If you were hoping to wake up to an all ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi’ Australia Day this morning, then whatever you do, don’t log onto the world’s largest website.

In a stunning departure from convention, today’s ‘Google Doodle’ – the picture that adorns the Google logo, and changes based on the significance of the day – has delivered what surely must be the most overtly political statement in world Google history.

Over to Google for the explanation: “Doodle 4 Google 2015 was won by Ineka Voigt from Canberra High School in ACT, for her entry ‘Stolen Dreamtime’,” explains the corporate giant.

“In response to the theme of ‘If I could travel back in time I would…’ Ineka wrote “… I would reunite mother and child. A weeping mother sits in an ochre desert, dreaming of her children and a life that never was… all that remains is red sand, tears and the whispers of her stolen dreamtime”.

It’s hard to imagine a more pointed political statement – reminding non-Aboriginal Australians on Australia Day of the price that other people have paid for their privilege.

One of the judges for the Google Doodle is renowned Aboriginal artist Bronwyn Bancroft, along with ARTEXPRESS curator Leeanne Carr.

“Along with Google’s other judges [they]agreed that Ineka’s tremendous art work deserved pride of place on the Google homepage,” Leticia Lentini, Brand and Events Marketing Manager, Google Australia explains.

“It’s a powerful and beautiful image that is not only a brilliant artwork, but helps bring attention to the critical issue of reconciliation in Australia.

“We’re proud to have it on our homepage today.”

Which begs the question… if a foreign corporation can get it, why can’t the Australian Government? And why can’t most of the rest of our nation?

While globally, Google hosts a staggering 6 billion-plus searches a day, the Australian Google Doodle can only be seen from searches conducted in Australia – alas, Australia’s black past won’t be broadcast to the world.

Past Australia Day Google Doodles have been noticeably apolitical – pictured right, they include kids building a sand castle, some Australian bush scenes, fireworks, and the obligatory Australian wildlife artwork featuring a kangaroo.

On that front, there’s one small improvement Google might consider for next year.

The 2016 Google Doodle links to a search result listing ‘Australia Day’ – an explanation of the ‘commemoration’ around January 26, rather than a link to Invasion/Survival Day, and the reasons why it is so obviously grossly offensive. The latter might help ram home the point even more in 2017.

Even so, credit where it’s due – a global internet giant (and a young girl from Canberra) have just helped change the Australian conversation a little bit more.

Times, they definitely are ‘a changing.
https://newmatilda.com/2016/01/26/the-worlds-most-popular-website-just-ripped-the-rug-out-from-under-australia-day/
https://www.google.com.au

Couldnt just post it in your other thread?

-PB

Indigenous Google Doodle Goes Live, Divides Australia Day Opinion
HuffPost Australia | By   Sam McKeith
Email
Posted: 26/01/2016 12:25 AEST Updated: 1 hour ago GOOGLE AUSTRALIA

An artwork published by Google depicting the stolen generation has divided opinion, with a prominent indigenous activist labelling it "enormously disrespectful".

The doodle, titled "Stolen Dreamtime", was drawn by Canberra Year 10 student Ineka Voigt and purports to show an Aboriginal woman mourning her stolen children "and a life that never was".

The Google artwork was chosen from more than 26,000 entries as part of a competition between Australian school students.


Voigt is reportedly not Indigenous, but is said to have been inspired to create her work after being moved by what happened to the stolen generation.

The contest was judged by renowned Aboriginal artist Bronwyn Bancroft and ARTEXPRESS curator Leeanne Carr.

While the artwork has been met with some praise online, prominent Brisbane-based Indigenous activist Sam Watson called on the internet giant to remove it.

"If Google genuinely wanted to offer a statement in solidarity with our people and with our situation they should have approached Aboriginal interests and traditions and (then) commissioned a work of art," he told The Huffington Post Australia.

He took particular issue with what he said was the representation of a topless Indigenous woman with tribal markings painted on her body.

"The fact that we have an Aboriginal woman there with her breasts exposed is unacceptable, so they're using Aboriginal people as very plastic caricatures, showing enormous disrespect to our people and to our culture," he said.

Watson said the markings on the woman's body represented Aboriginal lore and Google needed permission from Indigenous groups before publishing it.

"Google certainly needs to seek permission from those lore groups to be able to reproduce those designs for commercial purposes," said the activist, who's an outspoken critic of Australia Day.

Google has been sought for comment on Watson's criticism.

Google certainly needs to seek permission from those lore groups to be able to reproduce those designs for commercial purposes