Australia Day Sparks Deep Celebrity Divide Over National Holiday
The annual Australia Day celebrations on Monday revealed a profound split among the nation's celebrities, highlighting the ongoing national debate surrounding the controversial date of January 26th. While millions across the country marked the public holiday, prominent figures took starkly opposing positions on whether the day represents celebration or commemoration of colonial invasion.
The Historical Significance Behind the Division
January 26th marks the anniversary of the First Fleet's arrival at Sydney Cove in 1788, when British forces raised the Union Flag to claim sovereignty over the continent. For many Indigenous Australians, this date symbolises the beginning of violent dispossession, cultural destruction, and ongoing trauma for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This historical context forms the foundation of the contemporary debate that has now reached celebrity circles.
Celebrities Standing with First Nations Communities
Several high-profile Australians used their platforms to support Indigenous perspectives on what many refer to as Invasion Day. Former Bachelor star Abbie Chatfield, 30, posted a satirical Instagram video showing her buying ice cream and stickers for her Aboriginal best friend, accompanied by the caption: "Paying for everything for my best friend on Invasion Day every year because he's Aboriginal and I'm descended from convicts."
Chatfield clarified that her video was intended as satire, acknowledging that "a sprinkle ice cream definitely doesn't makeup for much" in terms of reparations for colonisation. She directed her followers to Pay The Rent, a First Nations charity initiative comprising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives alongside allied administrative support.
Brooke Blurton, another former Bachelor franchise star and youth worker, attended an Invasion Day Rally in Melbourne. The 31-year-old appeared at the front of the Parliament House gathering wearing a Clothing The Gaps T-shirt bearing the message "Not The Date To Celebrate." Photographs captured Blurton wiping away tears during a minute of silence before applauding speeches at the protest.
Also present at the Melbourne rally was 2024 MasterChef winner Nathale Thaipun, who wore a hat featuring three hearts in Aboriginal flag colours. Meanwhile, Network Ten presenter Narelda Jacobs attended a local First Nations market with her partner Karina Natt and their daughter Sanna.
Jacobs shared a throwback clip from Studio Ten six years earlier in which she stated: "Celebrating Australia Day on January 26 is offensive to a whole group of people. It's almost like dancing on someone's grave." The 50-year-old journalist suggested moving the celebration to "the third Monday or the second last Monday of every January" to create a more inclusive national day.
Celebrities Embracing Traditional Australia Day Celebrations
On the opposing side of the debate, prominent figures proudly celebrated Australia Day in traditional fashion. Today show host Karl Stefanovic posed with his wife Jasmine and daughter Harper while holding an Australian flag during a Sydney Harbour boat trip. The television personality later told news.com.au that Australia is a "f***ing great country" while criticising what he described as "woke" culture.
Former Olympic swimmer Lisa Curry, 63, and her husband Mark Andrew Tabone celebrated during their Canadian trip, sharing photographs wearing bucket hats featuring Australian and Canadian flags. Tabone wrote: "After travelling to so many different countries, Australia is definitely the best place to live!"
Former Married At First Sight participant Hayley Vernon shared a blunt Australia Day message on her Instagram Stories alongside an Australian flag, while model Laura Csortan posted video footage of a car driving along a beach with an Australian flag, captioned: "If this flag offends you, we welcome you to leave this beautiful country."
The Broader Cultural Conversation
The celebrity divide reflects wider Australian society's grappling with national identity, historical recognition, and reconciliation. Clothing The Gaps, the Aboriginal-owned business behind Blurton's protest T-shirt, actively campaigns to change Australia Day's date from January 26th. Their presence at protests alongside celebrity supporters demonstrates how commercial enterprises are engaging with this cultural conversation.
As television stars, sporting legends, and entertainment figures take increasingly public positions, the Australia Day debate continues to evolve beyond political circles into mainstream cultural discourse. The contrasting approaches—from attending Invasion Day rallies to hosting harbour celebrations—illustrate how deeply this national conversation has penetrated Australian celebrity culture and public life.
