Every year, celebrating ‘Australia Day’ on January 26 divides the nation rather than unites it.

Even those who want to celebrate Australia often feel they can’t do so respectfully on January 26, a date declared a Day of Mourning in 1938 by William Cooper, a Yorta Yorta man alongside the Aborigines Progressive Association.. For First Nations people, this day marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession and ongoing trauma, and has been resisted and protested for generations.

Community support for change continues to grow. The Not a Date to Celebrate petition has received widespread support, reflecting a national understanding that January 26 is not the right date to celebrate Australia.

The Proposal: An Australian Long Weekend on the second-last Monday in January.

We are calling for the creation of an Australian Long Weekend by moving the Australia Day public holiday to the second-last Monday in January each year, creating a three-day national event.

This is a small but meaningful shift that offers a practical, unifying alternative - one that reduces harm and respects the lived experiences of First Nations communities.

This proposal would:

1. Create a consistent summer long weekend, with the public holiday always falling between January 18 and January 24, and never on January 26
2.  Create a 3 day national celebration that is inclusive of First Nations people, supports truth-telling, and acknowledges our history before colonisation

Call to Action

We call on the the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese to:

• Move the Australia Day public holiday to the second-last Monday in January
• Establish the Australian Long Weekend as an annual national holiday
• Include First Nations people, reflection and truth telling as part of this event

As a nation that prides itself on multiculturalism and equality, Australia must strive to commemorate a time that unites rather than divides its people. By changing the date of Australia Day, we can take a significant step towards reconciliation and healing.