Changing views towards Australia Day
Q. Will you personally be doing anything to celebrate Australia Day or do you treat it as just a public holiday?
| Jan’21 | Jan’20 | Jan’19 | Jan ‘17 | Jan ‘16 | Jan ‘15 | |
| Doing something to celebrate Australia Day | 29% | 34% | 40% | 34% | 38% | 40% |
| Just a public holiday | 53% | 46% | 45% | 46% | 44% | 41% |
| Working – I don’t get the Australia Day holiday | 6% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 7% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 14% | 9% | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Base (n) | 1,084 | 1,080 | 1,652 | 1,015 | 1,028 | 1,020 |
- Under a third (29%) of people are doing something to celebrate Australia Day this year, lower than in previous years (34% in 2020 and 40% in 2019).
- Just over half (53%) say they treat it as just a public holiday, which is the highest recorded since 2015.
- 6% are working and don’t get the holiday, and 12% don’t know.
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||||
| Doing something to celebrate Australia Day | 29% | 35% | 24% | 23% | 34% | 31% | 30% | 36% | 9% | 32% | ||
| Just a public holiday | 53% | 47% | 58% | 58% | 49% | 53% | 55% | 48% | 76% | 45% | ||
| Working – I don’t get the Australia Day holiday | 6% | 6% | 5% | 8% | 7% | 2% | 4% | 7% | 8% | 7% | ||
| Don’t know | 12% | 11% | 13% | 11% | 11% | 15% | 11% | 9% | 8% | 15% | ||
| Base (n) | 1,084 | 539 | 545 | 341 | 358 | 385 | 334 | 431 | 118 | 106 | ||
- Coalition voters are the most likely to be doing something to celebrate Australia Day compared to other voters (36% followed by 30% Labor voters, 32% other voters and 9% Greens voters). For the majority of Greens voters (76%), Australia Day is just a public holiday.
- Those aged 18-34 are less likely to be doing something to celebrate Australia Day than older cohorts (23% compared to 34% of those 35-54 and 31% of those over 55).
Support towards a separate national day
Q. It has been suggested that Australia should have a separate national day to recognise Indigenous Australians. Do you…?
| Jan‘21 | Jan‘20 | Jan’19 | Oct‘18 | |
| Support a separate day and keep Australia Day | 35% | 32% | 37% | 36% |
| Support a separate day to replace Australia Day | 18% | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Do not support a separate day | 35% | 40% | 40% | 37% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 11% | 8% | 12% |
| TOTAL: Support a separate day | 53% | 50% | 52% | 50% |
| Base (n) | 1,084 | 1,080 | 1,652 | 1,027 |
- Support for a separate day to recognise Indigenous Australians (either in place, or alongside Australia Day) is now at 53% (50% in 2020).
- 35% support including a separate national day with a further 18% supporting a replacement of Australia Day.
- Over a third (35%) don’t support a separate day.
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||||
| Support a separate day and keep Australia Day | 35% | 38% | 32% | 39% | 41% | 26% | 43% | 36% | 24% | 30% | ||
| Support a separate day to replace Australia Day | 18% | 16% | 20% | 27% | 16% | 13% | 18% | 13% | 53% | 17% | ||
| Do not support a separate day | 35% | 35% | 34% | 17% | 29% | 55% | 29% | 45% | 14% | 45% | ||
| Don’t know | 12% | 11% | 14% | 16% | 14% | 6% | 11% | 7% | 9% | 8% | ||
| TOTAL: Support a separate day | 53% | 54% | 52% | 67% | 56% | 39% | 61% | 49% | 77% | 47% | ||
| Base (n) | 1,084 | 539 | 545 | 341 | 358 | 385 | 334 | 431 | 118 | 106 | ||
- Support for a separate day is highest among Greens voters (77%), Labor voters (61%) and those aged 18-34 (67%).
National Day
Q. It has been suggested that Australia should have a separate national day to recognise Indigenous Australians. Do you…?
| Jan ‘20 | Jan’19 | Oct ‘18 | |
| Support a separate day and keep Australia Day | 32% | 37% | 36% |
| Support a separate day to replace Australia Day | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| NET: Support a separate day | 50% | 52% | 50% |
| Do not support a separate day | 40% | 40% | 37% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 8% | 12% |
| Base (n) | 1,080 | 1,652 |
| Total | Labor | Liberal + National | Greens | NET: Other | |
| Support a separate day and keep Australia Day | 32% | 38% | 28% | 32% | 32% |
| Support a separate day to replace Australia Day | 18% | 20% | 12% | 42% | 9% |
| NET: Support a separate day | 50% | 58% | 40% | 73% | 42% |
| Do not support a separate day | 40% | 29% | 54% | 15% | 53% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 13% | 6% | 12% | 5% |
| Base (n) | 1,080 | 351 | 342 | 110 | 156 |
- Support for a separate day to recognise Indigenous Australians (either in place, or alongside Australia Day) has decreased 2%pts from last year, from 52% to 50%.
- 32% support including a separate national day with a further 18% supporting a replacement of Australia Day.
- Support for a separate day was highest among Greens (73%) and Labor (58%) voters.
| Total | Aged 18-34 | Aged 35-54 | Aged 55+ | |
| Support a separate day and keep Australia Day | 32% | 41% | 32% | 25% |
| Support a separate day to replace Australia Day | 18% | 24% | 18% | 11% |
| NET: Support a separate day | 50% | 65% | 50% | 36% |
| Do not support a separate day | 40% | 21% | 37% | 57% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 14% | 13% | 6% |
| Base (n) | 1,080 | 330 | 374 | 376 |
- Support for a separate day was highest among those aged 18-34, with 65% support. Support was at 50% support among 35-54 year olds and 36% among those aged over 55.
