Australia Day, January 26, commemorates the establishment of the first European settlement at Port Jackson in Sydney in 1788.
It's Australia Day eve, and already we see signs that some members of the community are angry. It should be a celebration for all Australians but for some, it's a day they would rather forget.
Last year Prime Minister Julia Gillard had to be rescued from an angry Aboriginal mob who stormed a Canberra restaurant and this year, Captain Cook's cottage was once again sprayed with anti-Australia Day slogans. Eighty years ago, philanthropist Sir Russell Grimwade had the original cottage in Yorkshire dismantled brick by brick and transported to Fitzroy Gardens as a gift to the people of Melbourne.
Meanwhile in Sydney, an eight kilometre stretch of foreshore at Botany Bay, where Captain Cook first landed, is sprayed with Australia Day is 'Invasion Day'.
Green Senator Christine Milne says Australia Day should be moved to the date a republic is declared. There is only one problem with that, we don't have a republic and unlikely to get one in the foreseeable future.
Former Greens leader Bob Brown will be one of the speakers at tomorrow's rally in Hobart by Tasmanian Aboriginals. Ruth Lanford, speaking on their behalf, said "Australia is the only nation in the world that celebrates its national day on the date which colonization occurred." She went on...."we hope Australians will join us to commemorate this as a reflective day of mourning."
Don't hold your breath Ms Lanford, it's never going to happen.
And here's a message for all the yobbos out there who like to get drunk and make a nuisance of themselves.
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