South Australia pauses each year to mark a range of national or state public holidays that reflect what we choose to value as a society. Some commemorate labour rights, others military service, and some, like the King’s Birthday, exist primarily to honour an individual and their symbolic role within our system of government.

These days are not only about rest; they are about recognition. They signal whose stories we elevate and which histories we believe are worthy of collective reflection. Yet one of the most enduring and defining stories of this continent remains absent from South Australia’s public calendar: the resilience of Aboriginal peoples.

Across Australia, there is growing recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resistance, survival and cultural strength deserve more than occasional acknowledgement. An interstate commemoration honouring Tasmanian Aboriginal resistance fighters Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner is a powerful example of this shift.

More than 185 years after their execution by a colonial legal system that denied them justice, their courage and resistance are finally being publicly honoured. Their story is not an isolated one. It stands for countless Aboriginal peoples who fought, resisted, survived and endured in the face of dispossession, violence and systemic injustice.

Public holidays already show us that governments are willing to pause the state to honour ideas, values and people. The King’s Birthday is a clear example. If we can collectively stop to recognise monarchy, whose presence in Australia is barely noticeable anyway, surely we can also stop to recognise the survival and resilience of the world’s oldest living cultures.

South Australia also maintains a public holiday tied to a major horse race; a reminder that our calendar already makes room for commercial and recreational interests. Horse racing remains a contentious industry, raising ongoing concerns about animal welfare and the risks it poses to horses, as well as the social harm linked to gambling. If a day associated with racing and betting can warrant a public holiday, it is difficult to argue that there is no room for one dedicated to honouring resilience, survival and justice.

A South Australian public holiday dedicated to Aboriginal Peoples' resilience would send a powerful message. It would acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories are not a footnote to the state’s story, but foundational to it. It would create space for learning, truth-telling and reflection in schools, workplaces and communities. It would also move beyond narratives that focus solely on trauma, instead centring strength, resistance, leadership and cultural continuity.

Importantly, such a day would not replace existing holidays. It would stand alongside them, broadening our understanding of what we value as a community. Just as ANZAC Day honours sacrifice and service, and Labour Day honours struggle and progress, an Aboriginal Peoples' resilience public holiday would honour survival against extraordinary odds.

South Australia has often positioned itself as a leader in change and cultural recognition. Establishing a state public holiday dedicated to Aboriginal People's resilience would be a natural extension of that leadership. It would recognise that resilience is not only something to admire in hindsight, but something that continues to shape our present and future.

Making space on the calendar is never a neutral act. It reflects whose stories we believe matter.