Quite a few Australians have come to conclude the Australia Day public holiday should be moved to create a permanent long weekend. I had the idea over the summer of 2021-22. But it sat in my head with no action. The complaints and protests about the date of Australia Day in 2023 and 2024 motivated me to try and do something to solve the problem. 

Several alternatives were considered and I contacted hundreds of individuals and organisations for their views. In July 2024, I became aware that Phil Jenkyn, Elizabeth Elliot and Geoff Cousins had reached the same conclusion as me and, between us, the final form of the proposal was cast as follows. 

The Australia Long Weekend will be created by shifting the existing public holiday on 26 January – which would retain the name Australia Day – to the second last Monday in January.

This means that we would always have a three day break occurring between 18-24 January each year providing an extended period for friends and family to come together during the summer holiday season. 

We need the three days of the Australia Long Weekend to celebrate all that is good about our diverse nation, while also providing an opportunity for reflection on the past and future, and for respect to be shown to our First Nations People, our institutions and our multicultural society. 

If you support the notion of an Australia Long Weekend, I would greatly appreciate it if you expressed this by signing the Australia Long Weekend petition which is now ready to receive signatures. Please click on https://www.change.org/australialongweekend and add your signature to the petition. 

I want all Australian citizens to be able to celebrate this great nation however they choose and at a time that is acceptable to all. The proposed Australia Long Weekend in January offers an opportunity for unity and would be a powerful force for good.