Melbourne council ends campaign to move Australia Day from 26 January
Melbourne City Council has voted to end its 'Change the Date' campaign for Australia Day. The decision marks a reversal of a four-year effort that acknowledged January 26 as a date of mourning and pain for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Almost 60 per cent of Melbourne residents had supported changing the date, according to a 2022 council survey. However, the council voted on Tuesday to recognise January 26 as Australia Day, with Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece arguing that any such decision must come from federal parliament rather than local government. The council will continue citizenship ceremonies and cultural events on the day, plus the Day of Mourning dawn service, whilst exploring whether to revive the Australia Day parade for the first time since before the pandemic.
- Melbourne City Council ends campaign to change Australia Day from January 26.
- Survey showed almost 60 per cent of residents supported changing the date.
- Lord Mayor says federal parliament must decide, not council.
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Australia Day is celebrated on 26 January each year to mark the arrival of the first European settlers at Port Jackson in 1788. For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, however, 26 January is a date of mourning and pain, as it marks the beginning of colonisation that displaced Indigenous communities. This has made the date controversial, with some arguing it should be observed on a different day.
Melbourne City Council launched a campaign four years ago calling for the date to be changed. The council acknowledged that 26 January holds painful meaning for Indigenous Australians and supported moving the celebration to a date that could be meaningful for all Australians. A 2022 council survey found that nearly 60 per cent of Melbourne residents backed this change.
The council has now voted to end this campaign, deciding that such a change must be pursued at federal level by parliament rather than by individual councils. Melbourne will continue to hold events on 26 January, including a Day of Mourning dawn service to acknowledge the impact on Indigenous communities.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Melbourne dumps campaign to change Australia Day – as Greens lash ‘deeply disappointing’ decision”.