Petition to parliament for dual naming of Fraser Island/K’gari
A respected historian is calling for the return of the name “Fraser Island” for one of Queensland’s tourism jewels. VOTE IN OUR POLL
A historian who has dedicated countless hours to researching white settlement in the Wide Bay is leading a parliamentary push to get “Fraser” back in the name of Queensland’s iconic sand island.
In the petition to Queensland parliament Anthony Clift of Maryborough argues the state government’s decision to officially and solely name the world heritage site K’gari rather than Fraser Island, as it had been known for decades and promoted in countless multimillion-dollar tourism campaigns, needs to be reviewed.
“There was never an option given to the public of the island having dual names,” the petition reads.
“Locally there is a very strong connection with the previous name of Fraser Island.
“Many businesses and even the area’s local government uses Fraser in their titles, and the area is known as the Fraser Coast.
“This omission needs to be addressed.”
The petition calls on the House to do “all within its power to make correct this oversight and name the island both K’gari and Fraser Island”.
In an exclusive statement to this publication before the campaign surrounding the petition was to be officially launched on Friday morning, Mr Clift explained this action had been initiated in response to the many people with emotional and financial ties to the old name being unhappy that dual naming was never made an option.
The principal petitioner also argued that technically if there was no Fraser Island, then there was no association for the words, Fraser or Fraser Coast, to be used in the Hervey Bay and Maryborough areas.
The former Labor State Government officially renamed Fraser Island as K’gari – which is said to be the word for “paradise” in the Butchulla language – and handed back its care to the traditional custodians in June, 2023.
Speaking about what was at the time the biggest placename change in Australian history, then-Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said: “Our generation has been given the opportunity to begin to put the centuries of wrong right” while Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation chair Aunty Gayle Minniecon said at the time the change would be an experience of “loss” for some people — signifying non-traditional owners — but they would not “have their spirit, heart and soul broken” as her people had.
In the wake of the name change, former Hinkler MP Keith Pitt accused the Queensland government of undermining “decades of advertising” and damaging “dozens and dozens of businesses”.
Mr Clift said this week the decision to rename Fraser Island as K’gari without the option of dual naming (a concept which has been embraced in other parts of Australia including Kunanyi/Mt Wellington in Tasmania) had impacted and continued to impact many businesses, associations, clubs etc who used the word Fraser or Fraser Coast in their title and even affected the local government name of the Fraser Coast Regional Council.
“Any resultant name changes to remove those words for these entities will result in significant costs and confusion,” Mr Clift claimed.
“Incorrectly, some first nations people and academics have stated that Fraser Island was named after Eliza Fraser, whom they felt gave them a bad reputation due to the stories she told about her treatment by them.
“Basic research reveals that Fraser Island was in fact named not after her but after her husband, Captain James Fraser, who died while in their custody, after being shipwrecked and landing there with his wife and some of the Stirling Castle crew in 1836.”
Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien said he understood and agreed with the practical reasoning for having dual names.
“The existing use of the Fraser name by local government and other regional places and business is a strong sign of its currency and relevance,” he said.
“The Fraser Coast Chronicle being an example.
“Ultimately this is a decision for the state government but that decision should be informed by the local residents.
“If the local residents of the Fraser Coast wish for Fraser Island to be named Fraser/K’gari Island, I think it would be reasonable to do so.”
Mr Clift is a long-respected historian on the Fraser Coast has held past talks at libraries on early settlement of the region in the 1840s which was promoted by the mayor George Seymour who also took part in a colourful 2015 debate against Mr Clift over the official founder of Maryborough.
On Thursday, Mr Seymour was asked about the new push for the dual naming as was Maryborough MP John Barounis who was also asked whether he supported the petition and would table it in parliament.
Responses had not been received at the time of publication.
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Originally published as Petition to parliament for dual naming of Fraser Island/K’gari
