‘Australia Day’ Reflects on the Past and the Future

Australia celebrates its national day today, 26 January, with official and more civic ceremonies and it is Australia Day. The event is unique perhaps with the highest public participation on a national celebration in any country in the world, reflecting the equally high civic consciousness or quintessential life style.

Research shows that over sixty per cent of Australians attend either organized events or celebrate the event with family and friends, irrespective of the country being primarily a ‘nation of immigrants.’

The day marks the much controversial arrival of the First Fleet on 26 January 1788, led by Captain Arthur Phillip in the Sydney Cove, and that is the present Sydney harbour, and the establishment of the first penal colony in what came to be known as the New South Wales. The fleet included 11 ships.

To be more precise, the establishment of the colony of New South Wales formally took place little later on 7 February 1788, with a proclamation to that effect and Captain Arthur Phillip becoming the first Governor.

The people who lived in this area or Australia, before the arrival of the Europeans, were the indigenous Aborigines belonging to several groups and clans. ‘Eora people’ or ‘people from this place’ was the generic term that they themselves used to include the Cadigal, Dharug, Kuringgai, Dharawal and other people lived in the city and surrounding areas.

Consequently they suffered the effects of dispossession but their culture and traditions survived to this date.

History

It is believed the event was celebrated since around 1808 by the ‘emancipated convicts’ or immigrants to show their love for the country or ‘patriotism’ with ‘drinks and merriment.’

The official celebrations started however only in 1818, after 30 years of the event as the Anniversary Day. It was an initiative by the Governor Lachlan Macquarie who also announced a government holiday and formalised certain customs for the event some of which are still observed.

Prior to 1888, it was mainly a News South Wales affair because the other colonies celebrated their own foundation days. In that year, in addition, all capital cities except Adelaide celebrated an Anniversary Day together with Sydney. Slowly but steadily the other states joined, but only in 1935 that the whole of Australia celebrated the Australia Day together on 26 January.

A major celebration since then was in 1988, the two hundred years of the First Fleet. The celebrations also marked by the protest and resistance by the Aboriginal communities and their supporters who called the day as Invasion Day. This was not the first time they protested. In 1938, on that day they called for a Day of Mourning to air their grievances and dispossession.

Later in recent times apparently there is some understanding that the Aboriginal culture is not destroyed, at least not completely. It survives. Therefore, the day is celebrated also as the Survival Day.

Australia Day is thus the ‘foundation day’ for the immigrants and ‘survival day’ for the indigenous peoples. That is how the matter is ‘reconciled’ although there are still suggestions that the day should be changed, with equal arguments for both sides.

Apparently, no human history is perfect. What might be important is to tolerate others and look forward to the future. There cannot be much doubt that the foundation of modern Australia was somewhere in 1788, if not the exact date. The date or day might be of only conventional importance.

Celebrations

The official celebrations of the Australia Day begin in Sydney early at 7.00am with Woggan-ma-gule ceremony by the indigenous people at the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens with the official participation of the Governor of the New South Wales and others.

The ceremony signifies the ‘Meeting of Waters’ through song and dance, calling for the ancestral spirits and the species of the land and sea to protect the future of the inhabitants. What struck me was the similar word ‘ma-gul’ in my own mother tongue, Sinhalese, meaning ‘ceremony.’

More ceremonies are held in Sydney but the national focus of Australia Day is in Canberra, the Capital Territory (ACT) of the country. The Chair of the National Australia Day Council, Adam Gilchrist, will be the host officer at the national Australia Day. The Flag Raising will be overseen by the Governor General, Ms. Quentin Bryce, and the Citizenship Ceremony conducted by the Prime Minister, Ms Julia Gillard, both women. The official ceremony will also feature the Royal Military College Band, an aerial salute and the Australia’s Federation Guard.

In Canberra, prior to the formal Australia Day ceremony, a Great Aussie Breakfast is hosted free of charge like a big Dansala in Sri Lanka. It is reported that over 4,500 sausages, 225 loaves of bread, 40 kilograms of onion and 4,000 pieces of fruits will be served. This is thanks to ActewAGL and Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets. That is considered a great way to start the Australia Day.

At the Commonwealth Park, there are many events taking place for children and adults alike; ‘Kiwi G’ and ‘Fireman Sam Show’ are two of them whatever they mean. This is the same in many cities and suburbs.

In ACT, the Australia Day Ambassador this year is Bryce Courtney. A successful businessman, migrating from South Africa in late 1950s he is author of 20 novels “The Power of One” being the most popular. The Australians of the Year Awards are already conferred at Parliament House last evening, on 25 January. The finalists were selected among several nominees.

Australia Day Address this year is also already delivered by Associate Professor Charles Teo, a leading brain surgeon, on 23 January, building up to the Australia Day. A tradition started in 1997, the idea is to celebrate and reflect upon the country’s national spirit.

The main spirit of the Australia Day celebrations would be the community activities. Apart from the formal ceremonies, families and friends will gather in great numbers in parks and community centers to celebrate the event. However, the most important task would be to reflect on the past and the future.

