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Great divide: Do Australian expats celebrate Australia Day?
Australians residing in Indonesia are divided over the controversial national holiday, and some have had their opinions changed by their time abroad.
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Participants wearing T-shirts with the image of the Aboriginal flag take part in the annual “Invasion Day” protest march through the streets of Sydney, Australia, on Australia Day on Thursday. (AFP/Robert Wallace)
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ince 1994, Australia Day has been celebrated as a national public holiday every Jan. 26, marking the anniversary of the 1788 landing of the British First Fleet on the continent.
By the indigenous First Nations communities, however, the holiday is referred to as “Invasion Day” or “Survival Day” to mark the beginning of British colonization and the oppression, massacres and dispossession that followed.
Some argue Australia Day is an opportunity to reflect on and rejoice in what Australia has become today in spite of that history, while others insist it is a day of mourning and that its celebration is offensive and hurtful.
For years, some Australians have spent the day off by hosting barbecues to enjoy the summer weather, as thousands of immigrants become Australian citizens at induction ceremonies held across the country.
Sixty-five-year-old Australian expat Paul Halliday continues to celebrate Australia Day despite having lived in Jakarta for 32 years.
“Australia Day means a lot to me. We should be very proud of what Australia has accomplished over its short history. We have to remember the sacrifices that have been made to make Australia a great country,” Halliday told The Jakarta Post.
He plans to keep the tradition going.
