Until 2012, WA Day was known as Foundation Day. Apparently, this was because WA had been founded on 1 June 1829. Except it wasn't. Albany, on the south coast, with a magnificent deep water harbour, was founded on 26 December 1826, a full two and a bit years before Captain Stirling and his party were anywhere near the Swan River.
And anyway, another bloke named Captain Fremantle had sailed up the Swan River for a spot of exploring between 2 and 4 May 1829. Which is how Fremantle was given its name. Our hero Captain Stirling arrived on 31 May 1829. And they didn't found anything on 1 June as they were struggling to save a ship and plonked all the women and children either on another ship (if their husbands were officers) or on Carnac Island. Five days later, everybody was moved to Garden Island and the first settlement was established there. Then on 17 June, still on Garden Island, Captain Stirling read a proclamation to the assembled colonists.
So, 17 June could have been Foundation Day. Well, there was still the problem of a more permanent settlement, so on 12 August, the King's birthday, Perth was founded. Now that could have also been the date for Foundation Day.
Guildford, now a suburb of Perth and York, in the Avon Valley, were both established by the end of 1830. Albany, which probably should have been the capital, became an extremely important landing point being in the vicinity of the splendid King George Sound.
So Foundation Day became WA Day on 2012, on 1 June. Both sides of government were in consensus. The indigenous population, who I suspect had their wishes ignored, probably don't give a toss about the name that politicians chose. For them, that was the beginning of forced colonisation.
Hang on a minute. If WA Day falls on 1 June, we should have celebrated it two days ago, on Wednesday. That would have been no good then, as there would have been no long weekend. And although my calendar makes mention of the holiday on Monday, there is no mention whatsoever that WA Day was on Wednesday 1 June.
I am highly amused by all these shenanigans. The rest of the country celebrate the Queen's Birthday holiday on Monday 13 June. Which doesn't fall on 13 June. The Queen turned 90 0n 21 April, quite a while ago. But the English don't actually have a public holiday for her birthday. Celebrations tend to be held on a Saturday in June, when the fickle English weather tends to be more reliable for outdoor activities.
As for us, public holidays make absolutely no difference. The East End Gallery will be open on WA Day/Foundation Day as well as the Queen's Birthday holiday, even though we live in WA. So wherever you live in this great Southern Land, have a great long weekend this week or next week. Just don't pretend it has any real relevance to history!
Captain Stirling and his merry band, tryng to establish WA Day!
It's a holiday, for some of us...
Meanwhile, Albany, which has a far better harbour, should have been the capital.
Did anybody ask the first settlers if they preferred Foundation Day or WA Day?!
The Queen, whose birthday isn't in June...
how we wish this weekend's weather was...
how it's actually going to be...
but hey, it's a public holiday. Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment