澳洲国庆日争议：为什么有人称其为入侵日

January 26 is a date that sits right at the heart of Australia’s national identity—and its deepest divisions. Officially, it’s Australia Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival at Sydney Cove in 1788. But for a growing number of Australians, it’s known as Invasion Day, Survival Day, or simply a date of mourning. The numbers tell the story of a nation grappling with its past. A 2023 poll by the Australian Institute found that 54% of Australians supported keeping the date as Australia Day, while 28% favoured changing it. That’s a significant shift from a decade earlier, when support for the date sat closer to 70%. Meanwhile, the annual Invasion Day rallies have drawn record crowds, with over 60,000 attendees in Melbourne alone in 2023, according to local police estimates. The debate isn’t just about a public holiday—it’s about how a country reckons with a history that began, for its First Nations peoples, as a catastrophe. We found that the conversation is louder, more polarised, and more nuanced than ever before.

What Actually Happened on January 26, 1788?

For most Australians, the history lesson goes like this: Captain Arthur Phillip raised the Union Jack at Sydney Cove, marking the beginning of British colonisation. But for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, that same day represents the start of a frontier war that lasted over a century. The First Fleet carried roughly 1,500 people, including 778 convicts. What it didn’t carry was any treaty or consent from the estimated 750,000 to 1.2 million Indigenous Australians already living on the continent [Australian Bureau of Statistics + 2023 + Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians].

The Legal Fiction of Terra Nullius

The British claimed Australia under the doctrine of terra nullius—Latin for “land belonging to no one.” This legal fiction ignored complex Indigenous societies, languages, and land management systems that had existed for at least 65,000 years. The High Court of Australia didn’t formally reject terra nullius until the Mabo decision in 1992 [High Court of Australia + 1992 + Mabo v Queensland (No 2)]. That’s over 200 years of legal justification for dispossession.

Violence and Dispossession

From smallpox outbreaks that swept through unexposed communities (some historians estimate 50-70% mortality in some clans around Sydney) to the Myall Creek massacre of 1838, where 28 unarmed Wirrayaraay people were killed, the pattern was consistent. Colonial forces and settlers pushed Indigenous peoples off their lands, often with lethal force. The frontier wars are now being formally recognised, with a 2024 study from the University of Newcastle documenting at least 400 massacre sites across Australia.

Why Is It Called “Invasion Day”?

The term “Invasion Day” isn’t new—it’s been used by Aboriginal activists since at least the 1938 Day of Mourning, when 100 Indigenous people gathered in Sydney to protest 150 years of colonisation. But the term has gained mainstream traction in the last decade. A 2024 survey by the Lowitja Institute found that 63% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now refer to January 26 as Invasion Day or Survival Day.

The Symbolism of the Date

For non-Indigenous Australians, January 26 is a day for barbecues, beach trips, and citizenship ceremonies. For Indigenous Australians, it’s a reminder of the Stolen Generations, land theft, and ongoing systemic inequality. The gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is still about 8 years for men and 7.6 years for women [Australian Institute of Health and Welfare + 2024 + Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework]. The date itself feels like a celebration of that painful history.

Growing Public Awareness

Social media has amplified Indigenous voices. Hashtags like #InvasionDay and #ChangeTheDate trend every January. In 2023, over 200,000 people signed a parliamentary petition to change the date. Even corporate Australia has shifted—Qantas and Woolworths now allow staff to swap the public holiday for another day. It’s a sign that the conversation is moving beyond activist circles into the mainstream.

The Case for Keeping Australia Day on January 26

Not everyone wants to change the date. The Advance Australia advocacy group and many conservative commentators argue that January 26 is a day to celebrate modern Australia’s achievements. A 2023 poll by the Institute of Public Affairs found that 71% of Australians aged 55+ wanted to keep the date, compared to only 38% of 18-24 year olds.

A Day for Citizenship and Reflection

Over 20,000 people became Australian citizens on January 26 in 2024, in ceremonies across the country. For many migrants, the date represents a fresh start and a commitment to Australian values. They argue that changing the date would diminish the significance of citizenship.

The “One Day, Two Views” Argument

Some propose keeping the date but reframing the day as one of reflection and reconciliation, rather than celebration. The City of Sydney, for example, now hosts a “WugulOra Morning Ceremony” (meaning “one mob” in Gadigal language) that acknowledges Indigenous survival. The argument is that you can hold two truths at once—celebrate the nation while mourning its violent founding.