Australia Day
Q. Will you personally be doing anything to celebrate Australia Day or do you treat it as just a public holiday?
| Total | Aged
18-34 |
Aged
35-54 |
Aged 55+ | Jan’19 | Jan ‘17 | Jan ‘16 | Jan ‘15 | ||
| Doing something to celebrate Australia Day | 34% | 32% | 32% | 37% | 40% | 34% | 38% | 40% | |
| Just a public holiday | 46% | 50% | 46% | 43% | 45% | 46% | 44% | 41% | |
| Working – I don’t get the Australia Day holiday | 6% | 8% | 3% | 3% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 7% | |
| Don’t know | 14% | 9% | 14% | 17% | 9% | 15% | 12% | 12% | |
| Base (n) | 1,080 | 330 | 374 | 376 | 1,652 |
- 34% said they will be doing something to celebrate Australia Day, 46% treat Australia Day as just a public holiday and 6% are working because they don’t get the Australia Day holiday.
- People aged 18-34 were less likely to be engaging in specific celebrations to mark the National Day compared to last year (32%, down from 45% in 2019).
Australia Day
Q. Monday 26th January is Australia Day. Will you personally be doing anything to celebrate Australia Day or do you treat it as just a public holiday?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other/ indep-endent |
|
Jan 2010 |
Jan 2013 |
Jan 2014 |
|
| Doing something to celebrate Australia Day |
40% |
37% |
45% |
25% |
47% |
40% |
41% |
37% |
||
| Just a public holiday |
41% |
44% |
35% |
61% |
34% |
40% |
43% |
44% |
||
| Working – don’t get the Australia Day holiday |
7% |
7% |
8% |
6% |
6% |
6% |
7% |
7% |
||
| Don’t know |
12% |
12% |
12% |
8% |
13% |
14% |
9% |
11% |
40% said they will be doing something to celebrate Australia Day, 41% treat Australia Day as just a public holiday and 7% are working because they don’t get the Australia Day holiday. This represents a small rise in the percentage of those celebrating Australia Day since last year.
Those aged 55+ were more likely than those in other age groups to be doing something to celebrate Australia Day (45%). 50% of those with university education and 47% of those aged 25-44 treat it as just another public holiday.
Australia Day
Q. Sunday 26th January is Australia Day with the public holiday on the Monday. Will you personally be doing anything to celebrate Australia Day or do you treat it as just a public holiday?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other/ indep-endent |
|
18 Jan 10 |
29 Jan 13 |
|
| Doing something to celebrate Australia Day |
37% |
34% |
42% |
25% |
37% |
40% |
41% |
||
| Just a public holiday |
44% |
46% |
43% |
54% |
41% |
40% |
43% |
||
| Working – don’t get the Australia Day holiday |
7% |
9% |
6% |
14% |
8% |
6% |
7% |
||
| Don’t know |
11% |
12% |
9% |
7% |
14% |
14% |
9% |
37% said they will be doing something to celebrate Australia Day, 44% treat Australia Day as just a public holiday and 7% are working because they don’t get the Australia Day holiday. This represents a small fall in the percentage of those celebrating Australia Day since last year.
18-34 year olds were more likely than those in other age groups to be doing something to celebrate Australia Day (45%). 53% of those with university education treat it as just another public holiday.
Date of Australia Day
Q. Australia Day is celebrated annually on 26th January, which is the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Sydney Cove, New South Wales. Do you approve or disapprove of holding Australia’s national day on the 26th January?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other/ indep-endent |
|
| Total approve |
66% |
63% |
78% |
37% |
61% |
|
| Total disapprove |
7% |
6% |
4% |
27% |
8% |
|
| Strongly approve |
37% |
34% |
44% |
18% |
39% |
|
| Approve |
29% |
29% |
34% |
19% |
22% |
|
| Neither approve nor disapprove |
24% |
28% |
16% |
27% |
30% |
|
| Disapprove |
5% |
5% |
3% |
16% |
4% |
|
| Strongly disapprove |
2% |
1% |
1% |
11% |
4% |
|
| Don’t know |
3% |
2% |
2% |
8% |
1% |
66% approve of celebrating Australia day on 26th January and only 7% disapprove. 24% neither approve nor disapprove.
Those most likely to disapprove were Greens voters (27%) and those with incomes under $600 pw (13%).
Australia Day
Q. Saturday 26th January is Australia Day with the public holiday on the Monday. Will you personally be doing anything to celebrate Australia Day or do you treat it as just a public holiday?
|
18 Jan 10 |
Total 29 Jan 13 |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
|
| Doing something to celebrate Australia Day |
40% |
41% |
43% |
44% |
27% |
45% |
38% |
39% |
| Just a public holiday |
40% |
43% |
41% |
41% |
61% |
38% |
46% |
44% |
| Working – don’t get the Australia Day holiday |
6% |
7% |
7% |
8% |
2% |
8% |
8% |
6% |
| Don’t know |
14% |
9% |
9% |
7% |
10% |
8% |
8% |
12% |
41% of people surveyed said they will be doing something to celebrate Australia Day, 43% treat Australia Day as just a public holiday and 7% are working because they don’t get the Australia Day holiday. These are similar results to the last time this question was asked three years ago.
Females were more likely to indicate they will be doing something to celebrate Australia Day (45%) while males were more likely to think it is just a public holiday (45%).
18-34 year olds were more likely than those in other age groups to be doing something to celebrate Australia Day (45%).
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Federal government response to Covid-19
- State government response to Covid-19
- Views towards reopening international borders
- Views towards state border closures
- Comprehension and confidence in PM’s plan to ‘safely reopen’ Australia
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Necessity of mandatory vaccinations in specific situations
- Views towards easing restrictions for fully vaccinated people
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