Same Old Straya Shinola
Indigenous Art by Coffin Birth
Australia remains on the wrong side of its history and we're such slow learners. We recoil from genocide in far flung places and refuse to acknowledge the same horrors that Australia was borne of. An invasion that degraded and brutalised the oldest living consecutive culture in the world. We proved it again in 2023 with the shameful result of our referendum, refusing even the most basic acknowledgement of our indigenous people and their right to self determination.
While yobbos get their southern cross knickers in a twist and politicians stoke division, it is important to remember that this day has only been guilelessly promoted since 1994. It took until 1966 for the abhorrent White Australia Policy to be abolished. Paving the way for its native people to be acknowledged as citizens of the land they had occupied for 60,000 years or likely more in 1967. It took over two centuries for native title to even be recognised in 1993. No sorry came until 2008 for the pain caused to the stolen generations. And I didn't learn about any of this in school.
Beyond absolute disregard for humanity and connection to life and land, colonialism celebrates itself for bloody murder and larceny, inflicting nothing but pain and trauma for its own gain. Now televised in real time and debated in sanctimonious hypotheticals as the suffering continues unabated.
My regular posts for more than 15 years on this dark day, about colonialism and the history we hide, have for years attracted the violent racism that is endemic in Australia. Here we live in a boozy Murdochracy that denies principles of democracy, free speech and a fair go that we pride ourselves on, over beer and a blind eye on the barbie. Our staggering ongoing refusal to acknowledge our horrible history, the pain and suffering it causes this country's indigenous people remains our greatest shame.
Enough. It's about more than changing the date. The cruel system colonialism birthed has expired. There is no social contract, government fracked it to hell. We must urgently return country to the care of those who know how to manage it properly, carefully and sacredly. And remember we are all part of nature, not built atop it.
Words c. Kerrie Basha, 2025.