As the heated debate around changing the date of Australia Day rages on, the significance of January 26 for Indigenous Australians is often lost in the noise. But for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, this date represents not just the beginning of colonization, but an incredible history of resistance and activism that continues to this day.
A Tradition of Protest
While January 26 only became a national public holiday in 1994, Indigenous Australians have been protesting on this date for nearly a century. The very first “Day of Mourning” protest took place way back in 1938, when Aboriginal activists gathered in Sydney wearing funereal garb to call for equality and recognition.
In the 1970s, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy was famously established on the lawns of Old Parliament House in Canberra on January 26, 1972. This act of resistance put Indigenous land rights on the national agenda. Twenty years later, the Tent Embassy was reenacted as part of bicentenary protests in 1992.
Survival Day Gatherings
After Australia Day became a federal holiday, Indigenous communities began holding “Survival Day” events on January 26 during the late 1990s. These gatherings celebrated Aboriginal culture and resilience in the face of colonization, while continuing the protest tradition.
In taking to the streets, we honour those who kept the fires of resistance burning before us.
– Celeste Liddle, Arrernte writer and activist
Walking for Justice
In recent years, January 26 has seen massive Invasion Day rallies in cities across Australia. But as Arrernte commentator Celeste Liddle points out, the push to “change the date” has little to do with why most Indigenous people march.
Much of the Day of Mourning resolution of 1938 remains unfulfilled nearly 90 years later. Invasion Day protests highlight the ongoing struggles for treaty, truth-telling, reparations, and self-determination. They are a way to follow in the footsteps of the brave activists who came before.
An Unignorable History
While conservative commentators accuse protesters of trying to “ruin Australia Day,” Aboriginal resistance on January 26 predates the public holiday by over 50 years. As Liddle writes, perhaps it’s time Australia “got used to the idea that the history of protest on this day is going nowhere.”
Until treaties are negotiated, reparations are made, and justice is achieved, Indigenous Australians will continue their proud tradition of standing up and speaking out every January 26 – just as they have for nearly a century. This unignorable history is now woven into the very fabric of the day itself.
