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Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard, second from left, is escorted out for safety by body guards and police through a crowd of rowdy protesters following a ceremony to mark Australia's national day in Canberra, Australia, Thursday. Pic: AP.

Australian govt, activists trade blame for clash

By AP News Fri, Jan 27, 2012 4:05PM UTC View Comments

SYDNEY (AP) — Authorities and indigenous-rights protesters blamed each other Friday for a heated clash in which bodyguards had to rush Prime Minister Julia Gillard out of an event marking the anniversary of British colonization. Gillard stumbled in Thursday’s fray and lost a shoe, which protesters scooped up after the rowdy demonstration in the capital...

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Angry Aborigines trap Aussie PM

By Rowena Dela Rosa Yoon Thu, Jan 26, 2012 4:28PM UTC View Comments

PM Minister Julia Gillard is bundled up her bodyguard against the mob

It could be one of the most dramatic moments to celebrate Australia Day. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard lost a shoe and was dragged by his bodyguard when an angry mob of indigenous people rounded up a restaurant in Capital Hill hunting for Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. The prime minister and the opposition leader were...

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Australia Day focuses on Aborigines, refugees

By Rowena Dela Rosa Yoon Thu, Jan 26, 2012 12:05PM UTC View Comments

Prime Minister Julia Gillard poses with Geoffrey Rush

This year’s Australia Day has seen both old and new issues come under the spotlight, including indigenous culture, asylum-seekers, gay marriage, and climate change. These issues, however, cannot be solely discussed through political means but through the arts. Academy-award winning actor Geoffrey Rush was named the 2012 Australian of the Year in a ceremony at the...

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Australian PM stumbles before angry protesters

By AP News Thu, Jan 26, 2012 6:45AM UTC View Comments

Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Pic: AP.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard stumbled and was caught by a security guard as riot police helped her force a path through a crowd of rowdy protesters following a ceremony to mark Australia’s national day. Some 200 supporters of indigenous rights surrounded a Canberra restaurant and banged its windows on Thursday...

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Reflections on Australia Day

By University of Sydney Tue, Jan 24, 2012 3:35AM UTC View Comments

This Australia Day members of the University of Sydney’s Department of History reflect on both the origins and current meaning of the day. Origins: Emeritus Professor Richard Waterhouse It became commonplace in early NSW for the first generation of native born European Australians to celebrate the European occupation of Sydney in 1788 by holding a...

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