Tasmanian Council Votes To Move Australia Day Celebrations From January 26

Over the years, there have been very loud calls to move Australia Day from January 26.

Proponents of the change reckon that date, which is the day that Arthur Phillip's fleet first sailed into what's now known as Sydney Harbour in 1788, marks the beginning of Indigenous Australians being slaughtered by colonialists.

While the debate continues to rage on with the public, one Tasmanian council has decided to break ranks with the rest of the state and country and hold celebrations on a different day.

Launceston City Council will have its Australia Day the day before on January 25.

Philip Rickerby/Creative Commons

It's the second council in Tassie to do so and joins a small bunch of other local jurisdictions who have moved the date.

Graeme Gardner, from the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania welcomed the move.

"It is significant in the fact that we've seen leadership from the City of Launceston Council, in that it's being inclusive and that it's being mutually beneficial for all persons that live in this region," Mr Gardner said.

"The voice of Tasmanian Aborigines are being heard, they have been very loud over a period of time, but now the listening is taking place.

"What we would want to see is the country collectively change its whole perception of what it is to celebrate Australia and make it a celebration of all history."

PA

While there might be some people who are upset at the decision, Launceston's Mayor wants people to accept that the new date will be enforced for years to come.

Mayor Albert van Zetten said: "I really encourage all our members [of the community], especially those that feel Australia Day has to be on the 26th, to have a look at the history, understand what really happened on that day and how it affected some people.

"How can we celebrate when people feel it is a day of death for them, it's a day that's very negative to them and it's something we need to work on together?"

Last year, City of Yarra councillors in Melbourne voted not to hold citizenship ceremonies or celebrations on January 26.

Neighbouring Darebin Council also changed the date and the previously named Australia Day awards have been renamed the Darebin Community Awards and will instead be held on January 25.

The federal government has penalised the City of Yarra council for the move and revoked its powers to hold citizenship ceremonies.

Topics: News, Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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