Australia Day is a day marked with both pride and reflection across the nation.
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Its historical roots reach back to the day in 1788 when the First Fleet of British Ships arrived at Port Jackson. Governor Arthur Phillip raised the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove, commemorating the founding of a new colony.
Despite some informal celebrations on January 26 in the colony's early days, the first official anniversary was not until 1818, when Governor Lachlan Macquarie marked the 30th anniversary with a 30-gun salute. It took until 1946 for the states and territories to agree to recognise Australia Day on the same date, with the public holiday typically on the closest Monday. After the very first citizenship ceremony was held on February 3, 1949, the inclusion of citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day didn't take hold until the eighties. January 26 was finally unified as a public holiday across the entire nation in 1994.
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The date holds different meanings for various communities. In 1938 the sesquicentenary was celebrated, but Aboriginal activists organised a Day of Mourning. In 1992 the "Survival Concert" saw many Aboriginals starting to refer to January 26 as Survival Day.
Fast forward to recent times: At council we have had to navigate complex decisions regarding the celebration of Australia Day in both Dubbo and Wellington as we continue to unite our community. In 2022 we considered a twilight event on January 25, 2023 for both of our ceremonies but faced a technical problem with the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code. Despite months of discussions with the Department of Home Affairs, on December 8, 2022 the final decision was made to proceed with a twilight event in Wellington while Dubbo's event would remain on January 26 with both ceremonies adding a formal speech from an Aboriginal perspective.
Just eight days after our decision, the Hon Andrew Giles MP announced a change to the Code allowing ceremonies up to three days either side of 26 January. It was too late for Dubbo to change for 2023 so the events proceeded as resolved.
After the changes to the Code, we are again considering our options for 2024. With a seven-day window, councillors are considering a January 25 twilight event or a morning event on Australia Day. At our most recent standing committee meetings, councillors made a recommendation but the final decision won't be made until our next council meeting, to be held on Thursday, August 24.
This ongoing dialogue surrounding Australia Day in Dubbo and Wellington reflects a broader national conversation about identity, history and what it means to be Australian. It shows the care and attention that goes into ensuring the day remains a symbol of unity, remembrance and recognition.
Councillors want to hear your thoughts so that together we can make Australia Day a meaningful occasion for all.
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