Majority of Australians want a long weekend — not January 26

For years, First Nations people have been clear: January 26 is not a date to celebrate.

It marks the beginning of British colonisation and the dispossession of our people. It was declared a Day of Mourning in 1938 by Yorta Yorta man William Cooper and the Aborigines Progressive Association, and it has been resisted by First Nations communities ever since.

What we’ve often been met with in response is the same question:

“If not January 26, then when?”

Today, we have a clear answer.

Australians are ready for a better way forward

Some people call Jan 26 Invasion Day, others Survival Day, or perhaps a Day of Mourning. What is clear though, is that it is a date that marks the beginning of invasion, colonisation and ongoing injustice. For some First Nations people, the idea of celebrating ‘Australia’ at all, no matter what the date, is not where they stand.

New national polling shows that a majority of Australians want a public holiday with a long weekend, not a Jan 26 celebration.

According to independent national research conducted by YouGov, 54% of Australian voters prefer an Australian Long Weekend - a guaranteed public holiday on the second-last Monday in January, which never falls on January 26.

This option offers a summer long weekend, while creating distance from a date that causes harm and division.

Strong support across generations, regions and families

Support for an Australian Long Weekend is strongest among younger Australians, but it’s not just a “youth issue”. It’s backed across almost all working ages:

70% of people aged 18–24
63% of people aged 25–34
59% of people aged 35–49
51% of people aged 50–64
Only Australians aged 65+ were opposed.

Importantly, support exists right across the country with inner cities, outer suburbs, regional towns and rural Australia all showing majority backing.

Working families also support change, with 57% of parents with children under 18 in favour of the Australian Long Weekend, a group that often plays a decisive role in federal elections.

This isn’t about taking something away.

The Australian Long Weekend proposal exists because people want a solution, not endless debate.

Rather than asking Australians to choose between “keep” or “abolish” Australia Day, this poll offered a practical alternative:

A national public holiday that allows celebration, rest and connection, without continuing the harm of January 26. A three day weekend that doesn't celebrate colonisation, but instead respects and celebrates our rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history that spans 65,000 years.

This research was commissioned by Future Super on behalf of Clothing The Gaps and the Australian Long Weekend campaign and it’s the first national poll to give people a clear, workable alternative.

As our CEO and co-founder Laura Thompson shared:

“For years we’ve heard the question, ‘If not January 26, then when?’ An Australian Long Weekend offers a practical solution creating distance from a Day of Mourning for First Nations people, while allowing for a national celebration that is inclusive and respectful.”

For First Nations people, January 26 has always represented invasion and dispossession, not unity. Our communities have been calling for change for generations. What this poll shows is that the broader Australian public is now ready to listen.

Phil Jenkyn OAM, co-convenor of the Australian Long Weekend, echoed this sentiment:

“This isn’t about taking something away. It’s about finding a solution that works. An Australian Long Weekend is a practical, common-sense way to move forward without continuing the harm caused by January 26.”

Community momentum is growing

This polling reflects what we’re already seeing on the ground:

Over 25,000 people have signed the Australian Long Weekend petition.

Over 85,000 people support our Not A Date To Celebrate campaign petition.

More than 200 businesses have publicly backed change.

Australians don’t want division to be the default. When given a genuine choice, they’re choosing a way forward grounded in respect, truth and care.

Where to from here?

This is a moment.

A moment for leadership.

A moment for listening.

A moment to move beyond a date that hurts and toward something that brings people together.

If you believe in an Australia that can tell the truth about its past and create something better for the future, we invite you to stand with us.

1. Sign and share the Australian Long Weekend petition

2. Keep wearing your values and sparking conversations

Because change doesn’t happen in silence, it happens when people show up, together.

Always was. Always will be.