1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Already and this is this is the daily Art, This 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: is the. 3 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 2: Daily ohs oh, now it makes sense. Good morning and 4 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 2: welcome to the Daily OS. It's Monday, the twenty seventh 5 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 2: of January. 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: I'm emma, i'm zara. 7 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 2: It's a public holiday today across the country, following on 8 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 2: from January twenty sixth, Australia's National Day yesterday. But twenty 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 2: percent of TDA readers don't actually know why Australia Day 10 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 2: is held on the twenty sixth January, according to a 11 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 2: recent poll of our audience. Today we're taking a closer 12 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 2: look at the history of January twenty six its protests 13 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 2: and celebrations, and how workplaces are shifting in response to 14 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 2: this public holiday. 15 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,279 Speaker 1: Now, am. Lots of countries as well as Australia have 16 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: a national day. In the US, it's July fourth. In 17 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: New Zealand it's by Tungi Day, and here in Australia 18 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: it's Australia Day, which, as you just said, is held 19 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: on January twenty six I think a good place to 20 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: start is by just understanding what the day is meant 21 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: to be about here in Australia. 22 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 2: Yes, so Australia has this national public holiday on the 23 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 2: twenty sixth of January, because that is the anniversary of 24 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: the day we think the First Fleet arrived in seventeen 25 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 2: eighty eight. Now, the First Fleet, of course, is the 26 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 2: collection of ships sent from Britain to set up a colony, 27 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 2: including famously a prison on the land of the Gatigal 28 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 2: people in what's now Sydney's Circular Key. So since then, 29 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 2: different celebrations and protests have been held commemorating the arrival 30 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 2: of the First Fleet, which marked the beginning of British colonization. 31 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 2: But it wasn't until relatively recently that the date of 32 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 2: the twenty sixth of January was set aside as a 33 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 2: national public holiday in all states and territories. 34 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: We'll get to the discussion of a public holiday in 35 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: just a moment, but I do just want to go 36 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: back to that date, twenty sixth of January seventeen eighty eight, 37 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: obviously a very long time ago. What else do we 38 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: know about that specific day and about what happened when 39 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 1: the first Fleet sailed into Sydney. 40 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 2: Yes, so we do have some first hand accounts from 41 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 2: sailors who were on ships in the first Fleet. I'm 42 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 2: going to read out a little excerpt from an account 43 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 2: of the English colony of New South Wales by David Collins. 44 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 2: He is a man who worked under Governor Philip. It says, 45 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 2: in the course of the day the twenty sixth, sufficient 46 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 2: ground was cleared for camping. In the evening of this day, 47 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 2: a flagstaff was purposely erected and a union jack displayed. 48 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 2: Another Firstound account, this one from a man called Daniel Southwell, 49 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 2: who traveled with the first fleet, has a different description 50 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 2: of the arrival. Southwell says that as the ships came 51 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 2: into the harbor, First Nations people were visible on the shore, 52 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: quote brandishing their spears as though to dispute our passage, 53 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 2: and that they seemed frantic and agitated. 54 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: Now, a public holiday in the year of two twenty 55 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: five feels a very long way away from those descriptions 56 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: of the day over two hundred and thirty years ago. 57 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: Can you just take me through some of the history 58 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: of the day January twenty six since the seventeen eighties. Yeah. 59 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 2: So, one of the biggest events to have taken place 60 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 2: on the twenty sixth of January was fifty years later 61 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 2: in eighteen thirty eight, and that's when in northern New 62 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 2: South Wales, police and settlers killed at least forty Gamillrooy 63 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 2: people in what's known as the Waterloo Creek massacre. This 64 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 2: massacre is just one in a series of violent attacks 65 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 2: and clashes at that time known as the Frontier Wars. 66 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 2: So those wars began in seventeen eighty eight and continued 67 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 2: well into the twentieth century, where British settlers would violently 68 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 2: advance the colony across the country from the east and 69 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 2: First Nations people resisted, and it's estimated as much as 70 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 2: ninety percent of the pre colonization population of First People's 71 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 2: in Australia was killed during these wars. In twenty twenty, 72 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 2: Gamilroy elder Polycutmore told the ABC the trauma continues on. 73 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: I think a lot of the time this conversation, the 74 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: national conversation about whether this is a day of morning 75 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: or a day of celebration, has been framed as a 76 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,919 Speaker 1: new conversation or that it's, you know, this kind of 77 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,679 Speaker 1: social media led conversation. Clearly, from what you have said, 78 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: this day has for a very long time had very 79 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,359 Speaker 1: different meanings to different groups of people in this country. 80 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 1: When did we those start seeing more organized demonstrations, especially 81 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: from First Nations communities here in Australia. 82 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 2: Yes, so dating back as far as eighteen eighty eight, 83 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 2: there were celebrations across the country. So that was marking 84 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 2: the one hundredth anniversary of the first Fleet's arrival. But 85 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 2: Warajuri writer doctor Anita Heiss has said there were even 86 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 2: boycotts of celebrations by First Nations people even then. 87 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: So in eighteen eighty eight, yeap a. 88 00:04:57,520 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 2: Little bit later on the one hundred and fiftieth and 89 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 2: a in nineteen thirty eight, there was a reenactment of 90 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 2: the first Fleet's arrival in which First Nations men were 91 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 2: forced to perform in this reenactment, and there are accounts 92 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 2: from their descendants which have been reported by the ABC 93 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 2: which indicate these men were traumatized by that reenactment experience 94 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 2: for the rest of their lives. On the same day, 95 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 2: there was a major First Nations led demonstration in Sydney 96 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 2: called a Day of Mourning and Protest, and I suppose 97 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 2: this could kind of be seen as the turning point 98 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 2: in the mainstream protests that we see today. Yoderman and 99 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 2: civil rights activist Jack Patten told attendees on that day 100 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 2: in nineteen thirty eight. On this day, the white people 101 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,719 Speaker 2: are rejoicing, but we have no reason to rejoice. This 102 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 2: land belonged to our forefathers one hundred and fifty years ago, 103 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 2: but today we are pushed further and further into the background. 