The Cooks River in Sydney’s southwest could be renamed to honor the region’s Aboriginal heritage under a proposal supported by local government.
According to the ABC, the change was proposed by a group that is composed of local councils such as the ones in Strathfield, Canterbruy, and Bayside.
The proposal to change the name of the river to honor the area’s Aboriginal heritage comes as part of a collaboration project between the Cooks River Aboriginal alliance and Sydney Water.
The river was named after explorer and pioneer Captain James Cook.
The Cooks River flows through Sydney’s south-west and enters Botany Bay.
According to Gregory Andrews, the proposed change would bring back the region’s Aboriginal heritage and allow the community to recognize the river’s original name.
The proposed name change doesn’t detract from the achievements of Cook, who was an extraordinary explorer.
Mr Andrews noted that if Cook had known about the river’s current name, he would probably not have named it after him.
According to Mr Andrews, the river served as a way for Aboriginal people to escape from the British settlers.
It also served as a refuge for those who were known to be hostile to the settlers, such as Pemulwuy, a renowned Bidjigal warrior.
It’s also important for non-Aboriginal people to recognize the river’s name as a symbol of their heritage.
Kel Richards, a contributor for Sky News Australia, noted that about 75% of Australia’s four million place names are Indigenous.
When asked about the proposed name change, Mr Richards noted that there were various tribal groups around the river.
He said there was no evidence that they had the same name, as they were not able to write.
According to Mr Richards, the proposed name change was allegedly dreamt up by someone from one of the tribes around the river.
He noted that it was unnecessary and unhelpful. He also believed that the proposed name change was motivated by antipathy towards James Cook.
According to Mr Richards, Cook did not give the river a name when he first saw it. He recorded his observations in his journal.
During the early 1800s, people began referring to the river as the Cooks River.
According to Mr Richards, the proposed name change was motivated by antipathy towards Cook.
This was because he drew accurate maps, which no one else in the region had done for over 65,000 years.
Nadeena Dixon, an artist from Sydney, was also a part of the consultation process regarding the proposed name change.
The proposal to change the name of the river to “Goolay’yari” has not yet been approved by NSW’s Geographical Names Board.
A spokesperson for the organization noted that it hasn’t received a proposal regarding the change.