Australia Day celebrations omitting the national flag as dissent grows against the holiday

The Australian flag seems to be slowly disappearing from Australia Day celebrations nationwide as opinion surrounding the national day becomes increasingly divisive.

The flag is being shunned by those who oppose Australia Day, as photos from around the country on Australia Day show remarkably few flags on display, amid protests about the holiday in all major capital cities.

Recent polls suggest that while a majority of Australians believe January 26 should remain Australia Day, there is a growing group who would prefer it be changed to a less polarising date.

A poll conducted by conservative-leaning think tank, the IPA, surveyed 1,038 people from varying age ranges on their attitude to changing the date of Australia Day.

The poll results show that 62 per cent of people believe Australia Day should be held on January 26, while only 17 per cent believe the date should be changed, and 21 per cent had no opinion.

However, there is growing resentment towards the holiday.

‘We should recognise support for Australia Day to be celebrated on 26 January has declined from 75 per cent in 2019, to 69 per cent in 2021, to now 62 per cent in 2023,’ Senior Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, John Roskam, wrote on the results.

The Institute of Public Affair’s poll found 62 per cent of Australians support Australia Day being celebrated on January 26, with only 11 per cent of respondents believing the date should be changed 

IPA’s poll also revealed a significant decrease in support for January 26 to be Australia Day, felling from 75 per cent in 2019 to 62 in 2023 

‘Only 42 per cent of 18-24 year-olds agreed Australia Day should be celebrated on 26 January, 30 per cent disagreed, and 28 per cent had no opinion.’

So while a rapidly growing younger generation of Australians believe in changing the debate there is still a large portion of the nation that just enjoy the holiday.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the nation to protest Australia Day (pictured)

In the lead up to the holiday, retail giant, Kmart, stopped stocking Australian flag merchandise that is usually available year round.

‘We respect that January 26 means different things to different people and we aim to foster an environment that is inclusive and respectful of both our customers and teams,’ a Kmart spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

‘It is for this reason that we will also be giving all of our team members the choice of whether or not they work that day, with the option to substitute for another day.’

The poll also showed that 42 per cent of 18-24 year-olds agreed Australia Day should be celebrated on 26 January, 30 per cent disagreed, and 28 per cent had no opinion