Some call it Australia Day. We call it Survival Day.
Dr Jill Gallagher AO
Every January, First Nations people are forced to reopen old wounds and justify why our pain matters, writes proud Gunditjmara woman and respected Aboriginal leader, Dr Jill Gallagher.
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For many, the first of January marks a new beginning: an opportunity to set new goals and start afresh. But for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, the start of a new year is anything but hopeful. Often, it is a time that is dark, distressing, and lonely.
January is bookended by Christmas Day and Invasion Day, two dates that can bring a lot of pain and trauma bubbling to the surface for Aboriginal people. A sad reminder of just how little the systems in this country still don’t understand or support the lives of my people. The grief my people carry weighs heavily, and the time surrounding January 26 can compound that grief, bringing with it a sense of hopelessness.
Make no mistake - January 26 is a day of mourning. It marks the beginning of colonisation and its devastating impacts - dispossession, genocide, cultural loss and intergenerational trauma. The refusal to change the date is not because Aboriginal people haven’t explained why January 26 is inappropriate and hurtful - we have done so, clearly and consistently, for decades.
January 26 is not a date of Australian tradition - it’s a choice. It’s a choice that was made by governments, and it’s a choice that’s been changed before, so why can’t it change again? Over the years, states and territories have held the celebration on varying dates, but it wasn’t until 1994 that all states and territories across Australia landed on the national holiday on 26 January. Thirty-two years is hardly a tradition.
It’s deeply hurtful that this day is used as a political football year after year. It creates so much division and racism. Isn’t a day that marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession and ongoing trauma not enough of a reason to change it again?
Colonial narratives remain embedded in our national identity and many Australians still believe in inaccurate versions of our nation’s history. Debates about Australia Day, together with the barrage of media commentary and political rhetoric throughout January, often place Aboriginal people under an unwanted public spotlight.
Every year, we’re forced to reopen old wounds and justify why our pain matters, all while carrying the crushing weight of being constantly challenged, and the deep scars of trauma passed down from our ancestors.
For many, the first of January was an opportunity to reset. However, intergenerational trauma, experiences of racism and inequality doesn’t simply go away at the start of January. Racism does not pause for the holidays, and certainly in the lead up to January 26, it is often exacerbated for my people.
Early last year, the Yirramboi Murrup Unit at the Coroners Court of Victoria released its Suicides of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Victoria, 2020–2024 report, which found the annual rate of suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remains three times higher than for non-Indigenous Victorians. The report revealed that 56.6 per cent of Aboriginal people who died by suicide during this period were under 35 years of age, highlighting the urgent need for early intervention and culturally safe support.
We are witnessing ongoing distress in Communities, with suicide remaining one of the leading causes of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Losing someone to suicide doesn’t just affect parents, spouses, children, friends - the whole Community carries that grief together. In our Culture, loss is not individual - it is collective.
Yes, my people are resilient, but resilience should not be mistaken for acceptance, because we do not and will not accept the ongoing loss of lives to suicide and the silence that surrounds it, nor the systems that continue to fail us.
We do not accept a future where our intergenerational trauma, dispossession, racism and social, emotional and wellbeing needs are not being met. Our resilience stands as a call to action for our governments to invest in culturally safe prevention programs and genuinely listen to our voices to ensure our children grow up to live healthy and full lives.
Change has never come from being silent or feeling comfortable. It comes from consistent pressure and a genuine desire to listen deeply and learn from the First Peoples of this country. So, let us not be the only country in the world that celebrates colonisation as our national day.
Australia has an opportunity to choose a national day that unites rather than divides. Now is the time for governments to take meaningful action to change the date of Australia Day. Now is the time to take a much-needed step towards healing, reducing harm and honouring the lived experiences of our First Nations communities.
About the author
Dr Jill Gallagher AO
Jill is a proud Gunditjmara woman from Western Victoria and is an accomplished strategic leader, championing the needs and self-determined outcomes of First Nations communities in Victoria. She has spent more than 27 years advancing Aboriginal health and wellbeing through her work with VACCHO (Victorian Community Controlled Health Organisation) and has over 30 years of experience in leadership roles.
As a respected Aboriginal leader who has dedicated her life to advocating for Community, Jill has been inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women (2009), awarded the Order of Australia (2013), and inducted into the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll (2015). From 2017 to 2019, Jill served as Victoria’s first Treaty Advancement Commissioner and led the establishment of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria.
Thank you Dr Gallager, the jingoism introduced by Howard never sat well for many of us. It hurts when I think of the recurring trauma for Indigenous people.