Change of mind in date with destiny

“Australia is entirely peopled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me ...” — Vizzini, The Princess Bride

HAPPY Australia Day — or commiserations over Invasion Day, depending on your political persuasion.

I find that there are generally two things you can count on at this time of year: the inability of Australian singles players to hang around into the second week of the Australian Open and raging debate over the timing of Australia Day.

If it’s all the same with you, I’m going to weigh in on the latter — not so much with an opinion as an observation.

Are we really sold on January 26?

Well, yes we are, if you go by the results of a survey by the Institute of Public Affairs. It found 70 per cent of Australians were opposed to changing the date of Australia Day.

And no we’re not, judging by a poll conducted by the Australia Institute that found 56 per cent of Australians don’t mind when it’s held and 49 per cent believe Australia Day should not be on a day that is offensive to indigenous Australians. On the Amnesty International Australia website, indigenous rights adviser Rodney Dillon writes that “Aboriginal people always feel sad on Australia Day; it marks the end of freedom for our people.” And Australian Monarchist League national chair Philip Benwell was adamant this week that those groups attacking Australia Day were not really attacking the date “but everything that British settlement means to them”. Confused? I’m only getting started. At the risk of making you want to have a Bex and a lie down, what do July 24, 26, 27 and 28, August 1, 10 and 24, September 8, 20 and 23, and October 5 and 18 have in common?

At times they have all been touted as “Australia Day”.

A collection of 15 centuryold “tinny” Australia Day fundraising badges I saw this week had 12 different dates among them.

In 1917, Tanunda was being encouraged to celebrate it on September 8, while Crystal Brook was opting for August 1.

The following year the South Australian public service went for a July 26 Australia Day, and the good folk of Prospect had a bit each way — September 22, 1917, and October 5, 1918.

A hundred years on, it seems we’re still having commitment issues.