Site of the First Flag
Where the first flag was raised
This is the site where on 26th January 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip and his men first saluted the flag, thus marking the foundation of Australia to some people, or the invasion of the continent to others. Hence this site has a disputable significance as either the site of Australia's birthplace or the site of invasion.
26th January 1788
This day has many different names: Australia Day, Survival Day, Invasion Day or Day of Mourning, depending on the perspective you take towards the events of this day.
Australia Day
The majority of Australians knows this day as Australia Day, the day when the (British) flag was raised for the first time in Sydney Cove. Since 1994 all states and territories celebrate Australia Day together on the actual day. On this day ceremonies welcome new citizens or honour people who did a great service. On the fun side are BBQs, contests, parades, performances, fireworks and more. A National Australia Day Council, founded in 1979, views Australia Day as "a day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation," and a "day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the generations to come".
Other names this day had, in the sense just outlined, include Anniversary Day or Foundation Day.
Day of Mourning
Say Sorry. Many Australians, be they white or black, lobbied for years the Prime Minister to say
these two words which he finally did in 2008.
I couldn't resist to create this artwork when I saw the best-before date of this lid.
On the 150th anniversary in 1938 Aboriginal activists named the day a "Day of Mourning", alluding to the annual re-enactment of Phillip's landing. They refused to participate in the re-enactment because it included chasing away a party of Aboriginal people (which, by the way, had been carted to this event against their will). Finally, by 1988, the re-enactments were discontinued. This same year was named a Year of Mourning by and for the Australian Aboriginal people.
On Australia Day Aboriginal people mourn their forbears who suffered and perished during colonisation.
Survival Day, Invasion Day
In 1992 the first Survival Day concert was held. These concerts are often staged at places with great Aboriginal significance, for example La Perouse or Redfern. Indigenous and non-indigenous artists are playing music or dancing, there are arts and crafts stalls and you can buy food (also bush tucker).
Today this annual event is one of the biggest Aboriginal cultural events in Australia. It is called Yabun which means "song with a beat" in the language of the Eora, the original people of the Sydney region.
The name Survival Day expresses the fact that Aboriginal culture is still strong and many Aboriginal people's identities are positive and alive despite all what happened since colonisation.
We call it Survival Day. Whitefellas pretty much celebrating invasion and killing our mob off - that's what it feels like for us.—Warrick Wright from the Indigenous Band "Local Knowledge
However, 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 and the right to practice their culture. Many of them rather call 26th January Invasion Day.
Some Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people suggest to move the national holiday to another less hurtful date. Defendants of the current day base their arguments often on racist grounds. Surprisingly, many show a lack of knowledge of and awareness about the controversy surrounding Australia Day.
90 per cent of people are saying Australia Day should be inclusive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. I firmly believe that some day we will choose a date that is a comprehensive and inclusive date for all Australians. —Mick Dodson, Aboriginal Law Professor and Australian of the Year 2009 [1]
Our Survial Day
Another Australia Day has arrived Celebrations across our land Guess they don't think what we've been through Our ancestors tried to hold our land Keep us together to protect our clans Barbecues burning and sweet tasting wine The white man's celebrating what belongs to us But we're here in the background Being proud of who we are Our red, black and yellow unites us all Saying we have survived another century Of white man's invasion
Poem by Raylene Campion [2]. More Aboriginal poems
How to get there
From Circular Quay walk south into the northern end of Loftus Street. After a few metres on the left-hand pavement you come across a flag pole.
[1] 'For Mick Dodson, the work goes on', Koori Mail 468 p.21 [2] Koori Mail 468 p.26