A proposal to hold a public holiday on Reconciliation Day has drawn "outright racist" responses from a minority of Canberrans.
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The ACT government is planning to replace the Queen's birthday or family and community public holiday, and hired a consultant to gauge community views.
It was hoped changing one of the public holidays to mark Reconciliation Day would help promote unity and healing, and recognise the significant contribution of Indigenous Australians in the ACT.
The feedback was mostly positive, but consultant Roz Chivers described some responses as simply racist.
"Those not in support typically saw this as an attack on the monarchy and republicanism by stealth; didn't understand that this was a celebration for all Australians not just the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community or were racist," she wrote in her final report.
Some of those opposed to the idea described it as "divisive", "gratuitous", and "pandering" to a small portion of the population.
One respondent wrote: "What is being proposed is an insult and a mockery of our history. Atrocities have occurred on this land as they have occurred elsewhere in the world but we should stop dragging up the past and dwelling on the 'victim' status."
The overwhelming majority believed having a Reconciliation Day public holiday would be "brilliant", showed "maturity", and would help to reflect on Australia's history while finding "unity in moving forward".
Of 94 submissions, 70 were in support, 14 against, and 10 were unsure.
The online survey resulted in 106 positive responses from 150.
"Having a Reconciliation Day public holiday would be a sign of the maturity of our community, to celebrate and to acknowledge the respect we want to achieve both now and into the future," one respondent said.
"It would give us time to reflect on what has been, acknowledge the history and find unity in moving forward."
Those who attended a public forum and two focus groups were vastly in support.
Ms Chivers final report recommended the Reconciliation Day public holiday be trialled in 2017.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Minister Chris Bourke, tabling the report in the Legislative Assembly this week, said 2017 was a significant year for reconciliation.
It is the 50th anniversary of the referendum to include Indigenous Australians in the census and allow the Commonwealth to make laws for them, and 25 years since the landmark Mabo decision.
But Dr Bourke moved a motion on Thursday which recommends the replacement public holiday be trialled in 2018, not 2017.
He recommended that significant public events be to mark the anniversaries of the 1967 referendum and Mabo decision.
"Today, we have made a significant step in progressing the work of reconciliation in the ACT," Dr Bourke said.
"I am confident that Reconciliation Day will be embraced by Canberrans as an opportunity to reflect upon Reconciliation as well as to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and history - our collective Canberran identity."
