Why is Australia Day on January 26? Survey says we don't know

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A new poll has found Aussies aren't fussed when we celebrate Australia Day, but some people don't know why it's held on January 26.

The Australia Institute surveyed 1,417 Australians about their knowledge and attitudes about Australia Day and some of the results are interesting.

Results showed 84% of Australians think it's important to have a set day but over half of Aussies (56%) don't really mind when we hold Australia Day, so long as we do.

One of the most shocking findings was the number of people who don't know why Australia Day is held on January 26.

Only 38% of respondents correctly identified the events of January 26 as the First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove.

Another 11% said January 26 was when the First Fleet established the New South Wales colony, while others said it was the first time parliament sat and the date marked the signing of the Australian constitution. 

More than three quarters of people (77%) thought Australia Day had always been celebrated on January 26.

January 26 was adopted by all states only in 1935, but only since 1994 have all states and territories held the Australia Day public holiday on this date instead of on the nearest Monday.

Deputy Director of the Australian Institute Ebony Bennett said when asked to choose a date to celebrate Australia Day only 23% of respondents opted for the current date.

"The polling shows that most Australians don’t know what historical event Australia Day commemorates and most people are not aware it wasn’t always celebrated on this date," she said.

"Perhaps that’s why more than half of Australians say they don’t really mind when we hold Australia Day, as long as we do."

With debate heating up about our national day of recognition, the Greens party announced they will be pushing to change the date of Australia Day.

There's been much back lash and opinions heard from all sides on the matter, with campaigns to save and change the date popping up earlier this week. 

Half of those surveyed (49%) agreed that Australia Day should not be on a day that is offensive to Indigenous Australians.

Only 37% of Aussies thought the current day of Australia Day was offensive to Indigenous Australians. 

"The national conversation about Australia Day is an opportunity for all of us to learn about and reflect on Australia’s history, especially the more than fifty thousand years of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, and to ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be in the future,” Bennett said.

 

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