Stralya Day

[Serial Brain 9]

As much as we celebrate Australia Day on 26th January each year, this date is actually not the date of the first fleet’s arrival nor is it that of Captain Cook ‘discovering’ Australia.
The 26th of January is in fact the date the Captain Arthur Phillip changed the site of their camp to one deemed more suitable.

This being the case those that are calling it ‘Invasion Day’ probably should get their facts straight, as the landing of the first fleet or ‘invasion’ was actually around a week earlier between the 18th to 20th of January (not all the ships dropped anchor at the same time).

The First Fleet of ships to carry convicts from England to Botany Bay sailed from Portsmouth, England, on 13 May 1787. It arrived at Botany Bay on 18 January 1788.

In 1770, Captain Cook 'discovered' the south east coast of Australia, landing in Botany Bay. On 22 August 1770, he claimed the whole of the east coast of Australia at Possession Island, naming eastern Australia New South Wales.

The first records of European mariners sailing into 'Australian' waters occurs around 1606, and includes their observations of the land known as Terra Australis Incognita (unknown southern land). The first ship and crew to chart the Australian coast and meet with Aboriginal people was the Duyfken captained by Dutchman, Willem Janszoon.

Between 1606 and 1770, an estimated 54 European ships from a range of nations made contact. Many of these were merchant ships from the Dutch East Indies Company and included the ships of Abel Tasman. Tasman charted parts of the north, west and south coasts of Australia which was then known as New Holland.

In 1770, Englishman Lieutenant James Cook charted the Australian east coast in his ship HM Barque Endeavour. Cook claimed the east coast under instruction from King George III of England on 22 August 1770 at Possession Island, naming eastern Australia 'New South Wales'. The coast of Australia, featuring Tasmania as a separate island, was mapped in detail by the English mariners and navigators Bass and Flinders, and the French mariner, Baudin.

This period of European exploration is reflected in the names of landmarks such as the Torres Strait, Arnhem Land, Dampier Sound, Tasmania, the Furneaux Islands, Cape Frecinyet and La Perouse. Expeditions between 1790 and the 1830s, led by D'Entrecasteaux, Baudin, and Furneaux, were recorded by the naturalists Labillardire and Pron.

Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet, comprising 11 ships and around 1,350 people, arrived at Botany Bay between 18 and 20 January 1788. However, this area was deemed to be unsuitable for settlement and they moved north to Port Jackson on 26 January 1788, landing at Camp Cove, known as 'cadi' to the Cadigal people.

Governor Phillip carried instructions to establish the first British Colony in Australia. The First Fleet was under prepared for the task, and the soil around Sydney Cove was poor. The young colony relied upon both the development of farms around Parramatta, 25 kilometres upstream to the west, and also trading food with local Aboriginal clans.

The Second Fleet's arrival in 1790 provided badly needed food and supplies; however the newly arrived convicts were too ill, with many near to death, to be useful to the colony. The Second Fleet became known as the 'Death Fleet' - 278 of the convicts and crew died on the voyage to Australia, compared to only 48 on the First Fleet.

I hope this has cleared some points of contention and helped bring some clarity to the true facts.

http://www.australia.gov.au/…/european- ... and-coloni…

[brian ross]

The 26th of January should not be celebrated as "Australia Day", as Australia as a nation did not exist in 1789. It was still known as "New Holland" or "Terra Incognito Australis", to the first mariners and settlers. We should be celebrating 1 January instead as that was the date that Australia was proclaimed as a new nation. NSW is fine to keep 26 January as their foundation day but it has no significance nationally. Indeed, it was not even celebrated as a National Holiday until 1988. Before that, "Australia Day" occurred in individual states on different days. 1 January would be an excellent day for a national holiday IMO as it has a long history as the day on which Australia was created as a new nation. If people wish to complain about the loss of the 26 January as a holiday, make 2 January another holiday.

[Black Orchid]

1st January is already a national holiday and to combine Australia Day with that is almost as stupid as combining it with Christmas Day.

Leave Australia Day alone, no matter when it is held there will always be whingers so there is absolutely no point in changing it.

