|
|
|
 
|
|
Indigenous Place Names
Naming Victoria's Landscape: Respect and Recognition of Indigenous Culture In the Name of Reconciliation Victoria's Indigenous heritage is part of our everyday life. Ballarat, Bulleen, Corangamite, Corryong, Dandenong, Echuca, Geelong, Kooyong, Maribyrnong, Maroondah, Mildura, Mitta Mitta, Moorabbin, Murrumbeena, Tambo, Warrnambool, Yarra. These and thousands of other Indigenous place names are part of how we acknowledge the Indigenous communities’ traditional ownership of the land. New names - Wurundjeri Way in Melbourne’s Docklands, Birrarung Marr, Melbourne’s new major parkland - keep awareness of our Indigenous heritage. The link between place names, our Indigenous heritage and reconciliation is important to Victoria. To help advance reconciliation with Australia’s Indigenous communities, Victoria is committed to encouraging greater respect and understanding of Indigenous place names. (Place names, or geographic place names, identify the geographical places and natural features of our state’s landscape. These places and features include cities, towns, streets, parks, reserves and trails.)
The importance of land and the duty of care for ‘Country’ are very significant for Indigenous people. Their attachment to land operates at the physical, emotional and spiritual level. There is a growing depth of understanding and valuing of Indigenous language and culture and its expression in describing and naming our landscape. The Victorian Government, in supporting Australia’s Council for Reconciliation, encourages the greater use of Indigenous names in Victoria through place naming. Victoria’s Registrar of Geographic Names works with councils and other place naming authorities to:
In fostering the use and awareness of Indigenous place names, Victoria wants names that are accurate and appropriate. The widespread use of Indigenous names provides a strong connection to our Indigenous heritage and acknowledges Indigenous culture. However some names may not be strictly accurate because of unfamiliarity with Indigenous language and culture at the time they were originally recorded. Most of the Indigenous languages did not have a written form when Victoria’s places and features were being named under European settlement (although some Indigenous communities used message sticks to convey information between groups). The people who first recorded fragments of these languages were not linguists paying careful attention to subtleties of pronunciation they were generally surveyors and explorers, who were usually the first Europeans to travel through the land and record names in their maps, charts and fieldbooks. These often became the official names. Proposing an Indigenous place name - the preferred use Unnamed features of our landscape are a focus for Victoria’s Indigenous naming initiatives. Traditional Indigenous names for these features is encouraged and preferred, subject to agreement from the relevant Indigenous communities. In addition to traditional Indigenous place names, the use of a word from an Indigenous language may also be used. Victoria’s use of Indigenous place names or words follows the guidelines provisionally adopted in October 1992 by the Committee for Geographical Names in Australasia (CGNA), the peak national body for place names. These guidelines recognise the need for:
Victoria’s place naming legislation is the Geographic Place Names Act 1998, and the Guidelines for Geographic Names. Under this framework, an Indigenous name can be assigned to:
So, how can you become involved in the place naming process? You can initiate a naming proposal. A naming authority, community group or member of the public can initiate proposals. If you are interested in naming or altering the name of a place, contact the appropriate council or other naming authority (for example VicRoads, Parks Victoria). Each naming authority may have a slightly different place naming policy. Staff will be able to advise you of the requirements for submitting a place naming proposal. Following the correct process Before submitting a proposal to a naming authority that seeks to use an Indigenous name, it is essential to ensure that the proposed name is relevant to the area and has the agreement of the relevant Indigenous communities. Consultation with Indigenous Communities Indigenous people are the primary source of information relating to Indigenous language, culture and heritage. It is essential that they play a role in assigning Indigenous place names as these names serve as records of Indigenous history and often reflect spiritual values. Victoria has many groups of Indigenous peoples with many different language groupings. Indigenous names or words from a particular language area may be proposed for places in another language area, subject to consultation with and consent of the relevant Indigenous communities in both areas. Consultation and negotiation with the relevant Indigenous communities is essential in the place naming process. The level of consultation rests with the responsible naming authority. Time frames for consultation with Indigenous communities may be longer than anticipated as the decision-making process requires consensus by all who have responsibility in providing comment on a particular issue. Some Indigenous communities may have developed protocols for consultation in their area. Such community protocols should be followed as closely as possible. The Regional Cultural Heritage Program (RCHP), set up by Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, is a useful source of information and contacts. The RCHP Co-ordinators can assist you to identify the relevant Indigenous communities that should be consulted in place naming proposals. You will need to check with your naming authority, usually your local council, for the format and process to be followed in making a proposal. As a minimum, a proposal should set out the:
Once a proposal is submitted to the relevant naming authority for consideration, the naming authority checks the validity of the proposal. This involves a preliminary test to determine its conformity with naming principles as outlined in the Guidelines for Geographic Names. The next stage involves preparing documentation for consultation with all interested parties. Comments are sought from the community or interested bodies before the naming authority makes a determination and submits the naming proposal to the Registrar of Geographic Names. The Registrar of Geographic Names undertakes a compliance audit of the naming process to ensure that the process followed accords with the principles, policies and procedures in the Guidelines for Geographic Names. The name is then legally assigned by publishing an appropriate notice in the Victoria Government Gazette. The name is then included in the Victorian Register of Geographic Names (VICNAMES). Responsibility within the naming process Naming authorities determine the names of places and features of local significance. In most cases, the local council is the naming authority for naming geographical places within its municipality. The naming of places of special character that are considered to be of regional, state or national significance, may require the Government to seek advice from a special committee convened by the Registrar of Geographic Names. This is to ensure that the strong affiliation all Victorians have for these special places is recognised. Where to go for assistance Assistance or advice on proposed Indigenous names, Indigenous languages and writing systems can be obtained from: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) Lawson Crescent Acton ACT or GPO Box 553 Canberra ACT 2601 T +61 2 6246-1111 F +61 2 6261-4285 Website www.aiatsis.gov.au Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages (VACL) 295 King St Melbourne VIC 3000 T +61 3 9600 3811 F +61 3 9600 4277 Website www.vaclang.org.au Australian National Placenames Survey Macquarie University Sydney NSW 2109 T +61 2 9850-7937 F +61 2 9850-8240 Website www.anps.mq.edu.au For further information contact: The Registrar of Geographic Names Level 17, 570 Bourke Street Melbourne VIC 3000 T +61 3 8636 2525 F +61 3 8636 2588 E geo.names@dse.vic.gov.au This document was last reviewed on 28/02/2008.
© 2007 by the State of Victoria
|
