Letter to The Editor - Why not an extra public holiday sometime else in the year which could be dedicated to the achievements of the Aboriginal peoples?

To The Age         Nick Toovey unfairly depreciates the significance of Australia Day in our history (28/1). He sees it as a celebration of the day "when the British arrived as conquering colonials." However, January 26 is also the date on which the people of this continent obtained an entry into a modern civilisation and the shared benefits of its growth here over more than two centuries. Moreover, the celebration is much more a source of unity among Australians than a cause of division. It's better to be positive and creative in these matters, rather than resentful and unfair. Why not an extra public holiday sometime else in the year which could be dedicated to the achievements of the Aboriginal peoples? It could be called simply Indigenous Day.
  Nigel Jackson, Belgrave