Belly,

The reality is the overwhelming majority of people are perfectly happy with the date, and with the only other viable alternate date being the 1st of Jan.

The problem with any bunch of activists is that giving them an inch only energises them to ask for the whole yard. What they object to is anything that recognises Australia, so moving the date is not enough. Every time the issue is discussed it is only a few days later and then the activists want to discuss it again.

The people have spoken.

//The reality is the overwhelming majority of people are perfectly happy with the date//

I reckon we were pretty happy with our long weekend as well, until the bastards in Canberra stole it off us in 1988 to 'celebrate' the bicentenary. What's more Aussie than a long weekend? And isn't Aussie-ness what Australia day is supposed to be about? Return the long weekend!

//and with the only other viable alternate date being the 1st of Jan. //

Or the Monday closest to the 26th, which you may note is when the public holiday falls this year because the 26th is a Saturday, and what we used to enjoy back in the good old days before we lost our long weekend to 'progress'. Would it really be so awful to have it on a Monday every year?

The closure date of ATSIC could be one for celebration for the Indigenous !

jayb,

"Ask the Aztec’s (Spanish). Ask the Inca’s (Portugese). Ask the Indoneasions (Dutch)" etc...

On the same page.

But you missed the Chinese. In the late 15th and early 16th century the most likely coloniser was the Chinese. They had the means to expand their empire but as it turnd out, lacked the will. Research continues to try to work out why but its mostly to do with the stasis of central government compared to the dynamism of Europe.

But in this period the Chinese were regular visitors to northern Australia. They mainly came to buy aboriginal women who were much sought after back home as slaves and concubines. But other trading occurred and there is some evidence that they considered establishing trading posts which almost always lead to conquest.

Another interesting aspect of that trade was that aboriginal women were for sale. The current PC view is that they had equal rights in the tribe, but in reality they were mere chattels

Toni,

Mon 28th is a public holiday to compensate for the WE.

If there could be found a relevant alternative to the 26th, and the day still celebrates Australia's foundation, then maybe these left whinge activists could sell the change.

mhaze: But in this period the Chinese were regular visitors to northern Australia. They mainly came to buy aboriginal women who were much sought after back home as slaves and concubines. But other trading occurred and there is some evidence that they considered establishing trading posts which almost always lead to conquest.

The Mouloccans came for Beach de Mer but didn't interact with the Locals to any great extent. I have no knowledge of the Chinese buying Aboriginal women from anything I have read or heard. I do know they came, especially to Western Australia for Sandal Wood near Broome.

The Chinese just came & took & ignored the locals. They came to Cape York for Tripang Sea or Beach de Mer, but there was no trading. There is a map in a museum in Taiwan that shows an exploration from the Murray, up the Darling then across to a creek that starts just a little West of Hughenden near Ballindalloch. My mates Tribes Birth place at the head of the Spring. That shows that the Chinese did explore Australia.

The Chinese do call Australia their Great South Land. I was told that by an old Chinese bloke in Hong Kong in 1966. One day they'll probably make a claim that they own Australia. Like they claim they own the China Sea. Ay.