Australia Day 2021: Delta Goodrem criticised for performing at Opera House concert

Singer Delta Goodrem’s Instagram post showing her rehersal for Tuesday night’s concert at the Opera House has caused division amongst her fans.

A simple instagram photo got singer Delta Goodrem engulfed in the middle of the debate regarding changing the date of Australia Day.

Goodrem posted a serious of photos of her and boyfriend Matthew Copley rehearsing for the ABC’S Australia Day Live concert at the Opera House yesterday, writing “Can’t wait to celebrate with you in your homes xxx”. While most of her fans were excited to see her back performing after a Christmas break, a few questioned why she’d perform on Australia Day.

“Disappointing to see you supporting a day that persecutes our Indigenous population by it’s mere existence,” Yasmin Ling wrote. While Sarah Jaye commented that she believed Australia Day “ought to be a day of mourning, not a celebration.”

: Delta Goodrem rehearses for her performance for Australia Day Live.

Goodrem is performing alongside Casey Donavan, Dami Imm, Mitch Tambo and Todd McKenney.

Meanwhile, Indigenous model Sam Harris used the social media platform to share her opinion on the controversial date. The model said while she recognised the pain the national day causes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, she didn’t think changing the date would be a “good idea.”

“Without getting too political as today is a very hurtful day as many educated people would know to indigenous Australians, do i think changing the date is a good idea no,” she wrote.

“I think this is seen as hiding the wrongs of the past and at the end of the day, history is history and that cannot be changed, good or bad. But Australia is a very multicultural country today and I am very proud to be an Indigenous Australian woman, Today for me is about remembering the past but moving forward as well.”

Model Sam Harris weighs into the Australia Day date change debate on Instagram.

Harris was one of many Australian celebrities to use their platform to share thoughts on how they would mark Australia Day, with the majority of celebrities supporting a change of date from January 26.

Jesinta Franklin wrote, “It’s time to abolish the date and as a country acknowledge that today is not the day to be celebrating. There is no pride in genocide.”

Liam Hemsworth wrote, “Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people were Australia’s first explorers, first navigators, first engineers, first farmers, first botanists, first scientists, first diplomats, first astronomers and first artists.”

“Always Was, Always Will Be acknowledges that hundreds of Nations and our cultures covered this continent.”

Originally published as Australia Day 2021: Delta Goodrem criticised for performing at Opera House concert