Australia Day – I’ll Drink To That

By Rupert Truscott-Hughes on January 27, 2013 in Other

I am a proud Australian. My ancestry harks back to the days when Arthur Phillip sailed through the heads and thankfully it falls on the side of the captains rather than the convicts down below.

But each and every year I must admit to feeling a bit of shame on January 26 as I look around and see just what has become of this significant day. Like many Australian celebrations, it has become little more than one almighty piss-up.

In fact, I doubt many Australians would even be fully aware of the significance of January 26. This date, of course, is significant because it was the day back in 1788 when the aforementioned Captain Arthur Phillip and his fleet sailed into Sydney Cove, proclaiming British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of New Holland, as it was then known.

While significant for us white folk who have since called this great land downunder home, it’s hard to miss the irony that indigenous Australians must feel about celebrating this date. For them, it has become Invasion Day, and they’re understandably miffed about such a date being celebrated.

While I’m not suggesting that the date needs to be changed (this has been suggested in the past but never gained approval or a great deal of traction for that matter), the inappropriate behaviour and lack of respect on such a significant day by generally white Anglo-Saxon males is certainly a source of discontent for Rupert here.

And I think I understand the root of the problem. You see another significant event in the history of our sometimes parched country also took place on January 26, this time some 20 years after European settlement. That event is known as the Rum Rebellion, the only successful armed takeover of government in Australia’s history. It generally takes quite a lot to get laidback Australians off their arses to fight for a cause but take away their booze and the shit will certainly hit the fan. It would seem that Australia Day is as much a celebration of this significant event in 1808 as it is of European settlement, so why not drink to the occasion, eh?

An English friend recently commented to me about how hard it is to buy booze in Australia. In their home country you can buy it just about anywhere – 7-Elevens, supermarkets and so on – a phenomenon that I too have experienced throughout Asia, much of Europe and the Americas. Here the demon drink is only available in bottle shops and bars and its sale is really quite heavily regulated.

When she asked why this was the case, I simply said, “We have an alcohol problem.” You see, if Australians are given the opportunity to get on the gas, we will. So much so that governments have to restrict our access to alcohol. Add a celebratory public holiday to the equation and it’s a recipe to get raucous.

Unfortunately I don’t have a solution for this need for social lubrication when celebrating our great nation, so I’ll do the only thing I know to do in these situations – I’ll pour myself a stiff drink!