According to the ABC’s latest Australia Talks National Survey, conducted in 2021, 55 per cent of people believe Australia Day should not be celebrated on January 26, given the historical significance of the date for Indigenous people. That’s a jump of 12 percentage points from the last survey, conducted in 2019, and reflects a rapid shift in public sentiment on this issue. January 26 has long been recognised as a day of mourning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I
ple. It marks the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, and only became the date of the annual Australia Day celebration in 1994.
A movement to change the date of Australia Day has been building in recent years, with thousands of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people attending ‘Invasion Day’ protests. Businesses have also gotten on board.
Global beauty chain Lush is one of more than two dozen organisations that has pledged its support to Change it Ourselves, an online resource for employers and employees that want to join the movement to change the date of Australia Day.
We recently spoke with Sonia Chiarelli, brand marketing manager at Lush Australia and New Zealand, about the retailer’s approach to January 26.
Inside Retail: When did Lush become part of Change It Ourselves and why?
Sonia Chiarelli: Lush worked alongside Change It Ourselves to amplify their message in 2018 and continue to support the work that the group does in support of the #changethedate movement.
Lush is a long standing campaigner for human rights. We believe that the solution lies with those who have lived experience. Aboriginal peoples and their allies have been fighting for an accurate acknowledgement of January 26th for decades now and their pleas have not been listened to. We recognise our power as an influential business to create change and so we are proud to use our windows, shops and online platforms to amplify these important messages.
IR: How do you mark January 26 as a company, and how do you communicate that with your customers?
SC: For many years now, Lush has worked in partnership with First Nations groups in January, amplifying their messages via our platforms and encouraging our customers and staff to actively listen and engage the community on Indigenous issues.
Debate around the date often centres around the meaning of “Australia Day”. January 26 was the date the First Fleet of British ships arrived and set foot on Australian soil. It was also the beginning of centuries’ long massacres and atrocities committed against First Nations people, the original custodians of the lands we live and work on today.
To this day, First Nations people are disproportionately overrepresented in incarceration rates, overly policed, and underrepresented in mainstream media. Celebrating “Australia Day” would be ignoring the pain and trauma that First Nations people have faced and continue to face today. Sovereignty was never ceded and January 26 marks the beginning of when these lands were stolen.
This year, we are highlighting the incredible work of two organisations, Deadly Connections and The Dhajowa Foundation, whose work primarily involves addressing the injustices that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face in the criminal justice system.
IR: What are your thoughts on the increased public support for changing the date, will this impact your actions in any way?
SC: It’s important as people who walk, work and live on the land of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to learn, acknowledge and respect their histories. The more public awareness and understanding there is about what January 26 represents to many First Nations people – a day of mourning and sorrow – the more opportunity there will be to open up dialogue towards a more inclusive rhetoric that fosters connection.
Whilst there does seem to be growing support, this needs to be translated into tangible action taken by our Government in acknowledgement that January 26 is not the right day to celebrate Australia.
IR: What would you like to see happen with January 26?
SC: “Australia Day” has only been a public holiday since 1994. I believe that just as this day was made, a relatively short time ago, it can be reimagined into something which is more inclusive and recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples being a core part of Australia’s cultural make-up.