Penola local calls on Wattle Range Council to update ‘offensive’ road name

A council has been asked to find a better name to commemorate the area’s heritage that doesn’t use a term they say is now an offensive racial slur.

A country SA council will consider a call to change an “embarrassing” road name in the state’s south east after a new resident claimed it was now considered an offensive racial slur

In a letter to the Wattle Range Council, a new resident of Chinamans Lane at Penola, whose name was redacted for privacy reasons, said they hoped councillors would agree to rename the road.

The writer said they had only recently purchased their property at Penola but were embarrassed to share their address, particularly with Asian Australians, and found themselves compelled to apologise for the name.

“We live on Chinaman’s Lane, and I’m hopeful the council will consider updating this offensive street name,” the resident wrote.

“While I recognise the name has a relationship with the history of the region, the word ‘Chinaman’ is widely considered to be a slur, and has been for some time now.”

A Penola resident has written to the Wattle Range Council asking them to consider changing the name of Chinamans Lane. Picture: Jessica Dempster

“I’m requesting that the council rename this lane with a less offensive title; one that could still connect this location to the history and people, but with more positive and inclusive connotations,” they finished their request with.

Chinamans Lane is 1.3km stretch of unsealed road west of Penola that runs between Riddoch Street and Claywells Road serving rural lifestyle properties.

It was once used by Chinese vegetable farmers who sold supplies to explorers passing through on their journey from Robe to Ballarat during the nineteenth century gold rush era.

Wattle Range councillors are expected to debate renaming the road at tonight’s monthly meeting at Millicent.

“Council needs to consider the concerns raised by the new resident, the use of name ‘Chinamans Lane’ which could be seen as inappropriate and the fact that the name relates in part to the history of the region and early settlers in the part of Penola”, the council’s October agenda reads.

However, councillors have been told renaming the road would create challenges such as updating numerous databases, title references and addresses.

Should the council decide to go ahead with renaming the road, the next steps would be to undertake public consultation on the naming in accordance with the “Naming of Roads” policy, Engineering Services director Peter Halton wrote in the agenda for October’s meeting.