As the long summer holidays draw to a close, Australia’s malcontents have roused themselves for their annual attack on Australia’s national identity. They include the tone-deaf occupants of Australian boardrooms who have learned nothing from the resounding defeat of the Voice to parliament at last year’s referendum.

Leading the charge of the woke brigade this year is Woolworths. Rather than helping Australians survive the cost-of-living crisis, Woolworths thought it would be a good idea to trumpet its elitist disdain for Australia Day by drawing attention to the fact that it would not be stocking Australia Day merchandise this year ‘due to a lack of demand’ but also because of a ‘broader discussion about January 26 and what it means to different parts of the community’. No surprises here since Woolworths trumpeted its support for the Voice via megaphones in its Big W stores.

Given that opinion polls show that support for celebrating Australia Day on January 26 is shared by even more people than turned out to reject the Voice, there was nothing smart about the decision.

A recent poll conducted by the Institute of Public Affairs shows that 87 per cent of those sampled are proud to be Australian

The question for the South African-born CEO of Woolworths, Brad Banducci, however, is this: if you aren’t proud to be Australian, why not?

Australia is not burdened with South Africa’s history. It had the good fortune to be settled by British colonists who shared a profound belief in the equality of all people and who were motivated by the desire to abolish slavery not just throughout the British Empire but the entire world.

Australia is one of the very few countries that have never been stained by the abominable practice of slavery. Very few nations can say that. Indeed, some 167 countries practise some form of slavery on some 46 million people predominantly living in India, China, North Korea, Nigeria, Iran, Indonesia, Congo, Russia, the Philippines, and Afghanistan.

Australia has also never been torn about by the horror of civil war. On the contrary, from the earliest days of settlement, an ethos of egalitarianism fostered Australian liberalism and the evolution of the Australian colonies into one of the world’s longest-established and most stable democracies.

Freedom of the press was instituted in 1824. Responsible government was introduced in New South Wales in 1856. The secret ballot was invented the same year. Universal male suffrage, including for indigenous men, was introduced in NSW two years later.

Free education commenced in 1872. Women were granted the vote in South Australia in 1894 and in federal elections in 1902. Edith Cowan became the first woman to be elected to an Australian parliament (in Western Australia) in 1921 and in 1943 women were elected to the upper and lower houses of the Commonwealth parliament.

From the earliest days of settlement, Australian colonies did not have an aristocracy but a wealthy class of self-made people. Unburdened by the crippling limitations of a rigid class structure, Australian ingenuity has made the world a better place. Inventive Australians like Howard Florey turned a useless mould into penicillin, the drug that has probably saved more lives than any other in human history. Professor Graeme Clark ended profound deafness through his invention of the cochlear ear implant. Dr David Warren invented the black box flight recorder, which has made commercial air travel safer than any other form of transport. Professor Fiona Wood invented spray-on skin. Dr Mark Lidwill and physicist Edgar Booth invented the pacemaker. Lars and Jens Rasmussen invented the Google Maps platform. John O’Sullivan and the CSIRO developed Wi-Fi. David Robinson and George Kossof invented the ultrasound scanner. Louis Brennan invented the underwater torpedo. Charles Tait shot the first feature film. Gilbert Tony invented the Hills Hoist. Cyril Percy Callister invented Vegemite, and James Harrison invented the ether liquid-vapour compression system used in refrigeration systems and air conditioners.

As well as these inventive contributions, everyday Australians fought and died in world wars to preserve democratic freedom and human rights for people everywhere and to defeat fascism and communism.

If you aren’t grateful to be Australian, why not? You’ve won first prize in the lottery of life. If you think Australia, or the world, could be a better place, what are you waiting for? You come from a long line of Australians who thought like you do and did something about it.

This Australia Day, as we celebrate the miracle of peace and prosperity that is modern Australia, enjoy an ice-cold beverage and drink a toast to Mr Harrison and to ordinary Australians who have a proud history of doing extraordinary things. Long may that spirit flourish in this wide, brown land.