Australia/Survival/Invasion Day 2017

The above image has been taken from a Guardian Australia article. Whilst they're a left-leaning organisation, I think it's fair to say that the call to change the way we mark January 26 and/or the date of our national day is growing.

The media is full of viewpoints - both knee-jerk and well argued. I don't feel the need to partake in the public debate. However, for those interested, I don't support changing the date of 'Australia Day' for a number of reasons. 

Firstly, whilst I can fully understand the sentiment, I don't think the community is ready for it. If our national day is about unifying our people, changing the date at this point would further fracture our nation.
 

Second, whether you view the beginning of British settlement as a positive or a negative, as Tony Abbott suggested in 2014 - 26/01/1788 was a 'defining moment in the history' of Australia.

I'd much prefer our nation 'mark' rather than 'celebrate' the day, but this is a cultural change that will occur over time.