Aboriginal Calendar

Native title is a term used to express that Indigenous Australians are entitled to land which had been given to white occupiers. Legislation requires Aboriginal people to prove that they had a continuous ownership with the land they can claim under the act (which often proved difficult).

This act was a response to the Mabo High Court decision. Native title can co-exist with non-indigenous proprietary rights and in some cases different indigenous groups can exercise their native title over the same land.

The Act was extensively amended in 1998 following another High Court decision about native title (Wik, 1996), which confirmed that native title rights and interests may exist over land which is or has been subject to a pastoral lease.

The Act establishes the National Native Title Tribunal and governs how native title is dealt with across Australia.

Read more about Native Title.

January 26, 1788 was the date on which Captain Arthur Phillip took formal possession of the colony of New South Wales. In the early 1880s the day was known as 'First Landing', 'Anniversary Day' or 'Foundation Day'. In 1946 the Commonwealth and State governments agreed to unify the celebrations on January 26 as 'Australia Day'. The day became a public holiday in 1818 (the 30th anniversary).

To many Indigenous peoples there is little to celebrate and it is a commemoration of a deep loss. Loss of their sovereign rights to their land, loss of family, loss of the right to practice their culture. Aboriginal people call it 'Invasion Day', 'Day of Mourning', 'Survival Day' or, since 2006, 'Aboriginal Sovereignty Day'. The latter name reflects that all Aboriginal nations are sovereign and should be united in the continuous fight for their rights.

As a consequence Australia Day is disputed and many Australians call for a new day which all Australians could celebrate. Some suggest to rename Australia Day to 'Arrival Day'.

In all major cities you can visit alternative concerts where mainly Aboriginal people gather. Events include Yabun in Sydney, Too Solid in Perth, Survival in Adelaide, Share the Spirit in Melbourne, and Saltwater Freshwater Festival in Coffs Harbour.

Further information: The site of the First Flag

Aboriginal Sovereignty Day 2007. This protest poster summarises most of the issues Aboriginal people have to deal with today.

January 26th marked the beginning of the murders, the rapes and the dispossession. It is no date to celebrate.—Michael Mansell, National Aboriginal Alliance spokesman [1]

National Sorry Day is a day to remember the removal of Aboriginal children from their families. A chance for all Australians to recognise the pain thousands of Aboriginal people went through. The children affected are now known as the Stolen Generations.

The first 'Sorry Day' in 1998 is marked by hundreds of activities around the country. The Australian federal government does not take part in 'Sorry Day', saying people who removed Aboriginal children thought they were doing the right thing and people now should not have to say sorry for what people did in the past. Over 1 million signatures in thousands of Sorry Books speak a different language.

The Australian Aboriginal Flag was designed by artist Harold Thomas and first flown at Victoria Square in Adelaide, South Australia, on National Aborigines Day, 12 July 1971.

The Torres Strait Islander Flag was designed by the late Bernard Namok in 1992 as a symbol of unity and identity for Torres Strait Islanders.

After a period of public consultation, in July 1995 both flags were proclaimed a 'Flag of Australia' by the Australian government.

National Aboriginal and Islander Children's Day (NAICD) officially started by the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) in 1988.

The day aims to focus on themes related to Indigenous children like poverty, education access and pride in culture.

"We want [Aboriginal kids] to flourish, achieve their greatest potential and enjoy the same quality of life as all other Australian children," says SNAICC chair Murial Blamblett [2].

See www.snaicc.asn.au/children for more information.