Why Fraser Island should be K’gari, not named after a ‘reality TV star’

An academic who has branded the historical figure Eliza Fraser ‘Australia’s first reality TV star’ says she combined ‘the undignified characteristics of the worst MAFS and Survivor contestants in one sad, colonial package’ and has doubled down on why the world’s biggest sand island needs a name change. 

A poll of more than 1100 readers has revealed 80 per cent of those who voted were against renaming Fraser Island K’gari.

But that did not mean the State Government should not press ahead with the name change, an expert on the subject said on Thursday.

Associate Professor Daryl McPhee of Bond University branded the island’s controversial namesake, Eliza Fraser, “Australia‘s first reality star … combining the undignified characteristics of the worst MAFS andSurvivor contestants in one sad, colonial package”.

It comes after the State Government called on people to have their say regarding its move to bring in the name change.

The World Heritage Area became K’gari in 2021, but the official place name for the world’s largest sand island has yet to change.

Public consultation will begin on Friday, August 5, with the island’s traditional owners, the Butchulla people, throwing their support behind the endeavour.

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said in early August 2022, consultation followed the island’s world heritage area being renamed K’gari in 2021.

“K’gari means paradise in the Butchulla language and as a popular destination for its natural beauty, is a much more fitting name for such an iconic place,” Ms Scanlon said.

“The name Fraser Island is culturally inappropriate – it is a tribute to Eliza Fraser, a woman whose narrative directly led to the massacre and dispossession of the Butchulla people.”

A poll on the Courier Mail website (you can vote below) shows 80 per cent of the 1100 voters so far believe the name should not be changed.

Dr McPhee shared his views on Eliza Fraser in 2019, while working on a book about the region.

Dr McPhee, author of The Ecology and Environmental History of Fraser Coast and Noosa, was researching shipwrecks for his book when he started exploring the story of Eliza.

Eliza Fraser was marooned on the island following the wreck of the Stirling Castle in 1836.

The ship was captained by Eliza‘s husband, the accident-prone James Fraser, who had also been at the helm of another shipwrecked vessel, The Comet.

The Stirling Castle collided with another vessel before it left the harbour in England on its fateful voyage to Australia.

James died soon after landing, but just how is uncertain.

In some accounts, Eliza witnessed his death.

In others, she had already been sent to join local indigenous women.

Eliza Fraser was marooned on K’gari following the wreck of the Stirling Castle in 1836.

“In the end I came to the conclusion that long before television, Eliza Fraser was Australia’s first reality star desperate to cling to her 15 minutes of fame,” Dr McPhee told the Chronicle.

“Her lies, exaggerations and cultural misinterpretations had deep repercussions for the traditional owners of Fraser Island and Aboriginal people in general.”

He said like many current day reality TV stars, Eliza Fraser ultimately lived a sad existence and became an object of ridicule when her lies unravelled.

Dr McPhee said Eliza‘s tale was used to falsely highlight the barbarity of Aboriginal people, including their supposed propensity for cannibalism.

He said the stories Eliza told of the Butchulla people had a lasting impact on race relations.

The name K’gari, meaning paradise in the Butchulla language, was much more fitting, Dr McPhee said.

He said it was unsurprising there was some resistance to change, adding that a poll among people at the time Ayer’s Rock was officially changed to Uluru might have seen a similar result.

Dr McPhee said educating people on the cultural reasons for the change was an important first step.

Rebranding the island as K’gari would emphasise its unique status, he said.

But Fraser Coast Tourism and Events general manager Martin Simons said while he supported changing the name, rebranding would come with challenges.

The island was known across the world and was one of south east Queensland’s biggest drawcards, he said.

When Uluru was rebranded, it took 20 years and millions of dollars to transition from the former name, Ayer’s Rock, and to ensure the tourism attraction remained prominent in the minds of visitors, Mr Simon said.

He said if the name was changed, the State Government would need to make a strong investment in the transition of the branding of the island.

Public consultation will end on October 3, 2022.