A video by a Perth-based youth foundation has gone viral after the group decided to add their voices to the growing movement of people opposed to Australia Day being held on January 26.
Indigenous Communities Education and Awareness (ICEA) Foundation's video, shot in Mosman Park and featuring leaders from its Moorditj mob (youth board), aims to explain the difference between Australia Day and January 26.
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Reconciliation group call for Australia Day to be moved
The ICEA Foundation is urging the date of Australia day to be changed from January 26.
"No one is campaigning for the end of Australia Day, a day to celebrate everything that it means to be an Australian, including all cultural backgrounds - but why does it have to be January 26, is that really the best we can do?" the video says.
"After the flag drop, our Aboriginal brothers and sisters were dispossessed of land, culture rights and identity - this day [January 26] symbolises the start of that loss.
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"We can all agree that Australia Day is a fantastic tradition that deserves its place on the Australian calendar, but we can also agree that this day can happen any other day of the year, so how much does January 26 really mean to you, because it brings a whole lot of pain to a whole lot of people."
ICEA Foundation chief executive Tom Joyner said the video shared a message the group - which aims to inspire reconciliation through young people - felt very passionate about.
"The video was all about giving another perceptive and trying to add another angle to the argument because Australia Day is such a fantastic day and we've all grown up with it being a positive day," he said.
"When you start to look at what the history behind January 26 is, it becomes pretty clear it's a very ill fitting day for us to celebrate as a nation.
"We do all want a day that we can celebrate, but we should be able to find another day that doesn't offend our first nations."
The video, which has been viewed more than 120,000 times in less than 24 hours, comes as hundreds are expected to rally against the January 26 date in Fremantle on Thursday, while a separate rally is also expected to take place in the city on the same day.
"I think the response to the video reflects that there are a lot of people who are feeling the same way about Australia Day and hopefully we can keep the conversation going past tomorrow," Mr Joyner said.
In August, the City of Fremantle broke ranks from the rest of Australia and became the first council to publicly declare it would not celebrate Australia Day on January 26, due to "cultural insensitivities".
It has instead organised a One Day in Fremantle alternative community event on January 28.
The port city's decision, led by consultation with Aboriginal elders and community leaders, was met with mixed reactions of support and backlash, both from the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community.
The Turnbull government wrote to the council threatening to revoke its citizenship ceremonies if they were held on any other day other than January 26.
Meanwhile, private businesses in Fremantle opposed to changing the date Australia Day is celebrated have funded their own fireworks display to take place on Thursday night.
Premier Colin Barnett said on Wednesday morning that the City of Fremantle had "no right, no right at all to interfere with Australia's national day".
Australia Day has been recognised by Australian states and territories since 1935 but was not a celebrated as a public holiday until 1994.
For Indigenous Australians, January 26 has been marked as a day of mourning since 1938.