As a teacher, I do teach about Australia history “warts and all”. History is no longer taught as Australia coming into existence when it was ‘discovered’ by Captain Cook. (Which as an interesting byline, was a specific concept taught on the eastern side of Australia. Over in the west when I went to school, we learnt about other nations visiting Australia and their encounters and trade with the Aboriginal people as the beginning of our nation).

But, I also don’t believe that the 26th of January should be declared “Invasion Day”.  

The British entourage with their ideology of social Darwinism – aka the white race of people being superior to the coloured race – first landed on Australian soil on the 29th of April 1770. It was this date that Captain Cook declared that Australia was Terra Nullius, which meant that he believed no one owned the land.

Aboriginal people had been living and trading in Australia for the past 65,000 years. But, their society and culture were different to the industrial revolutionised society where Captain Cook and his British subjects were living. So, he made his Terra Nullius declaration – and this has had a profound and devastating effect on the Aboriginal and Islander people of Australia. 

It was this date that led to the arrival of the First Fleet in Port Jackson on the 26th of January. There was no specific war or battle on the 26th of January but horrific events in our history have unfolded since then.  

And I really do disagree with your statement that “Japan was the first foreign country to attack on Australian soil”. Perhaps you need to read up a little on Australia’s history. Maybe start with “The Black War” in Tasmania where a wave of early colonists and military personnel walked across the state of Tasmania with the aim of wiping out the Aboriginal population – which they almost did. I would consider this an “attack on Australian soil” –  but if you don’t want to specifically call it a foreign attack, well I would definitely consider it a civil offensive on Australian soil. 

And while you’re researching maybe consider the impact in Australia of British classification of Aboriginal people being declared as flora and fauna right up until 1968. And the reasoning? Because one race believed they were the supreme race due to the colour of their skin. 

MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Yes, we should have a day to commemorate the wrongs that were attributed towards Aboriginal and Islander people in Australia. But it should not be through a hate-filled vessel called “Invasion Day”. I believe it should be a national day of commemoration and celebration of Indigenous culture. Similar to Anzac Day, where we commemorate the deaths of our soldiers during WWI but we also recognise this day as the beginning of the formation of our Australian ideals and values, such as mateship.

Today Australia is such a multicultural society, with only 25 per cent of our make up being British people. Whatever the date, Australia Day should be a day where we celebrate what it means to be Australian, acknowledge the past 65,000 years of our life and considering our ideals of what it means to be Australian. We should not forget or brush over the terrible events that have happened in our history but Australia Day should not incite violence, hate or hurt – which are all non-Australian values.   

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