There’s been a lot of talk surrounding the changing of the January 26 Australia Day date. 

While some people use it as a time to celebrate all things Australian, others believe it is a reminder of the violence between indigenous Australians and Britain when colonisation took place in 1788 and after.

January 26 marks the arrival of the first 11 convict ships from Great Britain. The date has been celebrated since 1994 by some, by others it has been marked as “Invasion Day.”

On Australia Day Deputy Prime and leader of the Nationals Minister Barnaby announced people who wanted the date changed are “miserable people” and said “I wish they would crawl under a rock and hide.”

The date debate has featured on social and mainstream media, in conversations by the water cooler and amongst community groups.

The Narromine News and Trangie Advocate asked their readers over social media whether they’d like to see the date changed or not. Two Facebook followers believe the date should be left left alone. 

Another, Gaye-Lee Burgers, responded the date should be changed. 

“Yes, [change it to] January 1 for Federation or February 7 colonisation, they would be less controversial dates,” she wrote.

What do you think?

-Grace Ryan