Should I acknowledge Australia Day?
Australia Day fell on a Saturday this year - January 26th, 2019. At Fairfield City Council, we held our Citizenship ceremony and Australia Day Awards at our new major recreational facility - Aquatopia Water Park. It was almost a scorcher in Sydney's South West, but with our ceremony being conducted in the middle of our water park infrastructure, it cooled things down a bit. But while we were welcoming about 20 new Australian citizens from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and presenting the Australia Day awards to our local diverse talent, I am also aware of the protest in the city to mark the day as Invasion Day.
I consider myself an Australian. Although I was not born here, my Australian citizenship was granted to my mother and younger sisters after a few years of being resettled as refugees. I am therefore very grateful that Australia provided us with a home, gave us opportunity to rebuild our lives, gave my sisters and I the opportunity to be educated, and now, contribute back to our second homeland. I have no doubt that many refugees, and migrants before me, would not have had the opportunity that we now have, if it wasn't for the generosity and kindness of the Australian people and its government. So for me, Australia and Australians overall, are open minded, many have a good and kind heart, many are prepared to volunteer to help out those less fortunate than themselves, many would fight to ensure that there are equal opportunities for all, and many would fight to defend and protect the lifestyle and country that they have helped built either through fighting in a war, or slave away at factories floor to pay their bills and taxes.
But marking Australia Day is not so black and white for many people anymore. For many, Australia Day is a day to celebrate when Captain Arthur Phillip sailed into Sydney Cove on January 26th, 1788 with his eleven fleet from Britain. His fleet carried convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia. But for the Indigenous population and others, this day also marks the start of the chain of events that had a disastrous impact on our Indigenous population. For them, January 26th, is a day of mourning, or 'Survival Day".
I arrived in Australia as a child from refugee camps, thankful and grateful that we finally found a safe haven in this great country. A country that my single-mum had chosen because she was told it had ' the best education system" in the world. Growing up here, all I knew was that I had to learn English quickly, to blend in and to embrace this new society and new way of life. As a young adult, and later on as a journalist, I learned more about the history of boat arrivals (including the landing of Captain Phillip), and the impact this had on our Indigenous population. So do I celebrate Australia Day to acknowledge what this country has done and given to me and my families, and millions of others? We couldn't have had the life we now have, if it wasn't for Australia. Or do I mourn the day that the landing had on our Indigenous population and the consequences that date had on them? Australia Day - a very important day for our Nation on so many emotional levels.
what is joy without sorrow? what is success without failure? what is a win without a loss? what is health without illness? you have to experience each if you are to appreciate the other. There is always going to be suffering. it’s how you look at your suffering, how you deal with it, that will define you.”
― mark twain