If any day should be called 'Australia Day', it should be January 1st, the anniversary of the Proclamation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. Or if Australia ever becomes completely independent from Britain, Australia Day should then be the day on which that is officially proclaimed. The name 'Australia' seems to have been invented by Matthew Flinders, the first person to sail around the continent:

http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/encounter/collection/B12985211_259_3.htm

Australia Day has only been called as such since 1946, although that day has been a day of celebration at least since 1808.

http://www.australiaday.gov.au/pages/page19.asp

:-:

saintfletcher said: "Captain James Cook was not a queue jumper. He was an explorer. He did not colonise Australia. He was on a scientific expedition to trace the transit of Venus in the south Pacific. While he was down here, did some navigation. Australia Day has nothing to do with Cook."

While of course it's true that Australia Day has nothing to do with Cook, he most certainly wasn't just down there for the sake of science and exploration:

'He sailed north, landing at Botany Bay one week later, before continuing to chart the Australian coast all the way north to the tip of Queensland. There, on Possession Island, just before sunset on Wednesday 22 August 1770, he declared the coast a British possession:

"Notwithstand[ing] I had in the Name of His Majesty taken possession of several places upon this coast, I now once more hoisted English Coulers and in the Name of His Majesty King George the Third took possession of the whole Eastern Coast . . . by the name New South Wales, together with all the Bays, Harbours Rivers and Islands situate upon the said coast, after which we fired three Volleys of small Arms which were Answerd by the like number from the Ship."'

Cook had explicit instructions to claim territory for the crown. 'Secret Instructions to Lieutenant Cook 30 July 1768':

http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item.asp?sdID=67

Terra Australis (or at least the east coast of it) was already officially owned by the British Crown for nearly 18 years before the First Fleet arrived.

saintfletcher, the racism and bigotry on this forum I'm used too, but please no bagging the herd!

Cornflower - sorry to tell you, but despite its pretensions OLO is by no means the equivalent of a refereed academic journal. An anecdotal piece like Evers' seems to me to be quite appropriate for the general level of discourse to be found here.

I note that you make no attempt to engage the content of the article.

Ev - quite so. It seems that some of our most ardent 'nationalists' have a pretty dubious grip on Australian history. Maybe the lying rodent and his 'history warriors' had a point...

I read the Article on the Australia Day - kiss the flag, and found the article very interesting. I am Aboriginal and I do feel threatened by the Australian flag, as it symbolises separatism. When Australians debated about designing an Australian flag that was inclusive of all it's citizens I was feeling a ray of hope that perhaps as a nation we were finally growing as a people, become independent, and Australians in our own right and no longer needed to hold ties to England, because Australia does not just have an English heritage, it has Aboriginal, English, French, Dutch, Chinese, Irish, Italian, etc.

I think it is quite sad that we just acknowledge the dominate culture, then exclude "others", to the point of being racist and stupid. Since the debate on Nationalism, twice I have been called "unAustralian", which I find absolutely ridiculous because if I am not Australian, then someone had better tell me what an Australian is, because last time I read the Dictionary, Aboriginal meant original inhabitant of the country, can ya get anymore Australian?

Australia was founded on a brutal past, I have just finished reading "Empty Cradles", by Margaret Humphreys, about English orphans who were transported to Australia. I believe that the majority of Australians should read about it's past and not glamorise it's brutally, but remember so we can acknowledge, say sorry, never repeat, and reconcile in the words of our war heros, "Lest we Forget", a brilliant quote that should be built upon.

Cleonie

Cleonie

CJMorgan said: "sorry to tell you, but despite its pretensions OLO is by no means the equivalent of a refereed academic journal"

Where authors cite their senior academic or government positions (and gain some credibility from that) it is reasonable to expect that they would attempt to maintain a level of independence and rely more on fact than emotion. If they wish to be politicians then so be it however in that circumstance it would be preferable not to cite their academic or government links.

Horus: RE TLTR:
I note you are much concerned about “fascist thuggish redneck fool(s) trying to tell (you) how to be Australian” but how about some of the unelected, leftist bureaucrats & “academics” - you perceive no danger from that direction ? or are they ( being largely now establishment) above suspicion?

Hmm... nope. None of them have threatened violence if I don't comply with their demands.
As for whatever insidious influence on society it is you're worried about, might I suggest that right wing politicians are just as threatening as leftie academics.
S'all about perspective.