[cods]

we could just cancel it.... nah the cfmmeu wouldnt stand for that...

ok lets call it aboriginal day....... will it shut them up......NO...

but whitey can go to the beach and our aboriginal chums can paint themselves up and dance the night away

and pretend the fleet never came...


when you try to imagine what the early settlers must have gone through...this heat alone is a reminder
of how much they must have suffered.....did the aboriginals have running water back then????.....

anything is possible..

maybe as we are expected to change history a bit of flogging the truth wouldnt make much difference...

[Valkie]

I plan to celebrate "CIVILIZATION DAY"

When civilized people came to this country and, after 40000 years of nothing, made it into a true civilization.

In just 200 years we have taken a primitive country into an advanced society in which people can live and travel at will.

And, like it or not, Australia was not a wonderful and bountiful world to abbos.
They had a brutal and short existence before white man.
They burnt the land rather than farm it
They were pre-stone age and had no medicine.

Unlike other primitive civilization, like the American Indians.
The Australian aboriginal had no concept of democratic structure, no chiefs.
They did not build shelter other than lean toos to keep the rain off
Even clothing was rare, and generally in the cooler climates
Many or most groups had no idea of how to make fire
Embers were carried from place to place wrapped in bark.

Even the simple tool by lashing a stone to a stick was beyond them and spears were simply sharpened sticks.

Yep
Civilization day brought many wonderful things to Australia.

And there are more abbos now than at any other time.

[brian ross]

1st January is already a national holiday and to combine Australia Day with that is almost as stupid as combining it with Christmas Day.

Leave Australia Day alone, no matter when it is held there will always be whingers so there is absolutely no point in changing it.

I take it that Jeff Kennet is just a "whinger" then, Black Orchid? He's called for the day to be moved...

[Black Orchid]

1st January is already a national holiday and to combine Australia Day with that is almost as stupid as combining it with Christmas Day.

Leave Australia Day alone, no matter when it is held there will always be whingers so there is absolutely no point in changing it.

I take it that Jeff Kennet is just a "whinger" then, Black Orchid? He's called for the day to be moved...

Why should I care what Jeff Kennett thinks? Here's a clue ... I don't.

I am surprised Victoria had any public assets left after Jeff went through them like a dose of salts but he seems the type that you would bow down to and kiss his feet. Knock yourself out.

I couldn't give one damn what Kennett thinks.

[brian ross]

1st January is already a national holiday and to combine Australia Day with that is almost as stupid as combining it with Christmas Day.

Leave Australia Day alone, no matter when it is held there will always be whingers so there is absolutely no point in changing it.

I take it that Jeff Kennet is just a "whinger" then, Black Orchid? He's called for the day to be moved...

Why should I care what Jeff Kennett thinks? Here's a clue ... I don't.

I am surprised Victoria had any public assets left after Jeff went through them like a dose of salts but he seems the type that you would bow down to and kiss his feet. Knock yourself out.

I couldn't give one damn what Kennett thinks.

How expected of you, Black Orchid. As usual for a Tory, you're quick to abandon some you perceive as a loser...

The reality is that many Australians are thinking, yet again, about Australia Day and whether it should be moved to another day or not.

As I've said, I believe 1 January is more appropriate day and I have set out my reasoning. I note you've yet to address that. I wonder why? Leaving aside that 1 January is already a holiday, it is still a more appropriate day for a National Holiday to celebrate the formation of Australia than 26 January. Australia was created on 1 January - it is when the six colonies came together and created a modern nation and Australia today is the consequence of that. 26 January celebrates the creation of the colony of New South Wales - fine, let NSW celebrate it, it is their day.

[Black Orchid]

That's nice Brian.

[The Mechanic]

I give Brian credit for at least coming up with a day .. although it came from serial whinger Jeff Kennett

most leftwing virtue signally morons don't even come up with an alternative day..

if you are going to shoot one day down then you need to come up with an alternative .. and a reason why.. so well done Brian..

but overall.. it didn't get much traction... apart from a handful of serial Australia Day wowsers everyone is going to have a tremendous day