Language Matters | Australia Day debate: what the country can learn from Singapore’s approach to bicentennial celebration
As a campaign to change the date of Australia Day heats up, the Lion City is commemorating its founding by the British by celebrating its achievements while also acknowledging history’s darker side
January 26 is a controversial date in Australia. Marking the day in 1788 on which Captain Arthur Phillip took formal possession of the colony of New South Wales, raising the British flag in Sydney Cove, it used to be called “First Landing Day” or “Foundation Day”. In 1935, the name “Australia Day” was adopted, and since 1994 it has been a public holiday, when the values and achievements of the country are honoured, usually with barbecues, parades and fireworks.
For the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, however, January 26 represents nothing to celebrate. Their various names for the day recount their side of the story: “Invasion Day”, referring to the claiming by British settlers of land owned by indigenous peoples; “Day of Mourning”, highlighting oppression and grieving the loss of freedom and self-determination of Aboriginal communities, and mourning forebears who perished through European settlement; “Survival Day”, celebrating the resilience of indigenous peoples, cultures and achievements; and “Aboriginal Sovereignty Day”, calling for social justice.
Arguments have been made to change the date to a less contentious one but that would shift focus from the real issues of past and present.
This year, Singapore marks the bicentennial of its founding. Commemorations for the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the British risk making an insensitive nod to colonialism, but planners have reframed what “bicentennial” encompasses, extending the time frame as far back as five centuries before the colonisers’ arrival. This places Singapore’s founding as a colonial trading post within the context of its long, rich, complex history and position in regional dynamics among Asian empires, and not only celebrates achievements but also acknowledges history’s darker side.
Returning to Australia, rather than #changethedate, many are calling for real change – reconciliation involving an honest accounting of historical facts, sincere recognition of indigenous peoples’ status and state, and robust, meaningful support of indigenous empowerment.
Using the date to combine remembrance, empathy and respect is a way for “January 26” to hold meaning for all its peoples.