At Reconciliation SA, the weeks leading into January 26 are not neutral or celebratory. They are emotionally complex, confronting and exhausting. As mid-January approaches, anxiety builds. We see the rise in public commentary around “Australia Day”.

For some of our team, simply wearing the Aboriginal flag on this day can invite intimidating looks, judgement, or even direct confrontation. It can depend on the suburb, the street, or the stranger passing by. People feel emboldened to question your presence, your identity, or your right to display the flag.

To protect their well-being, some staff choose to step away from social media altogether in the days surrounding January 26. The volume of racism, dismissal and hostility online can be overwhelming, and conserving emotional energy becomes an act of self-care.

Others continue to work, ignoring the day altogether, while some attend the local March. 

The harm caused by what is said and shared during this time is very real, and it takes a toll.

January 26 is deeply painful because Australia is one of the only countries in the world that marks its national day on the anniversary of colonisation. It is a date that represents dispossession, violence and the beginning of profound injustice for Aboriginal Peoples. The fact that January 26 has only been observed nationally as a public holiday since 1994 underscores an uncomfortable truth: this date is not ancient or immovable.

And the reality is, the call to make the day a National Day of Mourning was first sung decades earlier. What is harder, and what continues to cause hurt, is the refusal by some to listen, reflect or learn.

Many Australians who celebrate the day do so without understanding what it commemorates, or without wanting to know. When conversations arise about the history of January 26 and its impacts, they are often met with defensiveness, discomfort or outright dismissal. This reaction is deeply frustrating for those who are trying, year after year, to educate and open dialogue.

The insistence that the day is “for all Australians” ignores the reality that for Aboriginal Peoples, it is a day of mourning. One that marks invasion, loss and ongoing trauma for communities who have lived on these lands for tens of thousands of years.

And yet, alongside the grief and anger, there is also pride and strength. Many of our staff speak of the power they feel when wearing the Aboriginal flag, standing alongside others who share the same hope for change, and marching in solidarity on Survival Day and Invasion Day.

These moments are affirming. They are reminders of resilience, resistance and the unbroken continuation of culture.

January 26 is a time that exposes where Australia is at as a nation, but it also reveals what is possible. We believe that true unity will not come from denial or forced celebration, but from honesty, respect and a willingness to embrace the oldest continuing living culture on the planet.

The day we can collectively acknowledge our full history, honour Aboriginal Peoples, and choose a date that brings people together with dignity and truth, is when real unity will begin.