Aboriginal Day of Mourning and Protests on Australia Day January 26, 1938: The Events and Reasons for the Protests

January 26 was nominated as Australia Day to celebrate the anniversary of white settlement. It commemorates the ceremonious expansion of the British flag at the head of Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1788. By the beginning of the 21st century, however, it is also recognised as a day of mourning for the invasion and dispossession of Australia's Aboriginal people.
The Centenary in 1888 was a proud celebration of British and Australian achievement. Aboriginal people boycotted the celebrated events but their absence went unnoticed by mainstream Australians. …