‘Australia Day does not celebrate the arrival of the First Fleet or the invasion of anything. The First Fleet arrived 28th April 1770’ Comments – By Earlson Forbes
Whilst the author of this email has made many interesting observations, I think clarification is due on some aspects of the contents. The email in question states.
‘The first fleet arrived in Botany Bay on 18th January. The 26th was chosen as Australia Day for a very different and important reason. The 26th of January 1949 is the day Australians received their independence from British Rule’.
The comment regarding the arrival of Captain James Cook is correct. James Cook did not bring the First Fleet to Australia. At the time the First Fleet arrived in Australia Captain Cook was on a voyage to the mid Pacific. Cook’s voyage took him to Hawaii where there was a fierce encounter with the Hawaiians and Cook was killed in the skirmish on 14 February 1779.
However, 26th January has a greater significance. The First Fleet which was comprised of 11 ships and its human cargo (which is estimated to be 2000 convicts on board), arrived in Australian waters on 18th January 1788. One ship entered Botany Bay but found it to be sadly wanting in many respects. The Fleet then moved North in search of a better location and entered Sydney Cove on 26th January 1788. Here, Commander of the First Fleet Arthur Phillip found conditions good and raised the Flag to signify occupation or settlement, depending on one’s subjective point of view.
As a matter of interest may I observe that there was confrontation with the aboriginal occupants of the area and at one point Governor Arthur Phillip, was speared in the shoulder by an aboriginal. Despite this, to his credit Arthur Phillip did not wage an all-out war of attrition on the local inhabitants but stuck to his brief of setting up a Colony of convict settlers. On reaching Sydney Arthur Phillip was estimated to have about 750 convict settlers to deploy as many had perished on the voyage from England to Sydney.
The second observation made in the email under consideration, refers to, ‘The 26th of Juauary1949 is the day Australians received their independence from British Rule’.
This statement could be misleading. The Australian Colonies attained Nation Status on January 1st, 1901. On that date the six Australian Colonies came together to establish the independent Nation of the Commonwealth of Australia. In fact, in its first year the Commonwealth Parliament passed two significant bits of legislation regarding entry to Australia. These 2 Acts were the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 and The Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901. These two Acts were the cornerstones of the so-called White Australia Policy. (see below)
Although an Independent Nation from 1901, there was no clear policy about the issue of Australian Passports. In the first two decades post 1901, Australia issued ‘travel documents’ but used the authority of Britain and its King (The Crown). In the early years after Australian independence the King of England was king of Australia (as it is to this day) and the Commonwealth of Australia depended on England for foreign relations as well as for defence matters. On the question of issuing Australian Passports there was tinkering at the edges of this issue in 1925,1930 and 1936 but no clear policy emerger until the passing of the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948. This Act as finally adopted, opened citizenship to all persons born in Australia, Naturalised or Registered as a citizen.
The Nationality and Citizenship Act was proclaimed as law on 26th January 1949. The 26th of January was chosen as the date of proclamation of the Act as this date
was already celebrated as Australia Day. In Parliament Immigration Minister Arthur Caldwell said, ‘When The Nationality and Citizenship Bill becomes law it will be proclaimed on Australia Day 26/01/1949.
On the reference in the email to British Subjects the following information may be relevant.
The question of who is a British Subject, is a complicated one. The idea originates from the concept that all persons within the boundaries of the British Empire owe allegiance to the British King and in return are assured of his protection. At the time, an individual could be a citizen of any one of the countries within the Empire and be a British Subject. For those who wished to travel (of which there were only a small number up to the 1930ies), it was a great advantage to travel under the Seal of the British Crown. With the end of the Second World War and the impending dissolution of the British Empire a conference was held in 1947 to devise a scheme under which both citizenship and British Subject status could be combined. And so, for some years after this an individual could be a citizen of independent Ceylon, India, Union of South Africa, Australia or some other British Commonwealth Nation and also be a British Subject. Some of the Irish objected to being categorised as British Subjects and opted out of British Subject status. Finally, this convoluted concept was abandoned in the 1970ies.
I trust you find the above of interest in clarifying some of the history behind Australia Day.
I have written several Articles for the Ceylon Society of Australia, based in Sydney and they have been published in the Society’s Journal titled, ‘The Ceylankan’. Unfortunately, the Ceylankan is not a digital publication (although this may change in the future). Michael Roberts has kindly included two of my Articles on the topic of migration and entry to Australia on his Thupphai Blog. If interested search on his Blog for:-
1 The White Australia Policy, Ceylonese Burghers and Alice Nona.
2 From Ceylon to Australia: Migrant Journeys,1860 to2010
Best wishes.
Earlson Forbes
FYI I have attached a copy of an approved Citizenship application that takes us back to 1958. It is of a person not known to me.
