Maddy Kinard

Angela Cant and her daughter, Eliza, led the presentation on Australia Day, informing attendees of the history, traditions, slang and animals native to Australia.

On Jan. 27, Angela Cant and daughter Eliza Cant discussed Australia Day during the global coffee hour in the Savitz Lounge. Angela Cant is the wife of Wilkes President Dr. Greg Cant. Eliza Cant is their daughter and a current Wilkes student.

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia and is recognized annually on the day prior, Jan. 26.

As Angela Cant informed attendees, Australia Day celebrates the claiming of the land as a British Colony by Sir Arthur Phillip. However, this day is rather recognized as the beginning of suffering for the native Aboriginal people due to colonization.

“Partly the reason for the creation of a colony in Australia was because of what was happening here in the United States. So as independence was getting pushed for here in the United States, the British needed to spread their wings elsewhere, they needed to find other places to send people— they were sending convicts from the United Kingdom to Australia,” said Angela Cant.

The first Australia Day did not take place until July 1915, so it originally had no ties to the day that marks the suffering of First Nations people. It was started to raise funds for wounded soldiers in World War I. In 1938, the Aboriginal people declared Jan. 26 a day of mourning, calling it Invasion Day.

It was not until 1934 that a nationwide recognized Australia Day was held on Jan. 26.

“Some people ‘are like oh you can’t move it’—why? It was made in the 90s,” said Eliza Cant.

Eliza Cant explained that it is becoming more popular to boycott the holiday, and the discussion of Aboriginal suffering is becoming more public.

Dot paintings were handed out for attendees to paint. Dot painting is a traditional Aboriginal art form which usually told creation stories, commonly known as “dream stories.”

“I thought it was really interesting,” said Jess Rushton, junior history and political science major. “I knew a little bit of Australian history but not loads. It was interesting learning about the controversy surrounding Australian day and that not everyone sees it as a celebration.”