The items about Australia Day on January 22 (Canberra Times) got me thinking: if that name is not acceptable, perhaps it could be called “First Boat Day”, which would then link the past with the present — our Indigenous friends thankfully didn’t have a “turn back the boats” policy or detention centres, for the country of origin provided the latter.
If we are to retain the present appellation for January 26, surely it would be more accurate to celebrate it on the day that this country became a Commonwealth, for we were really only a collection of colonies and states until 1901. 1788 was not a good year for either the original Aussies or the transported Brits, so why commemorate it? But then, upon reflection, “First Boat Day” may not be the best choice, for how did the very first arrivals get here anyway?
– Ted Doncaster, Balga, WA