January 26 marks the anniversary of Captain Arthur Philip arriving with the First Fleet in Port Jackson, New South Wales.

And while some people see it as a day for barbeques and the Australian flag, others see it as a day of mourning and invasion after more than 60,000 years of Indigenous occupation.

It is unlikely the streets of Katherine will swell to extremes with protestors this year, but a quiet resistance is taking place.

Last year, Katherine Town Council Alderman Toni Tapp Coutts sat Australia day out. She didn't participate in the council's annual Australia Day awards, and she definitely didn't have a bbq.

"I think we have to have the debate about Australia Day and who were the first owners of this land," she said.

"It is uncomfortable for me and it's uncomfortable or many others, but nothing changes if we don't confront our history."

Initially, reactions within council were not positive, Mrs Tapp Coutts said. "But then my peers became more respectful."

Over the past five years, calls to change the date, or abolish Australia day all together, have grown louder and louder.

But in Katherine, Mrs Tapp Coutts said that while many people agree with her, they are less likely to be vocal about it.

"Most people don't want to celebrate when we have such rife poverty in our communities, over representation of Indigenous people in prison, homelessness and health issues," she said.

"We need to look at changing the date - there are many others that are more inclusive and not offensive to our first nations people."

Kamahi Djordon King is a Gurindji man from Katherine and a multi-talented artist and activist who has played the Northern Territory queen, Constantina Bush, since 2008. He says the celebration is "insensitive".

"Australia Day is meant to be inclusive, but because it is held around the time that is sensitive to our First Nation's, it is not taking their feelings into consideration at all," he said.

A multitude of alternatives have been thrown into the debate: May 27 marks the day in 1967 Australia held a referendum to include Indigenous Australians in the census count, or May 9, the date in 1901, Australia became a self-governing country.

But Mr King says he backs May 8, a day holding no precise significance yet, other than that it sounds like 'mate', which is very Australian.

"There is a great groundswell to change the date to May 8," he said.

"These people are saying why we need to change it and we need to listen."

Richard Starr has never celebrated Australia Day. It is a conscious decision to challenge the status quo.

"We take modern Australia for granted, we don't appreciate the history pre federation," he said.

"Unless we've talked to an Aboriginal Elder or read the history of massacres or lived in the Territory and heard the stories about how things used to be, there seems to be a lack of understanding."

Since moving to the Northern Territory in 2010 to teach music to youth in schools and remote communities, he said he has learnt an immense amount.

"The injustices that happened in the past need to be recognised, and by sitting [Australia Day] out, we're challenging the status quo."

Mr Starr says he is also aware of the growing movement, and through his work in communities has found that young people are politically engaged and eager for change.

However, they are not given the opportunity to have their voices heard, he said.

"They feel powerless."

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