A lone protester wearing a painted shirt declaring there's "no pride in genocide" maintained a quiet vigil through the speeches, awards and performances during the Australia Day celebration at Cook Park on Saturday.
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Sixteen-year-old Tobi Dzwonczyk was confronted by two people during the awards who disagreed with the protest about changing the date to one everyone can celebrate.
"I think it's very stupid to have Australia Day [on January 26]," Tobi said.
"We are celebrating a day when the English came over, they were raping people, they just took the land from the Australian people.
"I don't think this is fair to be celebrating this when what we've done to them.
"I'm not saying we shouldn't have Australia Day but move it to another day."
Tobi said January 26 should be made a national apology day and suggested May 26, National Sorry Day, as a more suitable date because it could include all Australians.
However, Tobi said it was a conversation that needed to include Aboriginal people.
Although people who were invited to join in the protest backed out, Tobi decided to persevere and do it alone.
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Tanya Marschke
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
