Both the meaning of Australia Day and the date that it is celebrated on each year were once again brought into question last Friday, January 26, when people took to the streets in ‘change the date’ marches around the country as well as celebrating it as Survival Day.
‘While the important discussion of a meaning for our national day continues, Byron’s 14th annual Survival Day brought the community together to pay respect and acknowledge that there are two sides to the story of the erection of a British flag on Aboriginal land,’ said Delta Kay, local Aboriginal Arakwal custodian.
With a minute’s silence, Aboriginal dancers, musicians and speakers at Byron’s Survival event ‘marked the day in memory of our history of colonisation, and in celebration of the survival of Aboriginal culture,’ continued Delta.
Petition launched
‘The day was a great community get-together, and a great place for everyone to meet up and start the conversation on how to bring recognition of our past history into Australia’s future.’
Survival Day also saw the launch of a petition to be tabled on the floor of the federal parliament to progress a referendum on establishing a constitutional Aboriginal Consultative Committee, and to commence on a Makaratta process to facilitate reconciling British occupation of Aboriginal land.
Sign the petition in Railway Park at the BEC Kiosk.
