Changing Australia Day does not change history

A survey would probably show that indigenous people don’t want to change Australia Day.

No matter what the date for Australia Day, it can only remind those who choose to be insulted or aggrieved, of their grievances regardless (“Stop this insult to our First Peoples”, 26/1).

The Australian story began at the landing of the First Fleet, not January 1, 1901. This date is not discrimination as Jeff Kennett claims. How can it be? Some may have hurt feelings, but that is not discrimination since no one is being disadvantaged, per se.

One could do a survey of our First Peoples, or their descendants, and see how many actually care what the date is. Changing the date does not change history. It’s merely window dressing and surely we are a sufficiently mature nation now to enact recognition in ways that mean something. Individual rights don’t really cut it either. We are all Australian.

Tibor Deheny, Malvern East, Vic

Congratulations to those who joined in the Australia Day celebrations attending events and family get-togethers. They demonstrated their view of the spoilers who call it “invasion day”. With the media giving so much time to these minorities with their negative view of life, the public could easily be fooled into thinking the spoilers have a lot of public backing. Australia Day proved that they are not interested in spoilers.

Ray Warren, Mandurah, WA

Rather than promote the positive interpretation, Jeff Kennett embraces the day-of-loss concept and that accordingly we insult Aborigines by celebrating on January 26. Why would celebrating on any alternative date be any less insulting?

Australians with some indigenous ancestry can either choose to be grateful for the colonisation or regret that they ever came into existence. Preferencing one part of your DNA is decidedly racist.

Australia Day should celebrate the bringing together of people from different continents to create a new and superior lifestyle. Leaving Australia’s vast potential indefinitely untapped was never an option.

John Allsop, Mont Albert, Vic

Jeff Kennett correctly recognises the inflexibility of our politicians on this issue and in doing so highlighted the problem that is gradually destroying democracy.

The mindless vitriol about people for or against changing the day or the nature of the day is becoming a true reflection of Australians, and is far from anything deserving pride in our nation. The mindset that develops when one becomes a member of a club seems to extinguish the ability to compromise or question what is said or done.

Society is becoming polarised on just about every issue. There is no attempt at recognising nuance.

Our political system is no longer suited to complex issues because the team game has to be played and won irrespective of the consequences. We can no longer debate issues with an open mind.

Roger Bridgland, West Hobart, Tas

There were no First Peoples here, only people spread over the continent who were unaware of each other, spoke different languages and had different customs. The natives from a place now called Sydney and the surrounding areas were the only ones aware of the British arrival. Looking back where the British colonised countries in East Asia, all have become successful after independence, including Australia. If not for the First Fleet, we would not have such a diverse multicultural society in one of the safest countries in the world.

Those who oppose celebrating January 26 should reflect on how fortunate we are.

Joseph Buttery, Tennyson, SA

A baby is born with little else but its inherited genes. But the one irrevocable factor is its birth date. Similarly on January 26, 1788, modern Australia was born with nothing but a rough set of values inherited from Britain.

By 1814, Matthew Flinders proposed that this land should be named Australia and by the end of the 1820s “Australia” was commonly used as the continent’s name.

On January 1, 1901, Australia became a nation. The one irrevocable factor is its birth date regardless of whether we do or don’t like the outcome or disapprove of anything that happened during its growing phase.

That is why those of us who are proud of our nation or have migrated here because of what Australia has to offer will always celebrate its birthday on January 26.

Peter Troy, Kingston, Tas