page_title: Australia Day
section_title: Polling
hierarchical_section_title: Australia Day / Change the date movement / Suggested changes to the date / Polling
caption_attribution_description: English: Federation Pavilion, Centennial Park, Sydney, 1 January 1901. It was in this Pavilion that the Oath of Office was adminstered to the Governor General, Lord Hopetoun by Sir Frederick Darley, the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice of NSW.
context_page_description: Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip. In present-day Australia, celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation and are marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian history, official community awards and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new members of the Australian community.
  The meaning and significance of Australia Day has evolved and been contested over time, and not all states have celebrated the same date as their date of historical significance. Unofficially, or historically, the date has also been variously named Anniversary Day, Foundation Day and ANA Day. It is also known as Invasion Day and National Day of Mourning. The date of 26 January 1788 marked the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia.
context_section_description: In 2004, a Newspoll poll that asked if the date of Australia Day should be moved to one that is not associated with European settlement found 79% of respondents favoured no change, 15% favoured change, and 6% were uncommitted. Historian Geoffrey Blainey said in 2012 that he believed 26 January worked well as Australia Day and that it was at that time more successful than it had ever been.
  A January 2017 poll conducted by McNair yellowSquare for Guardian found that 68% of Australians felt positive about Australia Day, 19% were indifferent and 7% had mixed feelings, with 6% feeling negative about Australia Day.  Among Indigenous Australians, however, only 23% felt positive about Australia Day, 31% were negative and 30% had mixed feelings, with 54% favouring a change of date. A September 2017 poll conducted by Essential Polling for The Guardian found that 54% were opposed to changing the date; 26% of Australians supported changing the date and 19% had no opinion.
  A poll conducted by progressive public policy think tank The Australia Institute in 2018 found that 56% do not mind what day it is held. The same poll found that 49% believe that the date should not be on a date that is offensive to Indigenous Australians, but only 37% believed the current date was offensive.
  Prior to Australia day 2019, the conservative public policy think tank Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) released a poll that 75% of Australians wanted the date to stay, and the new right wing group Advance Australia's poll had support at 71%, although both groups asked questions about pride in being Australian prior to the headline question.
caption: Federation Pavilion, Centennial Park, Sydney, 1 January 1901
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