There is an obvious need to elevate the name “Flinders” and prominently promote his achievements in the national psyche. Flinders’ lasting legacy is the name “Australia” which he gave to our country. He wrote to his brother:
“I call the whole island Australia or Terra Australis”
In his voyage of exploration, with modesty, he did not name one place after himself, but he bestowed our homeland the geographic name “Australia” and it is a shame that not many of us know that fact, even though we take great pride in being known as Australians.
As a well deserved compliment, officials have over the years have quite rightly recognised Flinders’ achievements by perpetuating his name across the country.
His name appears everywhere. We have streets, lanes, drives, roads, avenues and highways named after him. We have parks, suburbs, and towns and a National Park named after him. We have geographic features of an island, bay, peninsular and river named after him. Go to the Flinders Ranges in South Australia for a spectacular holiday!
We have a local government shire and a federal electorate named after him. We have primary and secondary schools named after him. Within those schools we have houses named after him.
We have a hospital named after him. The Adelaide Strikers BBL cricket team are sponsored by Flinders University. We have hotels and motels named after him, and a golf club.
We have football and soccer clubs named after him. Without us really realising it, the name Matthew Flinders already permeates just about all aspects of Australian society. We know his name but don’t really know what he did.
Hence in the light of the fact that many question the suitability of 26th January being our national day, the resolution to the debate is staring us in the face.
It should be floating to the last Monday of January every year, celebrating Matthew Flinders seamanship in the Investigator.
It should be a day to celebrate unification, just as Flinders unified New Holland and New South Wales on his general chart under one name.
Finally, it should be a day of significance and celebration for indigenous Australians, the first people of this country, as acknowledged by Flinders.
For indigenous Australians, this will be achieved with the knowledge that Anmatjere Man surveys the land from Aileron (N.T.), the mid-point location of the Investigator on the last Mondays in 1802 and 1803, which carried Flinders and Bungaree on their adventure.
Anmatjere Man and Anmatjere Woman and Child could be declared national monuments as a consequence.
The case is very clear, but when should we make this change?
In 2025, January 26th is on a Sunday and the public holiday is scheduled to float over to Monday January 27th.
Consequently, 2025 is the ideal year to make the change to float Australia Day permanently to the last Monday in January for the first time, and to start a new tradition in the spirit of unity.
