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Queensland Government Responds After Hundreds Sign Petition To Change Place Names Linked To Slavery

Queensland Government Responds After Hundreds Sign Petition To Change Place Names Linked To Slavery

Petitioners say there are plenty of locations in the Sunshine State with links to slavery and need to be changed.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

The Queensland government has responded to a call to change the names of some places, towns and areas dotted around the state due to links with slavery.

Tony Magrathea submitted the official petition to the state government website, where it amassed nearly 400 signatures.

The petition said: "Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House places in Queensland have been named after British aristocrats and politicians who were slave traders or pro-slavery in their public life.

"Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to discover and rename all places named for British aristocrats and politicians who were in favour of slavery or who voted against the slavery abolition laws introduced in Britain in the early part of the 19th century.

"The first to be considered should be Russell Island named for Lord Russell who voted against slavery abolition."

Russell Island Real Estate

According to News Corp, places like Townsville, Mackay, Gladstone, McIlwraith and the Division of Dickson are linked to people who either supported slavery, colonialism or 'blackbirding', which was the process of kidnapping Pacific Islanders and using them as forced labour in Australia.

The petition closed last month and the Queensland government has now responded.

Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham said his government has been working to remove some names that have links to controversial pasts.

He wrote: "I am aware that some place names chosen in the past might not be considered appropriate today. In recent years the department has been removing racist names that are clearly inappropriate."

The department has already changed the name of two areas that served as 'hurtful' reminders to the local Indigenous community. Over the past year, Jim Crow Mountain in the Rockhampton area was renamed Baga and Mount Wheeler is now named Gai-i.

Minister Lynham said the review process to other names is always open, however it is 'important to remember that regardless of their origins, any place name changes need to be thoroughly considered'.

He's invited people who still find locations hurtful to apply to their department with more detail about the issue.

He wrote: "If they still wish to make a naming suggestion they should provide more information about the suggestion, as detailed on the website."

Featured Image Credit: WikiTownsvillian

Topics: News, Australia