. Can't just pop down to the local chemist!

Don't let any facts get in the way of your ignorant denigration though.

John Ryan, it is a myth that Aboriginal people were classified under Flora and Fauna. There was never any such thing and responsibility for Aboriginal people belonged to the states, most of whom had 'Protection Acts' that were in essence 'control acts'.

After the 1967 referendum responsibility for Aboriginal people was transferred to the Federal Government.

Is today a 'fact free' day on OLO?

Hi John,

There has never been a 'Flora and Fauna Act' in any Australian parliament, State or Federal.

Why do people believe this half-witted rumour ? Because someone found out that a Minister in WA was once Minister for both Fisheries and Native Affairs. Can you name single Minister in any State Government who DOESN'T have responsibilities for more than one distinct and separate Department ?

Even Linda Burney, who should know better than to peddle these lies, was once head of a NSW government department, answerable to a Minister,vwho was responsible or other departments well. Currently, the Chief Minister of the NT is also Minister for Police, Tourism, Northern Australia, Emergency Services AND Aboriginal Affairs. What would you like to make of that ?

My bet is that, currently, there is not a single State government minister responsible for Indigenous Affairs who is NOT responsible also for other areas of government responsibility. It's always been like that. In SA, the current Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (himself Indigenous) is responsible for a number of other quite distinct areas of responsibility. In earlier days in SA, the Commissioner of Immigration and Crown Lands had responsibility for the one-man 'Aborigines Department', with no confusion over departmental boundaries.

Why on earth do people believe the most childish rubbish ? Is it that someone has only just discovered that Ministers, being smaller in number than their distinct areas or responsibilities, quite logically have multiple state responsibilities ?

And no, John, there is no Easter Bunny either. sorry :)

Joe

The aboriginals were badly treated by the white man. Changing the date of Australia Day changes nothing. Whatever date used will be the new focus for protest.