A majority of Australians would support a change to the date of Australia Day from January 26, according to a new poll.
A Research Now survey asked 1417 people their thoughts on the country’s day of celebration, as a national debate to ‘change the date’ once again intensifies.
Only 37 per cent of Australians realise the date is deeply offensive to many Indigenous people, as it marks the beginning of British colonisation and violence towards Indigenous Australians.
A majority of Australians would support a change to the date of Australia Day from January 26, according to a new poll
The poll suggests nearly all Australians – 84 per cent – believe the country needs a national day of celebration
The poll suggests nearly all Australians – 84 per cent – believe the country needs a national day of celebration, The Age reports.
However, 56 per cent said they don’t mind when the day falls.
The data also showed 77 per cent of voters believe Australia Day was always celebrated on January 26, which is not the case.
The date is significant as it’s the day the First Fleet arrived in Australia, at Sydney Cove, in 1788.
However, the date was not adopted by all states as a national day of celebration until 1935 and has only been celebrated as it is from 1994.
When asked to nominate a preferred date to celebrate Australia Day, 70 per cent of voters chose a date not associated with the First Fleet.
Only 37 per cent of Australians realise the date is deeply offensive to many Indigenous people
Just 37 per cent of people agreed celebrating on January 26 was offensive to Indigenous people
And only 23 per cent selected the landing in Sydney Cove as the best of a range of options.
Just 37 per cent of people agreed celebrating on January 26 was offensive to Indigenous people.
Nearly half of participants – 46 per cent – disagreed the date was problematic.
Just 49 per cent agreed that Australia Day should not be celebrated on the current date, as it’s hurtful to Aboriginal people, while 36 per cent disagreed.
‘This polling shows that while Australia Day is important to most Australians, most people are laid back about the date we celebrate on,’ Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the polling company, told The Age.