Australian PM proposes national holiday to celebrate indigenous history

Canberra : Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday proposed establishing a national day to celebrate the country's indigenous history.

Morrison raised the proposal amid renewed calls for the date of Australia Day to be changed out of respect for indigenous cultures, Xinhua news agency reported.

Currently celebrated annually on January 26, indigenous Australians refer to Australia Day as "Invasion Day", saying it commemorates the beginning of the death of their culture as a result of British settlement.

Morrison refused to engage in the debate around the date but did say it would be "good to have a chat" with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups about a new day of celebration.

"It should be a day for celebrating and acknowledging and respecting our Indigenous peoples ... and what they've been able to achieve over 60,000 years-plus," he told the media.