Straya Day

The unofficial history of Australia's national day since the first contentious one, thereby offering 237 other reasons for a day off.

Like it or not, 26 January in Australia has become a significant day of both celebration and mourning.

Most countries, if not all, have a national day. The reasons to celebrate a national day include independence from a colonial power, the signing of a treaty, or an act by a monarch, political leader or patron saint. Australia is the only country whose national day celebrates the colonisation of an already occupied territory. Controversially, it continues to do this despite most of its citizens both acknowledging this and the devastating impact upon its original inhabitants.

So, what else could we look to as we uneasily cling onto a national holiday? As it happens, some very significant, funny, tragic, curious and plain old ordinary things have also occurred on that date.

In the spirit of humour, history and humility, here are 237 other events that 26 January could instead be remembered for besides a British Governor raising a British flag on Australian soil.

As a school student, Matt Murphy failed English and couldn't see the point of history. He became a firie and has been serving in Sydney's inner city for 33 years. He is now also a part-time historian and teacher, who has written four books: Weight of Evidence, about what was the longest civil court case in New South Wales; Rum, about the formative influence of grog on the country; Gold, recounting the story of Edward Hammond Hargraves and the discovery of gold in Australia; and Straya Day, looking at 237 other reasons for a national day off.

Matt's younger self would be aghast that he is now writing history books but be consoled by the absurdist voice old Matt has achieved. He also can't believe he has to write his own bio. Matt lives in Newtown in Sydney.