Since 1994, Australia Day has been marked on 26 January with a national public holiday.

Some Australians have traditionally enjoyed a day off, with some choosing to host barbecues to enjoy the summer weather, while thousands of migrants also become Australian citizens at ceremonies held across the country.

But for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people - and an increasing number of non-Indigenous people who stand in support of them - 26 January is a day of mourning and is referred to as Invasion Day or Survival Day.

The conversation surrounding changing the date of Australia Day from January 26 has become steadily more mainstream in the last few years.

In the past few years, large-scale Invasion Day rallies have made mainstream headlines, youth radio station triple j announced they would be moving the Hottest 100 from January 26 in order to depoliticise the music countdown and make it available to all Australians, and usage of the #ChangeTheDate hashtag on social media has become widely recognised.

Thousands of people are gathering at Invasion Day rallies across the country, backing Indigenous calls for a change or abolishment of Australia Day.

The Australia Day holiday, held on the same date that Arthur Phillip hoisted the British flag at Sydney Cove in 1788, is referred to by many Indigenous communities as Invasion Day or Survival Day.

Thousands of Australians protested against the anniversary of British colonisation on Friday, with large crowds across the country calling for Australia Day to be moved and for a day of mourning to instead be held on what they call “Invasion Day”.