The Big Sister has always been a patriot.
At four her party trick was to sing the national anthem.
By six she put the adults around her to shame by launching into the second stanza while they mumbled and took a sudden interest in the toes of their shoes.
We're on a family holiday at the moment, cruising to Sydney to spend Australia Day in Sydney Harbour.
I've been sheepish about telling people the reason for our holiday and I want to address it. The date of Australia Day needs to change. The current date conjures painful memories for many of our first people. The date needs to change and quickly.
This time of year invokes passionate arguments from both sides of the fence. Many from the no-change side don't realize that Australia Day has only been observed nationally on 26/1 since 1994.
There are loads of things that seemed cool in 1994 that in hindsight we're not. (Like high school biology teachers who rode motorbikes and seemed swoon-worthy but drunkenly tried to smash-pash you three years later at the Vic near closing time.)
My daughters deserve a day where they can unapologetically celebrate this great nation and all the wonderful opportunities it affords us - education, health care and the privilege of safely opposing the date we currently mark our national day.
Let's Endeavour to make 2019 the year we mark a day that everyone can celebrate.*
* see what I did there?
Jan Bishop says
I often wonder how many politicians can sing about sharin our boundle4ss plains when they turn back boats etc. My brother was 4 when he started school in the 50s. He too sang two verses to the class, although it was not our anthem then. That was God save the QUEEN. Have you heard this verse?
When galllant Cook from Albion sailed to trace wide oceans o’er,
True British courage bore him on till he landed on our shore.
And there he raised old England’s flag, the standard of the brave,
With all her faults we love her still, Britannia rules the wave.
With no TV or computers etc I am not quite sure just who taught him this..
Seana Smith says
Hello, I'm very keen for a change in emphasis.... either for indigenous culture to be celebrated on the day the colonists arrived... or for the plight of the poor convicts to be remembered more. It could be a holiday still, but with a more solemn focus.
To celebrate who we are and where... maybe the day of Federation, when Oz became Oz?
In reality, I can't see the date changing... but here's to changing the emphasis... where there's a much greater focus on the first Australians... and there were heaps in Sydney today, I believe. I've been home with jetlag, son cooked a BBQ dinner.... veggie burgers for me!
Hope you are enjoying your stay and look forward to reading about cruise, would enjoy to know your thoughts.