The Geographical Names Board is seeking community feedback on a proposal by Professor Grace Karskens to dual name Bardenarang Gully as Badu Narang.
Chair of the Geographical Names Board, Narelle Underwood, said the Board is committed to reawakening Aboriginal place names.
“Through place naming, communities have the opportunity to unlock past stories, preserve traditions, reawaken language and provide a sense of belonging and identity,” Mrs Underwood said.
“Dual naming supports recognition and revival of Aboriginal languages. “We want to make sure the local community has an opportunity to provide their feedback on the proposed name.”
The gully flows north from Pitt Town Lagoon into the Hawkesbury River in Pitt Town, in the Hawkesbury local government area.
Badu Narang is believed to be the name given by Darug people to the Reverend John McGarvie in the late 1820s as the name for present-day Bardenarang Gully.
McGarvie included this name in his 1829 ‘List of Native Names for Places on the Hawkesbury River’, spelling it as ‘Bardo Narang’. McGarvie’s List is now in the Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW.
In 2018 McGarvie’s List became the subject of an ongoing collaborative project, led by Professor Grace Karskens working with Darug researchers, The Real Secret River Dyarubbin. The 178 names on McGarvie’s List were researched, relocated (where possible), glossed and phonetically reconstructed.
‘Bardo Narang’ was glossed as ‘small freshwater source’ and phonetically reconstructed as ‘Badu Narang’. The current name for the creek and gully, Bardenarang, is based on the original Darug name.
A dual name is proposed instead of renaming the feature as changing well established names can lead to address or location confusion, especially to electronic navigation services.
Where a feature has a non-Aboriginal name, an Aboriginal name can be assigned. The name will sit alongside the non-Aboriginal name, each part having equal status.
Once a dual name proposal is assigned, signposts, maps and directories relating to the area will feature both names.
Since June 2001, the NSW Government has supported a dual naming policy for geographical features and cultural sites.
Dual naming does not apply to towns, roads, localities or other administrative based areas such as a reserve or state forest.
Assigning a place name under the Geographical Names Act 1966 does not impact other legislation or change rights or responsibilities.
Details of the proposal can be viewed, and submissions lodged on the Geographical Names Board’s website.
Alternatively, written submissions may be mailed to the Secretary, Geographical Names Board, 346 Panorama Ave, Bathurst, NSW 2795.
The closing date for submissions is 8 November 2021.
