Straya Day: The unofficial history of Australia’s national day from the author of RUM and GOLD

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. 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 so despite most of its citizens both acknowledging this and the devastating impact upon its original inhabitants.

So what other reasons might we find to mark our national holiday? Well, 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.