January 26 marks the beginning of British invasion in 1788 — a date that represents dispossession, violence, and survival for First Nations peoples.

Before invasion, this continent was made up of hundreds of sovereign First Nations, each with its own laws, cultures, and deep connections to Country.

After invasion, Australia became the site of widespread frontier violence.

Historians have documented hundreds of frontier massacre sites across the continent, where First Nations people were killed as settlers expanded into their lands. These were not isolated events — they formed a sustained pattern of invasion, resistance, and repression that shaped the nation we live in today.

This comparison is not about the past being “long ago.”

It is about understanding why January 26 is not a day of celebration for many, and why truth-telling matters.