Australia Day: Moore River revellers afloat on changing tide of opinion
At Moore River, an hour north of Perth, dozens of revellers took advantage of a giant homemade water slide that has become an annual Australia Day fixture.
As much of the country grappled with the conflict about celebrating Australia on a date that many view as “Invasion Day”, Moore River, an hour north of Perth, was packed with people making the most of sunny conditions and the day off.
For almost 60 years, Moore River was home to an internment camp where thousands of the stolen generations of Aboriginal people were taken against their will. Now, some four decades after the camp’s closure, the river was teeming with boats and kayaks clad with Australia flags and revellers committed to celebrating the day.
Dozens of them took advantage of a giant homemade water slide running down a sand dune and into the river. The slide has become an annual fixture for Australia Day, although a procession of injuries in years gone by means the ski jump that used to be at the bottom of the slide is now a thing of the past.
Among those making the most of it was Callan Williams, 20. He said while the Moore River celebrations had a “great atmosphere”, he would support a different day for the holiday if it meant more people could enjoy it.
“If they do decide to change it and make it more inclusive for everyone, and everyone feels more at ease on the day, that’s something I would support,” he said.
“It’s not fair for some of us to find it a really happy holiday while others find it a day of sadness.”
The growing tension over the date was acknowledged by West Australian Premier Mark McGowan. Speaking at a citizenship ceremony in the Perth suburb of Kallaroo, where 232 new citizens were sworn in, Mr McGowan said that while he did not support changing the date of Australia Day at this point, he did understand the concerns of those who do.
Just days after one of his most senior federal Labor colleagues, senator for WA Sue Lines, labelled Australia Day a celebration of “white supremacy”, Mr McGowan said it was important that the debate over the date was carried out with respect and civility.
“It’s a discussion we will continue to have but I don’t think there’s consensus around it,” he said. “It needs to be a respectful discussion, not a divisive debate. If you want to discuss and debate it, I ask that you do it respectfully and civilly towards one another.”
Just hours later, thousands of people converged at Forrest Place in Perth’s CBD as part of protests held around the country.
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