Although 2.5% of the population calls it invasion day, I don't recall there being any military action at the time.

The 26th of Jan was when a step change was made in the history of this Island, and the process that eventually produced Australia began.

All the alternative dates suggested in the post were mostly beaurocratic changes which had practically zero effect on the population and were hardly even noticed at the time.

Similarily as the British monarchy or gov has no real control, the change to a republic is also purely symbolic.

If the date was to change why not just throw a dart at the calendar?

Candide,
I may well be wrong but I think it was La Perouse that entered Sydney Harbour about a day after the fleet relocated to there. He had talks with Phillip and left to explore Botany Bay. while there his party shot and killed an aboriginal and this began the first aminosity with the whites. La Perouse left but to the aboriginals they were the same as those in Sydney Harbour so bad relations started which Puillip tried his best to repair.

You are right about plenty of others interested to at least have a look around. The Poms were strong enough to hold it all. WA was only colonised because there were rumours that another power was going to set up there.(Russians I think)

Lets disregard Leigh who just loves killing people as long as it is not her, possibly she would be so happy to have the Indonesians come down and overtake us one night like the Aborigines were overtaken by the British, get out the tea cups Leigh and welcome with open arms the invaders, it could happen you know, from your point of view they would be most welcome.

I do agree with my namesake Banjo Paterson, lets wait until we become a Republic then set a date, I hope this is not too far in the future, the sooner we rid ourselves of the Monarchy, Australia will then become of age.

As our usual OLO extreme rightwing contributors, are against a change of date for Australia Day; Mick Dodson has obviously come up with with a positive suggestion.
My suggestion is the day when the Saxe Coburg family are no longer our
heads of state, is when Australia day should be.

For those of you that want Australia to become a republic, can you show any practical advantages? How would we be better off? Would our ecomomy improve? Would the health system and transport system suddenly improve? Would aboriginal health improve? Would traffic conjestion ease? Just what are the advantages?

We have a good workable system which is far better than others I could name. Some say they want a republic with a president elected by the people. In all sincerety, would you impose the USA system on us? The last 12 months have seen the biggest circus ever with the candidates preselection processes and then the election. Do you really want that every 3-4 years, not to even mention the expense.

Frankly any practical benifits elude me. Maybe those who seek change are simply bigotted against the British.

Anyhow, if New Zealand honoured the Maories with a permanent place in parliament with Canada now being ditto, what harm would it do for us also to be the same?

Seeing that the above has been discussed seriously in our universities without mentioning our natives as low-life similar to the what our troops called the Palestine Arabs during the two wars - no wonder we have so much terrorism.

Might just pay some of us to put ourselves in the same low-life mentality for a while, as was purported in the Sermon on the Mount.

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, was certainly well portrayed, many believing it comes from the Greeks, as my OLO mates are proving, our Christian ancestors would never have been as thoughful and kindly.

Have Fun, BB, Buntine, WA.