Hi AC,

Even the most ardent critics of British colonisation such as myself do not believe Captain Cook invaded Australia. What Cook done was he illegally declared British sovereignty over the east coast of the continent. Cook's action was in violation of the obvious sovereignty held by the existing inhabitants. The invasion took place 26th January 1788 when Captain Arthur Phillip came ashore at Sydney Cove with the intension of establishing a permanent settlement. Phillip brought with him a military force of 212 marines along with two armed ships of the Royal Navy, obviously to enforce British will over any inhabitants that might resist the invasion. Phillip proceed to build permanent structures, grant aboriginal land to fellow invaders, in other words the invaders made themselves at home. Few of those arriving ever left, they mostly lived out their remaining lives in Australia.

"Didn't they (Cook) first sight land in Western Australia and travel around the southern continent and back up to Sydney? How did they do that in 10 days? Must've been a gale?"

Nah AC, Cook sailed from the east, never got close to Western Australia. His last port of call was in Aotearoa where he managed to shoot some natives, but was unable to steal sovereignty of that land. That happened later, 6th Feb 1840, when the British got some Maori to sign the Treaty of Waitangi, then claiming the Maori ceded sovereignty to them, which never happened. Another illegal British invasion.

Forget the gendercide of thousands of Aboriginal people, their dispossession and systematic murder at the hands of the European. Nah! according to Lisandro some bloke named Darrel told some Sri Lankan named Muttiah that he had no balls was the worse thing that ever happened! Gee amazing, probably pay back from Darrel for that mob pissing the Pommies off.

Lisandro, welcome to the forum, can't wait to read more of you gems like that first one.

The 26th of January is the day that celebrates the eventual breaking of the bondage of ignorance that had held the Aboriginal Australians from achieving their place in the World.

It brought them a written language in which to record their history.
It brought them a better lifestyle including education so that they could read and all the benefits that that brings, including going on to higher education.

Along with better health, access to more food types, freedom from tribal law and its barbarous punishments and legal rights and freedom for women from forced marriages and sexual enslavement.

There is a way to go yet in some quarters but Australia Day marks the beginning of the freedom for the Aboriginal people,

One wit this morning says that Americans who voted for Biden are already frantically looking for their 'receipts' to see if he can be returned. Right off topic admittedly, but so is gibberish about cricket umpiring in relation to Australia Day awards.

In the short time Biden has been in the job, 70,000 jobs have been lost; fuel prices have gone up; China has access to the US power grid; shemales can now compete against real females in sport,and there is audio of the old fool clearly saying, "I don't know what I'm signing here". 'God bless America' is now 'God help America and protect her from Biden and the Democrats'.

Thanks Mr Opinion and Paul1405 for setting me straight.

Ok well I guess 'Invasion Day' on 26th January is correct then.
- If you consider or nations history from an indigenous point of view.

Me personally, I don't really care about the whole issue too much.
I saw one of my friends yesterday, he's got some indigenous in him, he looks mostly white like me but has darker brothers.
- And he knows I've got a tiny bit of indigenous in me too.

I wished him Happy Invasion Day / Australia Day, whatever suits him.
He told me the issue's a bit difficult to navigate with the kids.

My male ancestors came from England on a convict ship apparently, from stealing a sheep, but I can't find any record of my family name in any of the first, second or third fleets passenger manifests.
The best I can trace records to is early 1810's where records become obscure.
(Great great great great great great great great great great great grandfather Angus)
My grandfather married a half-indigenous woman, my Dad's mum, but they broke up after a time and my grandmother later died in a car accident at 38, and my dad never really knew his mum, was raised by his grandparents.

My half-Indigenous grandmother was actually half-Indigenous half-Irish
being part of this family shown here:

https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/5020237

I can look at the history of that half-indigenous half-Irish family through that book and they too date back to the early 1810's when the first Riley married an indigenous woman.
It mentions the Frontier Wars, and has a far more detailed history than what I know about my fathers family back in the 1800's.

In any case I'm not responsible for things that happened before I was born.
And I'm not going to be made to feel guilty for being white, when I've got indigenous in me too.
I don't identify as one, because I wasn't raised as one.
I accept that I've got a little in me, and I'm not ashamed of it.

I try to see things from both sides.