An Australia Day for all
Every nation needs a National Day with emphases on its key human and democratic values associated with significant events in its history.
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Unfortunately here in Australia we hold up January 26 as an occasion to be celebrated.
The arrival of the First Fleet is certainly a significant event to be observed but it was achieved by British colonists not by Australians and with the objective to dispossess our first people of their land under the pretext of ‘terra nullius’, ie., an unoccupied territory.
We should all be aware that we perpetuate this masquerade as though it was a great and significant achievement of our nation when in fact we continue to celebrate the colonisation and dispossession of our indigenous people.
Our Aboriginal Nations have always to varying degrees been deeply offended and understandably resent our continuing celebration of January 26 and observing it as a public holiday.
So when are we to show the maturity and the will to end what is really an embarrassment by correcting this misrepresentation of Australian history?
The need is for a national dialogue, a national truth and reconciliation process within our universities, our schools and communities so we may be aware of historical fact that will end the fiction we continue to perpetuate. Proposals for a new date for Australia Day are long overdue.
It needs to be an occasion of inclusion of all cultures, not divisive nor to the exclusion of the world’s oldest living culture which should be at the centre of an annual event that can be a unifying day of multiculturalism and reconciliation with our First People.
Darrell Dawson and Carol Ridgway-Bissett
Both of Nelson Bay
Fishing trip fruitless
It was the school holidays, the grandson was coming up and loves fishing.
The reports in the Examiner by Stinker Clarke were that the bay was jumping.
The whiting were on the bite, bream were smashing the mullet and there was meant to be flathead everywhere. Boy what a disaster though, we went down the breakwall with prawns and worms and got hardly a bite.
Well, not to be beaten, the next day we went out on the boat to the bream and whiting spots.
So we pumped some nippers, you can’t miss with them, plus some worms. Three whiting in five hours was all we got.
It was the same story of those I spoke to at the ramp.
To top the day off when we got back to the ramp a young university student asked some questions for his survey.
With questions like ‘how was you fishing’, ‘what did you catch’ and ‘what is your opinion of the marine parks?’.
Gee mate what dose it matter? There are no fish.
Alan Barnes
Corlette
Prosperity no reason
Can someone please explain how it is at all possible that a building can even be proposed when it doubles the agreed existing height?
The obviously backed up with prominent exposure by front page headlines in a local newspaper and two full-page adverts in another newspaper.
Maybe I should propose a four-storey building in my two-storey restricted street in the name of prosperity?
Jan Wilson
Salamander Bay
In the interest of hygiene
In the interest of decency and hygiene I would like to see notices displayed in all shopping centres that say ‘No shirt, no footwear, no service.
Keith Knott
Raymond Terrace