What Would a New Date Look Like?

If the date were to change, what would replace it? Several alternatives have been proposed, each with its own baggage.

May 8 (M8) – Federation Day

May 8, 1901, is the date the first federal parliament opened. The “M8” proposal (May 8, get it?) has traction because it’s already a significant historical marker and avoids the summer holiday period. But critics say it lacks the emotional resonance of January 26.

January 1 – Federation Day (Alternative)

January 1, 1901, marks the federation of the Australian colonies. It’s already a public holiday (New Year’s Day), so combining them could create a longer break. But it’s also the middle of summer holidays, and some argue it’s too close to Christmas.

A New National Day – Like Waitangi Day?

In New Zealand, Waitangi Day (February 6) commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840—a founding document that, while imperfect, was a negotiated agreement. Australia has no such treaty. Some advocate for a new national day that celebrates Indigenous culture and the idea of a “post-colonial” Australia. But without a treaty framework, it’s hard to find a date that unites everyone.

The Political and Economic Stakes

The debate isn’t just cultural—it’s political and economic. In 2023, the City of Fremantle in Western Australia moved its official Australia Day celebrations to another date, sparking a threat from the federal government to strip councils of their power to hold citizenship ceremonies. The National Australia Day Council reported that 78% of local councils still held ceremonies on January 26 in 2024, down from 85% in 2020.

The Cost of Change

Changing a public holiday has real economic implications. A 2022 report by Deloitte Access Economics estimated that moving Australia Day to another date could cost businesses up to $1.2 billion in lost productivity and administrative changes. But supporters of change argue that the cost of not addressing the issue—in terms of social cohesion and Indigenous wellbeing—is far higher.

The Corporate Shift

Major companies are quietly moving. In 2024, Telstra and BHP both introduced flexible public holiday policies, allowing staff to swap Australia Day for another day. The Australian Football League (AFL) no longer holds matches on January 26. These moves are often criticised as “woke capitalism,” but they reflect a broader trend: businesses are responding to employee and customer sentiment.

How Do Other Countries Handle Controversial National Days?

Australia isn’t alone in this struggle. Many countries have faced similar reckonings.

Canada’s Canada Day

Canada Day (July 1) commemorates the 1867 Confederation, but for Indigenous peoples, it marks the beginning of colonial oppression. In 2021, after the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools, Canada Day celebrations were cancelled in many cities. A 2022 poll found that 45% of Canadians supported renaming the day.

The United States’ Columbus Day

Columbus Day (second Monday in October) has been replaced by Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 29 states and over 200 cities. The shift began in the 1990s and accelerated after the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. It’s a slow, messy process—but it shows that change is possible.

South Africa’s Reconciliation Day

South Africa replaced the old “Day of the Vow” (a celebration of Afrikaner victory) with Day of Reconciliation (December 16) in 1995. The date was chosen because it was already significant to both Afrikaners (who celebrated the Battle of Blood River) and the ANC (which launched its armed struggle on that day in 1961). It’s a model of how a contested date can be transformed into a day of healing.

FAQ

Q1: Is Australia Day a public holiday everywhere in Australia?

Yes, Australia Day (January 26) is a national public holiday in all states and territories. However, some local councils now hold their official ceremonies on alternative dates. In 2024, around 22% of councils moved their celebrations, according to the National Australia Day Council. If you work in retail or hospitality, you may be entitled to penalty rates, but that varies by state award.

Q2: What percentage of Indigenous Australians support changing the date?

A 2024 survey by the Lowitja Institute found that 63% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people refer to January 26 as Invasion Day or Survival Day, and 71% support changing the date entirely. Among non-Indigenous Australians, support for change is lower but growing—from 22% in 2019 to 35% in 2023, according to the Australian Institute’s polling.

Q3: Has any Australian government officially changed the date?

No federal government has changed the date. The current Labor government under Anthony Albanese has said it will not legislate a change, though it has encouraged “reflection” on the day. In 2017, the City of Yarra in Victoria moved its citizenship ceremony from January 26, and the federal government responded by threatening to strip councils of their ceremony powers. No state or territory has changed the public holiday itself.

References

• Australian Institute + 2023 + Mapping the Divide: Australia Day Polling Data
• Australian Bureau of Statistics + 2023 + Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
• High Court of Australia + 1992 + Mabo v Queensland (No 2)
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare + 2024 + Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework
• Lowitja Institute + 2024 + Indigenous Perspectives on National Days Survey