Two iconic tourist sites in northern NSW will be officially known by their Aboriginal names after calls from the community to recognize their important cultural heritage.
Walgan, which means “shoulder” in the Bundjalung language, will be the double name for Cape Byron, the easternmost point of the Australian continent.
The area is a popular tourist location in Byron Bay and is important to the Arakwal and other Bundjalung peoples as a place for important gatherings and ceremonial practices.
Nguthungulli, considered the Father of the World, will be the double name of Julian Rocks, one of the best diving sites in Australia located 2.5 km from Cape Byron.
The easternmost point of the Australian continent, Cape Byron (photo), will be renamed Walgan, meaning “shoulder” in the Bundjalung language.
This is an important and sacred Aboriginal site associated with several dream stories of the Arakwal and other Bundjalung peoples.
The NSW Geographic Names Board has approved a National Parks and Wildlife Service proposal to officially give areas dual names.
The board and Byron Shire Council will also officially name a reserve in the suburb of Bangalow as Piccabeen Park.
“Piccabeen” is a Bundjalung word used to describe the Bangalow palm and the baskets made from its leaves.
The move comes after Queensland’s Fraser Island was renamed K’gari in 2023 and the magnetic island last month became Yunbenum.
In 2020, the King Leopold Ranges in Western Australia became the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges, while moves are underway to rename Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, with Galgabba being one of the options being considered.
Customer Service Minister Jihad Dib said the NSW Government was committed to preserving and promoting Indigenous language and culture through place naming.
“All Australians share a relationship with the land and the names we give places convey their meaning, their sense of history and their identity,” he said.
“The dual naming recognizes the importance of Aboriginal culture and represents a significant step towards the process of unity in New South Wales. »
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaties David Harris said the Arakwal and other people of Bundjalung have had unbroken connections to these places through their history, kinship and language since the first sunrise.
“It is only right that we honor this history and connection through names that bring the history and language to life for all Australians to enjoy,” he said.
Julian Rocks dive site will be renamed Nguthungulli, meaning Father of the World
