While most Australians took a day off on Australia/Invasion Day this year, MJD Foundation's staff were having one of their most productive days in the office.
The Darwin-based Machado-Joseph disease-focused non-profit decided this year it would no longer recognise January 26 as a public holiday, instead opting to change the day off to Mabo Day on June 3.
MJD chief executive Nadia Lindop said working with Indigenous clients and celebrating Australia Day did not sit right with the organisation.
"It felt really strange that there was all this talk happening and we're still recognizing Australia Day which is often quite hurtful and offensive to many of our families that we are supporting," she said.
"We were hoping and waiting that we'd see that leadership from the government around the change the date campaign."
https://www.nit.com.au/mabos-grandson-in-push-to-make-mabo-day-a-national-public-holiday/
MJD instead found Change It Ourselves, a website which sets out a guide for companies to choose their own date to recognise a public holiday.
That site walks companies through how to legally change the date public holidays are observed, a process which took MJD about two months.
As a result, MJD's staff now have an extra public holiday in the Top End's dry season, and have found January 26 to be a chance to catch up on work.
Ms Lindop said the work required to comply with laws was worth the effort.
"Our staff are proud, our clients are proud and, more importantly, it's 30 years next week since that very important Mabo decision in the High Court, and we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate that," she said.
Mabo's late wife had called on the Federal Government to make Mabo day a public holiday many years ago... and that was overwhelmingly what what our clients, families and our staff wanted to recognize.
"All of our staff except for one voted in favor and the only staff member that didn't voted that we should keep both as a public holiday."
The Change it Ourselves campaign was launched in Melbourne in 2018 and today counts brands such as Amnesty International, Lush, Marque Lawyers and Future Super among its signatories.