104 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 2: So that is a representation of a First nation's perspective 105 00:05:57,920 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 2: dating back to nineteen thirty eight. 106 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: So much of the conversation is about whether the date 107 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: should be marked as a public holiday or not. We 108 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 1: obviously have just heard about the significance of the day 109 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: four First Nations communities here, but it is fairly recent 110 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: that January twenty six became Australia day a public holiday. 111 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 2: Yeah exactly, and I think this is something that still 112 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:23,280 Speaker 2: surprises people when they learn. But different states and territories 113 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:27,160 Speaker 2: had introduced public holidays around the twenty sixth of January 114 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 2: from nineteen thirty eight and throughout the nineteen hundreds, but 115 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 2: it didn't become a formal national public holiday until nineteen 116 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 2: ninety four, so thirty one years ago. Basically the twenty sixth, though, 117 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 2: was yesterday, we should mention. And the reason that today 118 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 2: is a public holiday is if the twenty sixth falls 119 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 2: on a Saturday or Sunday, we get a long weekend. 120 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 2: So today, yes, is the twenty seventh, but technically it's 121 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 2: a day in lou public holiday. Interestingly, though, many of 122 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 2: our listeners might not actually be taking today off. According 123 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 2: to a survey we conducted last year, out of fifteen 124 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 2: thousand respondents, seventy five percent said employers should give workers 125 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 2: a choice about whether or not to work on Joan 126 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 2: twenty six or the public holiday. Nearly half said their 127 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 2: employer had already given them the option to take another 128 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 2: day off instead. 129 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 1: Always a lot of reporting on whether or not companies 130 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: will allow their employees to do this, and obviously private 131 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: companies that's up to their discretion. But an interesting conversation. Nonetheless, 132 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: I want to turn to what happened yesterday? How was 133 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: January twenty six marked around the country. 134 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, a very different and diverse set of experiences on 135 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 2: the schedule. Yesterday, thousands and thousands of people turned out 136 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 2: right across the country for Invasion Day rallies. There were 137 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 2: marches in capital cities and in major regional centers this year, also, though, 138 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 2: there were seven hundred and fifty community events across all 139 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 2: states and territories, which received federal funding to support their 140 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 2: Jan twenty six programs. The government said that more than 141 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 2: one hundred seventy one of those events had significant Aboriginal 142 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 2: and or Torres Strait Islander elements. It was also a 143 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 2: big day, as Jan twenty six always is for those 144 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 2: people becoming Australian citizens. So Prime Minister Anthony Albanezi was 145 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 2: in Canberra for the annual National Citizenship and Flag Raising 146 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 2: Ceremony and that's where we saw Governor General Sam Mouston 147 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 2: leader ceremony called the Australian Citizenship Affirmation, welcoming Australia's newest citizens. 148 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 2: That was just one of over three hundred and eighty 149 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 2: ceremonies held across the country yesterday where more than twenty thousand, 150 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 2: six hundred people from over one hundred and fifty countries 151 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 2: were expected to attend and officially become Australian citizens. 152 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:44,960 Speaker 1: And I don't think we can end this conversation without 153 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: touching on the push to change the date. Every year 154 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: around this time there is a national discussion about whether 155 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,080 Speaker 1: or not Jan twenty six is the appropriate day based 156 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: on the things that were mentioned earlier. Where are we 157 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:01,679 Speaker 1: at with that movie Man? Is there going to be 158 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 1: in Australia's future a time where the date is changed. 159 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 2: This is really interesting because I think the discourse a 160 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 2: couple of years ago felt as though it was moving 161 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 2: one way, but some recent polling by Resolved Strategic for 162 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 2: nine Newspapers actually indicates things might be shifting the other way. 163 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 2: So this polling found support for keeping our national day 164 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 2: on January twenty six has actually increased. So in twenty 165 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 2: twenty three, this nine Newspapers poll found that forty seven 166 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 2: percent of respondents supported Australia Day remaining on January twenty six. 167 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 2: Now we're two years later and that number has increased 168 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 2: to sixty one percent, So for me, forty seven to 169 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 2: sixty one in two years. Yeah. Interestingly though, the number 170 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,959 Speaker 2: of Australians who said they were either neutral or unsure 171 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 2: has held really quite steady at around fifteen percent, so 172 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 2: no change in the middle there, but either side has moved. 173 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 2: The survey also found that fifty two percent of voters 174 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:05,199 Speaker 2: are in favor of federal legislation to make January twenty 175 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 2: six the official day. And this is an issue that's 176 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 2: shaping up to be one of Peter Duttan's key proposals. 177 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 2: Going into this year's federal election as opposition leader, so 178 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 2: I think we can expect to probably hear a lot 179 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 2: more about the Australia Day debate about the January twenty 180 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 2: sixth conversation overcoming months, and as always, we will keep 181 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 2: you posted. 182 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: Em Thanks for taking us through that, and thank you 183 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:31,559 Speaker 1: for joining us for another episode of The Daily Os. 184 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: Take care of yourselves today and we'll be back again 185 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:40,200 Speaker 1: this afternoon. My name is Lily Madden and I'm a 186 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:44,599 Speaker 1: proud Arunda Bunje lung Kalkotin woman from Gadigl Country. The 187 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: Daily Os acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on the 188 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: lands of the Gadighl people and pays respect to all 189 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island and nations. We pay our 190 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: respects to the first peoples of these countries, both past 191 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: and present.