Aboriginal day of mourning and protests on Australia day January 26, 1938: The events and reasons for the protests.

January 26 was nominated as Australia Day to celebrate the anniversary of white settlement. It commemorates the ceremonious expansion of the British flag at the head of Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1788. By the beginning of the 21st century, however, it is also recognised as a day of mourning for the invasion and dispossession of Australia's Aboriginal people. The Centenary in 1888 was a proud celebration of British and Australian achievement. Aboriginal people boycotted the …

…The event was documented by the media, and the Prime Minister agreed to receive a deputation of the delegates a few days later to hear their demands. This eventually led to major reforms of the Protection Boards and later to the 1967 Referendum. It also led to other political action at the national level by Aboriginal people; action that continues today. The 1938 event, its participants and its cause have also been widely documented in recent times.