South-west Indigenous and political leaders share their beliefs about Australia Day's date

Most notably, Indigenous Australians have voiced their concerns as the date marks the arrival of Captain James Cook's First Fleets arrival at Port Jackson in New South Wales and the beginning of Indigenous Australians facing colonisation and its bloody reality.

On the 150 anniversary of the First Fleet the first Day of Mourning was held on January 26 where silent protests took place in Melbourne's centre. In 1994, the whole nation began officially celebrating January 26 the way we know it today.

Gunditjmara elder Charmaine Clarke, who also organised the 2000 Invasion Day Rally in Melbourne, believes Australia Day should reflect all Australians' history.

"Most of my community hide on Australia Day, we're pretty low key as seeing a bunch of Australian flags in supermarkets and decorating cars can be quite confronting," she said.

"I stick with my community on Australia Day, I might put on the A.B. Original album.

"I've always said Australia Day should change for multiple reasons.

"Firstly, people should check their history books. Australia wasn't called Australia for the first 70 years after colonisation; it was called 'New Holland'. Australia really wasn't Australia until the colonies joined for Federation. Federation Day - January 1, 1901 - was technically when Australia was born and that is a day I will celebrate, that's for everyone.

"Secondly Australia Day is a new phenomenon that's only been celebrated for half my life.

"Finally the reason January 26 is called Australia Day is because that's when Captain Cook arrived so it should be called Arrival Day or something else.

"Australia Day should be symbolic to all the history of Australia."

Ms Clarke believes Australians should be able to unite in celebrating their country.

"People get so attached to particular chapters of a story; the start of this country is when we arrived thousands years ago, the next chapter is when another group arrived," she said.

"Australia is a human story and it's all of ours.

"We have to stop this divide."

The Gunditjimara community will meet along Beach Road, Allestree, for an Invasion Day Smoking Ceremony on January 26 at 10am with everyone invited to join with the traditional owners of Gunditj country.

Organiser of the ceremony is Gunditjmara man Christopher Saunders whose family has organised the event for many years.

"We want to acknowledge and pay homage to our ancestors who have died since colonisation, were institutionalised and who made sacrifices so we could get to the place where we are today," he said.

"We want to bring attention to the colonial past, we know the stories of the Henty Brothers in Portland is about murder and genocide of our ancestors and we want people to know their monuments are built out of blood and death.

"We want to work to change the plaques on these monuments as a reminder that we were pushed out of our homelands."

The passionate Indigenous activist believes the date of Australia Day must change.

"The whole idea of Australia Day is to celebrate what's good in our country and from my perspective there isn't much good," Mr Saunders said.

"Aboriginals are a minority who have a higher percentage of suicide rates, and in the Northern Territory a high proportion of Indigenous youth are in prison.

"We haven't even come close to closing a lot of the gaps, I want to see improvements for our minority groups first.

"We need to start listening to our Indigenous peoples as First Nations peoples. There's no one solution, we're all individuals. But our councils have to have community consultations and ask their Indigenous population 'what can we do better?'

"Then, we can all decide together what should happen with Australia Day."

Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt has called for Australians to remember their history.

"This Australia Day, we should embrace what's great about Australia, our community, our achievements and the things that make us proud to be Aussie," he said.

"Australia Day is a day to celebrate Indigenous, British and multi-cultural history and look forward in unity with a determination to build a stronger and more rewarding Australia for all.

"So on Australia Day I ask that you first and foremost celebrate the good things in life, celebrate with family and friends, with community, and have thought for those who are struggling - reach out to your neighbours and be a mate.

"While you do so, take a moment to reflect upon our Indigenous history; respect the place of Indigenous Australian culture in modern Australia, our language, art, dance and stories; and celebrate the contributions of Indigenous Australians to our communities and society.

"For it is worth celebrating, and it is worth remembering."

Prior to politics Member for the South West Coast Roma Britnell managed the Indigenous health service at Framlingham for 15 years and was involved with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health.

"It doesn't matter where you were born, or your cultural background or heritage or what language you speak - you are all part of this country's story," she said.

"You are part of our proud multicultural story and we are all a part of what makes Australia great."

Ms Britnell acknowledges that even in the Australian bushfire crisis the true Aussie spirit has shone, but the state MP believes more can be done.

"(The camaraderie in the bushfires) that's what makes this country so great it's an important part of the story of this nation - a story that began with our Indigenous Australians thousands of years ago and has developed over the ensuring decades to become the society we have today," she said.

"But there is room for improvement; we can, and should, always strive to be better. We must truly respect and value the traditional owners of this land and their customs and practices.

"This isn't done through token gestures and acknowledgements, it's done through real action on the issues that are important to those indigenous communities - the issues those communities tell us are important to them.

"We must listen to them and act in a collaborative and respectful way to address the issues and move forward together.

"We are all Australians and we have all part of this nations great and ever evolving story."

Wannon MP Dan Tehan said Australia Day was an opportunity for all residents to acknowledge the contribution that every Australian made to our dynamic nation, regardless of background.

"We are all part of the story of Australia," he said.

"We all have different views and backgrounds but Australia Day is a day to respect and share the stories, histories and contributions everyday Australians, like those in Wannon have made, and continue to make, to our nation.

"Australia Day is a day to reflect on and celebrate living in the greatest country in the world, where we have more opportunities, greater freedoms and more reasons to be optimistic than any other nation.

"It's a day to celebrate together and celebrate being Australians."

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.