BLURB: Australia Day commemorates the day Britain established the state of New South Wales as a penal colony, with the arrival in Sydney of ships bringing colonists and convicts.
Sydney
Thousands of people across Australia marked the country’s national day on Monday by participating in large-scale Invasion Day rallies, expressing solidarity with Indigenous Australians and renewing calls for unity, justice, and recognition.
At the same time, separate anti-immigration demonstrations were held in several cities, underscoring the deep divisions surrounding national identity, history, and social policy.
Australia Day commemorates January 26, the day Britain established the state of New South Wales as a penal colony following the arrival of ships carrying colonists and convicts at Sydney Cove in 1788. While officially celebrated as a national holiday with ceremonies, fireworks, and citizenship events, the date remains deeply contentious for many Australians, particularly Indigenous communities.
For Indigenous Australians, who make up about four percent of the country’s 27 million population, the day is widely referred to as Invasion Day. Protesters argue that it marks the beginning of widespread dispossession, violence, and the destruction of Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditions following European settlement. Demonstrators at rallies carried Aboriginal flags, placards calling for treaty and truth-telling, and banners demanding that the national day be changed to a date that reflects unity rather than division.
Speakers at rallies across major cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth emphasized the need for reconciliation and meaningful recognition of Indigenous history. Many called on the federal government to accelerate efforts toward constitutional recognition, treaties with First Nations peoples, and practical reforms to address ongoing disadvantages faced by Indigenous communities.
Alongside the Invasion Day rallies, smaller but vocal anti-immigration protests also drew crowds. Participants at these demonstrations expressed concerns about population growth, housing shortages, and the perceived impact of immigration on jobs and public services. The contrasting protests highlighted the competing narratives shaping Australia’s public debate on identity and belonging.