Australia Day is almost upon us and right on cue personal opinions and views are becoming passionate and provocative, galvanizing camps of sentimentalists, naysayers, and Australia Day revisionists.
Emotional tensions run high, arguments flare-up and become heated, acts of needless violence are perpetrated and wanton vandalism ensues, normally cohesive communities polarise and fracture – we are a nation so bitterly divided; even more so now whilst we’re in the throes of the Covid pandemic.
As the former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam touted in his 1972 election campaign – “IT’S TIME!”
It’s time to dispense with the them and us mindset: ALL AUSTRALIANS should be united as “ONE NATION, under ONE FLAG, as ONE PEOPLE!”
It’s time to recognise and enshrine Australia’s First Nations within our Constitution.
It’s time to become one modern Australian Tribe.
It’s time to dispense with the tripartite of flags that continue to divide us: the Australian, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander ensigns.
It’s time to revitalise and change our National Flag to be truly representative of all of Australia’s peoples, and recognise Australia’s history past and present.
It’s time to rename Australia Day to something far less controversial and more embodying of all Australians past and present: Cooee Day, Settlement Day, Unity Day.
Cancelling Australia Day, or any other commemorative occasion, NO!
Australia, like every other nation needs a national day of significance where its peoples can celebrate and express their pride in their country.
Designing Our Revitalized National Flag.
Any revitalized Australian National Flag should be acknowledging of our status as a fully-fledged Pacific Nation, Australia’s First Nations Peoples, their lands and Australia’s immigrant history past and present.
The design of any flag should be bold and as simple as possible, yet sublime, personal and representative of all Australians.
Like many contemporary Australians I would like to see an Australian Flag that is the personification of Australia’s ancient past, dynamic present and its prosperous future as one peoples – a SPIRIT OF AUSTRALIA National Flag.
A rejuvenated Australian National Flag could incorporate the following elements:
The eight-pointed star solidifies our status as a united Pacific Nation of 6 states: News South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia, and two principal territories: the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
The representation of the Southern Cross constellation (a canting of Australia, the Great Southern Land) made up of five white stars: one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars.
The tripartite colours black, yellow and red acknowledging and honouring the First Nations Peoples of Australia.
The colour blue, the night time sky, or the seas that have been crossed to reach this land we occupy.
The colour black, representing the First Nations Peoples of Australia, or the night time sky.
The colour yellow, representing the sun, the infinite giver of life.
The colour red, the earth upon which we stand, its meets the sky – the guardian of life.
Together – the SPIRIT OF AUSTRALIA.
Revisions:
Article originally published 1 February 2021. Revised: 30 November 2023; 16 January 2023; 19 January 2022; 6 January 2022; 4 January 2022.