The iconic Australian landmark and popular tourist hotspot could soon be renamed to reflect its Aboriginal heritage
- Blue Mountains could soon be renamed
- Proposal to include ‘Gulu-mada’ in the name
A popular tourist spot with nature lovers and hikers, it may soon be officially known by its aboriginal name.
The New South Wales Geographical Names Board (GNB) will consider naming a section of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney this week Gulu-mada.
The title would appear alongside the current English name, making the Blue Mountains the latest landmark to adopt a dual title.
The iconic tourist spot, The Blue Mountains (pictured), could soon see a name change as the NSW Geographical Names Board considers adding its aboriginal name ‘Gulu-mada’
Uluru/Ayers Rock in the Northern Territory and Fraser Island/K’Gari are among the other natural sites with two names.
The Blue Mountains Council estimated that around 4.4 million people visited the landmark on the outskirts of Sydney between 2020 and 2021.
The GNB will decide whether the proposal proceeds to the next name change step, where members of the public can express their views.
However, the decision to allow it to go into public comment may take weeks of deliberation among board members, news.com.au informed.
Renaming a feature or place using an Aboriginal name or language must also have involved the local Aboriginal community.
The name must also comply with the GNB Place Naming Policy and have the support of the local council or administering government department.
“Many geographic features already have traditional names used by the local Aboriginal community prior to European settlement,” the GNB website reads.
‘Aboriginal place naming is critical to language revitalization as it helps awaken, preserve and grow Aboriginal languages in NSW and strengthens First NSW people’s connections to culture and identity.
‘The NSW Government is committed to recognizing Aboriginal cultural heritage by registering original Aboriginal-given place names to match existing European names.’
A total of 45 have been assigned to locations across the state since the government supported a dual-naming policy in 2001.
The national park, which is visited by some 4.4 million people a year, would be added to a list of 45 English-Aboriginal named places in the state (file image)
Three place name proposals are currently open for public comment, all for areas in and around Byron Bay, along the New South Wales and Queensland border.
Two of the proposals suggest that Picabeen Park and the Cape Byron promontory, where the famous Byron Bay lighthouse resides, are given the dual name of Walgun, which translates to “shoulder” in the Bundjalung language.
The Byron Bay proposals came just after Queensland’s Fraser Island was renamed K’gari at the behest of the local Butchulla people on June 7.
Elders campaigned for decades against naming the island after Captain James Fraser and his wife Eliza, who were shipwrecked on the island in 1836 along with 18 crew and passengers.
“It really has been a long process and now that the official name of the place is being changed is a great achievement for our people,” said Chantel Van Wamelen, Butchulla Land and Sea Ranger Coordinator.
“We have such a unique ecosystem here and there are such rich cultural and environmental values on this island.”