Reflections

The Australia Day Address by Charles Teo this time is apparently received with mixed feelings in the country. This is clear from many discussions held on TV and comments appeared in newspapers. He also perhaps drafted it with mixed feelings.

The address is critical, reflective and sharp. He in essence called for a better recognition for the ‘contribution of immigrants’ partly based on personal experiences and partly on common knowledge. Personal experiences undoubtedly would differ.

His parents had migrated from China in early 1950s. This is exception to the ‘White Australia’ policy of that time. As he said, “Racism was rife in those days. I can't remember a day that I wouldn't be jeered or mocked by some group of kids anytime I ventured into a public space. It made a child tough.”

Then he reported that “I have not experienced overt racism since returning 11 years ago from the USA, but one of my visiting Indian neurosurgeons was spat on by an adult male who drove past him as he waited at a traffic light.”

Reflecting on my own experience in Australia, I have not found any overt racism where I studied, worked or lived during 1991 and 1997 before returning to Sri Lanka on my own reasons. But I have found some of the persons in position to be extremely sensitive to ‘our’ criticisms on ‘Australian matters.’

Once I was in trouble when I wrote about “Albert Langer: The First Political Prisoner in Australia” to the Human Rights Defender at the University of New South Wales, a news bulletin which I co-edited. But reflecting back, I believe, I was little too undiplomatic or bit brash raising the issue myself as a new migrant or the title of the article was little too exaggerated. I picked the title from Amnesty.

At the University of Sydney, I have always been very welcome and was given the best possible opportunity. The reason perhaps is because I am no threat to anyone. This is in fact contrast to some of my bad experiences in Sri Lanka!

I or my wife has not experienced anything offensive let alone racism since we have been here now for one year this time. The same goes for our son I believe who has always lived in Australia since 1991 or his new family.

In addition, we have found the ‘white community’ to be the most civilized and compassionate compared with many others in our midst. This is however not a guarantee for the future. In any community, there are culprits or distorted minds. It is better to deal with them as we confront them. We have lived in Canada (two years), Switzerland (seven years) and Japan (one year). From this experience, I might say that Australia is one of the best countries to live.

The issues that Prof. Teo has raised are undoubtedly much larger than personal issues. Those are many to relate. As he says, “I am saddened by the increasing incidents of rage in our society. Once there was only road rage but now it seems to have spread into the workplace, the malls and even the last bastion of the laid-back, free spirited Aussie, the surf!” Perhaps this is a worldwide phenomenon.

More importantly, he has raised the question why Australia cannot be influential like America in the world stage. I am not sure whether he is completely correct on this matter. However, his comparison is quite revealing as follows.

“My time in the USA made me reflect on how a country that was not that much older or bigger than ours had achieved such a standing on the world stage. In general, Americans were not more intelligent, diligent or talented than Australians.

They have natural resources, so do we. Their pioneers did it tough, so did ours. They had a national pride, so do we. Speak to most Americans and they will be the first to concede the dependence of their economy on the hard-working and fiercely loyal Mexicans.”

Perhaps Mexicans might not be the real secret. Policy, political determination and proper allocation of funding might be more relevant than others. While his point on refugees is undoubtedly relevant and compassionate, more relevant might be what he said about ‘science, technology and research.’ I am not sure how much Australia spends on R & D collectively to mean both the public and the private sectors. But definitely it is below the American level, I believe.

The closing of the Toyota factory in Victoria is major news at the eve of this Australia Day. If the Toyota Company had invested enough on innovation in the past, perhaps it could have avoided closure by facing the international competition squarely. This is among other factors of course. This is also relevant to other sectors, including the banking sector, where there are fears that it might face competition from Japan.

As Prof. Teo reiterated, “Australia is a great country.” “I would like to see this Australia Day as a turning point. I want my fellow Australians, those who were born here and those who have immigrated here, to pause and think of the lives that have been sacrificed for what we take for granted today.”

Recognition of Indigenous

What is perhaps missing in the Australia Day Address by Prof. Teo is any tangible reference to the predicaments and grievances of the indigenous community. Australia Day should undoubtedly respect and recognize the indigenous people.

This lacuna is filled however by a recent initiative, supported by the Government.

It is on 19 January that the “Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians” submitted its report to the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. As Patrick Dodson, Co-chair of the Panel said “Although our cultures are old as time, they are a beating pulse of our nation’s identity. What a grand thing it is that Australia is custodian of one of the oldest continuous living cultures in the world.”

Then the Prime Minister said, “As a nation we are big enough and it is the right time to say yes to an understanding of our past, to say yes to constitutional change, and to say yes to a future more united and more reconciled than we have ever been before.”

The other Co-chair of the Panel, Mark Leibler, emphasized that report of the 22 member Panel was unanimous, “after visiting 84 communities across regional, remote and metropolitan Australia, after holding more than 250 consultations and receiving more than 3,500 submissions.”

The Report which can be visited at ‘You Me Unity’ website is undoubtedly an added momentum to the Australia Day this year.

- Asian Tribune -

- Tweet
-

-
-
-

-