Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre applauds Kingborough Council’s Australia Day date shift bid

A MOVE by the Kingborough Council to change the date of its Australia Day awards would show leadership, says the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.

A MOVE by the Kingborough Council to change the date of its Australia Day awards would show a great deal of leadership, says the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.

A council meeting on Monday will consider a proposal to change the date of the awards to May to coincide with Volunteer Week.

The awards would be renamed the Kingborough Awards.

A citizenship ceremony and the council’s A Day on the Beach celebrations would still be held on January 26.

TAC chief executive Heather Sculthorpe, who lives in Kingborough, said she hoped other southern councils would follow Kingborough’s lead.

Flinders Island Council has celebrated Australia Day on an alternative date for several years.

“This issue is not going to go away,” Ms Sculthorpe said.

“To have an official change will require the Commonwealth to do it, but they are not in a hurry to do it, so for local government to set the pace is just showing what good things can be done at that local level.”

She said Australia Day celebrated the invasion of one people’s land by another people and ignored the previous 40,000 years of indigenous culture.

“There has been no treaty to mark the end of hostilities, there’s been no negotiation of the terms on which Aboriginals and others should live together in this country,” she said.

“Hopefully there will be a growing number of councils to follow this.”

Tasmanian historian Reg Watson said he was appalled the council would consider “watering down” Australia Day celebrations.

“Australia Day is a significant day for all Australians,” he said.

“[This would be] a weakening of the significance of Australia Day.”

Mr Watson said he had contacted Kingborough Mayor Steve Wass and intended to write to all councillors about the proposal.

A report prepared by council officers considered a range of alternative dates.

Ms Sculthorpe said the Aboriginal community did not have a preferred alternative but was focused on moving celebrations from January 26.

Originally published as Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre applauds Kingborough Council’s Australia Day date shift bid