Let's Talk January 26...
January 26 is rapidly approaching again, and with it, the conversations around change the date. Every year, we like to remind people what this date actually marks. Let's get the facts:
January 26 1788 is the day Sir Arthur Phillip raised the British flag at Warrane (Sydney Cove) to claim the land as a British Colony. This day thus marks the beginning of a long and brutal (and ongoing) colonisation of people and country.
This is why choosing this date as 'Australia Day' is controversial, painful and traumatic for First Nations people.
January 26 wasn't always a national holiday - It wasn’t until 1994 that this happened.
Way back in 1888, on January 26, the centenary of British colonisation, First Nations leaders boycotted celebrations, but the protest went unreported and unnoticed by the wider community.
On 26 January 1938, on the 150th anniversary of Arthur Phillip’s arrival, Yorta Yorta man William Cooper and other members of the Aboriginal Progressive Association held the Day of Mourning and Protest. Since this first Day of Mourning, First Nations people and allies continue to mark this day as Day of Mourning, Survival Day or Invasion Day.
Learn more about January 26 and the history via Common Ground.
See below for our top learning resources for this time of year:
Always Was, Always Will Be by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson explores important moments in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, from the Day of Mourning and Pilbara Strike to the continuing fight for recognition, rights and self-determination.
The book introduces young readers to First Nations resistance, activism and the people who have worked to protect Country, culture, rights and community.
Why you'll love it:
• Explores important moments in First Nations history
• Introduces Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protest movements
• Covers topics including land rights, recognition and self-determination
• Supports truth-telling and reconciliation learning
• Encourages discussion about justice, rights and Australian history
• Winner of the 2025 CBCA Eve Pownall Award
• Excellent for upper primary and secondary classrooms
A valuable resource for young people, educators and families wanting to develop a deeper understanding of First Nations history and the continuing journey for justice and recognition.
Product details
Authors: Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson
Format: Hardback
Pages: 90
ISBN: 9781922777614
Published: 10 June 2024
Age: Approximately 9+ years
Publisher: Magabala Books
For 60,000 years, as sure as the sun rises and rests, our people have thrived and survived. Originally penned as a poetic response to January 26th, this is an empowering story of truth, strength and community, told by Gamilaroi and Dunghutti woman Marlee Silva and illustrated by Yamatji man Rhys Paddick.
Pages: 24
Age: Foundation to Year 3
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781760265274
Day Break is the story of a family making their way back to Country on January 26. We see the strength they draw from being together, and from sharing stories as they move through a shifting landscape.
The story refocuses the narratives around ‘Australia Day’ on Indigenous survival and resistance, and in doing so honours the past while looking to the future. Confronting yet truthful, painful yet full of hope, Day Break is a crucial story that will open up a conversation on truth-telling for the next generation.
About the Author: Amy McQuire is a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman from Rockhampton in Central Queensland. Amy is a freelance writer and journalist, and is currently completing a PhD at the University of Queensland into media representations of violence against Aboriginal women.
Format: Hardbook
Pages: 24
In Always Was, Always Will Be, bestselling author Thomas Mayo investigates 'what's next?' for reconciliation and justice in Australia after the failed October 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum.
Since the referendum, supporters and volunteers have been asking for guidance as to how to continue to support Indigenous recognition. Mayo, a leader of the Yes 23 campaign and co-author of the bestselling The Voice to Parliament Handbook, has penned a new book to answer that question.
Always Was, Always Will Be is essential reading for those people who want to keep the positive momentum going and the number of allies growing. It's for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who are ready to do everything they can to close the gap.
On writing the book Mayo said: 'The book starts with the ingredients for hope, it will cover the lessons from the past, and ultimately, Always Was, Always Will Be is about the future we want to see – one where there is justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.'
For the thousands of people who have been feeling sad, empty and powerless since last October, Always Was, Always Will Be aims to be a positive rallying cry. This book will map the path toward next steps on how to create a fairer Australia.
ISBN: 9781741179279
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Do not mourn the hands that raised you ... Do not weep for songs of land. Honouring the Stolen Generations, and all who've been taken, The Land Recalls You is a powerful story of returning, written with love and reverence by award-winning Gunai author Kirli Saunders (OAM) and illustrated by debut Bundjalung artists David and Noni Cragg.
Themes: First Nations stories, Dreaming, Stolen Generations, Country, community, Earth, ancestors, environment, connection to land and family.
ISBN: 9781760975159
Format: Hard back book
Pages: 24