A few ways to support First Nations Peoples on Australia Day (aka Invasion Day)
In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.*
We love Australia – it’s where we started this wild TP-fueled journey. And no matter how big we get, Australia will always be our home. It’s an amazing place to be a creative, an entrepreneur or an activist for change. It’s also the only place where quokkas live (and that counts for a lot).
So why don’t we love Australia Day?
In order to create a future that is more equitable and just, we believe it’s important to understand the past.
January 26th was not a day that represented the best of Australian innovation, creativity and diversity. It was a day that started hundreds of years of violence and oppression against First Nations peoples. It was an attack on their communities, their culture and their land. That’s not a day, or an Australia, we care to celebrate.
A different way to celebrate
Legally, we have to offer Australia Day as a day off for our team in Melbourne. But because it doesn’t align with our values, we’ve implemented a flexible holiday policy. Instead of Australia Day, our team is welcome to take off on any day in January.
This pick-n-mix approach to holidays is applicable to all of our hubs. After all, there are public holidays all around the world that are attached to celebrating events in history, current events or people that don't necessarily align with our individual personal beliefs or backgrounds.
Many of us who are taking time out on the 26th are joining protests and rallies that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights and equality. Unfortunately, the violence first enacted on these Indigenous Australians so many years ago still have devastating effects today. We’ve made a list of some events happening around the country below if you’d like to join us. Of course, we urge you to look up and follow the COVID safety protocols of your state before heading out to any gathering.
Melbourne - Parliament House - 10:30am
Hobart - Parliament House - 12pm
Brisbane - Queen’s Gardens - 10am
Adelaide - Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute - 1:30pm
Canberra - Garema Place - 10am
Other ways to support
If you don’t feel comfortable joining in on a rally on Australia Day, there are plenty of other ways to help. Perhaps you’d consider giving to an organisation that supports or advocates for Aboriginal people? Here are a few of our favourites.
* The Acknowledgement of Country is generally offered at the beginning of a meeting, speech or formal occasion to recognise to show respect for Australia’s Traditional Owners, and the continuing connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to the land, sea, sky and waterways. Our Melbourne HQ sits on land traditionally owned by the Wurundjeri Tribe.