Change the date change the flag

Maybe there’s a way to heal after the trial of the Referendum, a way to ease the pain felt by so many people and a way to bring people together for one cause. The Australia Day debate goes on every year and 2024 will be no exception, I can almost feel the anger expressed on social media, it’s like they’re already arguing.

What about changing the flag at the same time as we change Australia Day. By doing both at once we can both acknowledge our debt to Britain while, at the same time, acknowledging the importance of First Nations people who were so grievously let down by the Crown. What I suggest is a way to move forward and change a defeat into something that works for all citizens regardless of their background or allegiances.

Myall Creek is a seminal event in the country’s psyche. Not only was it the first and last time White people were convicted of killing Aboriginal people, but it is celebrated for what it can offer all of us today. Both descendants of perpetrators and descendants of survivors come together on the Kings Birthday weekend every year in rural NSW. If we change the flag at the same time as changing the date of Australia Day to match this celebration, we can alleviate the anguish of First Nations people. 

Just look at the two designs I have made.

The first I rejected because it brings in the additional connotation of France, who arrived on our shores just days after the First Fleet.

Now if we get rid of the red and white stripes we can arrive at a design that centralises FN. It keeps the signal Southern Cross, which is so beloved of everyday Aussies (I can’t count the memories I have of calves of other body areas with a Southern Cross tattooed).

The red black yellow Aboriginal flag hasn’t been approved for use but perhaps we can just take some of its colours. This lets us introduce something original and distinctive – there is no flag even remotely similar to this in the whole world – while at the same time recognising FN heritage as a central pillar of national identity.

But keep Australia Day on the Kings Birthday. Some things have to stay the same. It’s safer that way. I think it is important to acknowledge FN people but also to acknowledge people of British heritage whose forbears worked so hard to make this country the best country on Earth. After all the Uluru Statement from the Heart talks about the three strands of the national story: Aboriginal, British, and immigrant.