Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s election promise to reinstate citizenship ceremonies on January 26th has reignited the annual debate around Australia Day, with Australians divided as to whether the date should be changed. 

The day marks the anniversary of the First Fleet arrival at Sydney Cove in 1788, and is a source of pain and anger for many Indigenous Australians.

The history of January 26th is a complex story of Indigenous resistance, colonial corruption, and Australia’s cultural dependence on the USA.

Image: Protesters take to the streets on January 26 every year. Image: Dave Hewison Photography

Produced By: Oliver Rodden

Featured In Story: Richard White – Former Associate Professor of Australian History at the University of Sydney

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 22 January 2025