Australians are becoming less attached to January 26, but politicians aren’t, leading some MPs to dominate the culture war in a way that doesn’t reflect public sentiment, an expert says.
The yearly debate has reignited after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called on Australians to boycott Woolworths when the supermarket giant revealed it would not sell Australia Day-themed merchandise because of declining sales.
Mr Dutton, alongside a host of conservative politicians such as Pauline Hanson, last week condemned the move as an “outrage” born from Woolworths’ “woke agenda” and said most Australians likely thought the same.
But Australian Catholic University sociology lecturer Rachel Busbridge says this may not be the case.
She said there had been a general shift towards support for changing the date with only half of Australians celebrating, which is very different to the dynamic presented by politicians.
“We see a lot of polarisation from that top level of politics (and) it tends to come from the right side,” Dr Busbridge said.
“But when we look at people’s attitudes on the ground, it’s a lot less polarised.
“We can see a slow but steady drift towards recognising that the day is a bit problematic for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and if we want to all celebrate together, then that may mean that we have to find another day.”
Though First Nations Australians have a long history of leading Invasion Day or Survival Day protests focused on January 26, the day was only made a federal public holiday in 1994.
Since then it has become the subject of increasing scrutiny as more Australians oppose the public holiday.
Many local councils have chosen not to hold celebrations on January 26 or hold alternate events that acknowledge colonial legacies.
The City of Sydney, for example, hosts a dawn reflection event where the Opera House sails are illuminated with First Nations art.
In 2023, the Victorian government axed its Australia Day parade opting instead for a flag-raising ceremony and gun salute at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.
There has also been a slow trickle of companies – such as Woolworths, Aldi and Kmart – drifting from the celebration, though this is likely a response to Australians spending elsewhere rather than corporate leadership, Dr Busbridge says.
“If there’s really no demand for these types of items, then I don’t know the extent to which the politicisation and outrage that comes along is really reflective of public sentiment.”
Grassroots collectives are continuing to arrange Invasion Day parades across the Australian capitals.
A spokesperson from Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance, an organiser of the Melbourne rally, says the changing public opinion is heartening.
“This date isn’t a day of celebration, it marks the beginning of Aboriginal people losing our land, families and lives and it’s a stain on Australia that we celebrate this,” the spokesperson said.
“It’s great to see the shift and we hope that more places can listen to the calls for justice by amplifying Aboriginal deaths in custody and First Nations climate justice.”
By Kat Wong in Canberra
