Australia Day was not a public holiday when I was at school so I don't think anyone had a view - I don't recall it being taught as a key date in Australia's at that time either. It's solemn observance is a very recent "culture war" thing. As for the other things, we did have unexplained deaths and illnesses and several kids had "behavioural problems" or were considered "sub normal" and I remember one "sissy" kid committing suicide. This was in the 1970s.
