“It would just be so good if we could change the date. I would love so much for everyone in Australia to be able to celebrate Australia on a day that isn’t severely traumatic and awful for our Indigenous culture. I encourage everyone to get around that. If you feel like you don’t have enough information, have a conversation,” she instructed. “That’s how my view was changed, because growing up I had celebrated Australia Day, but I just didn’t know any better. It took me to have conversations with Indigenous friends and work colleagues to truly understand the meaning of the day in the Indigenous culture … and it’s not good.”Miles then shared a photo from the Invasion Day rally, adding the caption: “Be the change”.
But videos posted later in the day to her Instagram account showed Miles, post-protest, downing shots at a raucous Australia Day backyard pool party.The jarring shift did not go unnoticed by many of her 213,000 followers, who flooded her photo uploaded from the pool party with comments. “Very conflicting messages you’re sending out today. Change the date or continue to have bogan p*ss ups?” one follower asked.
“She really had us in the first half hey … hope you enjoyed your Invasion Day party! Hope the rally didn’t take up too much of your day,” said another. “You’ve really let everyone down, going to an Australia Day party after getting your 5min photo at the rally. Disappointed,” was another top-rated comment. “So you expect anyone to believe the sh*t you say when in the same day you post stories on change the date AND then an Aus Day party you attended? So dumb and gross,” wrote another.
Miles isn’t the only well-known Aussie to land in hot water for her seemingly contradictory attitude towards the increasingly contentious public holiday. Fashion designer Pip Edwards yesterday shared a letter titled “no cause to celebrate” with her 172,000 followers on Instagram that implored for January 26 to be abandoned as a day of national celebration.
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But just hours later she shared a series of photos and videos of herself at a gathering marking the day, writing: “A day to celebrate the land that we live and thrive on. I love you, Australia.”She also shared a series of videos in her backyard, showing her enjoying a meal of barbecued prawns and chicken with a group of friends, including cricketer boyfriend Michael Clarke.In one video, Edwards and the group raise a “dual” flag that has the Australian flag on one side and the Aboriginal flag on the other.But commenters pointed out the Aboriginal flag was upside down.
Australia Day survey
Several other Australian stars have spoken out in recent days about the Australia Day date change debate, with Chris and Liam Hemsworth, Abbie Chatfield, The Veronicas and MasterChef judge Melissa Leong imploring their followers to educate themselves on the history surrounding the ongoing debate.
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