Secret plan to rename Southbank with Aboriginal name

Southbank would be given a new name under a secretive City of Melbourne proposal that’s linked to a $2m kangaroo sculpture.

The council is considering a plan to rename Southbank with an indigenous name. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

Southbank could be given an Aboriginal name under a proposal being considered by the City of Melbourne.

The dramatic gesture would be part of a massive art project for the inner suburb whose centrepiece is believed to be a $2m sculpture of a giant kangaroo sitting on a chair.

It’s understood that more art works with an indigenous theme are being planned for the Dodds Street precinct that could push the total cost to $20m.

While the council has been highly secretive about the project, a briefing note from May seen by the Herald Sun gives some details about progress.

The plan to rename Southbank would form part of a project involving a kangaroo sculpture. Picture: Ian Currie

It says that a plan to rename Southbank with an indigenous name was part of the original project and “will be progressed via council engagement”.

But director of the Foundations of Western Civilisation Program at the Institute of Public Affairs, Dr Bella d’Abrera, said the trend for changing place names did nothing to address the real problems being faced by indigenous communities.

“Melbourne City Council should be focusing all its efforts on rebuilding and reanimating Melbourne’s CBD, which currently resembles an apocalyptic wasteland, thanks to nearly two years of lockdowns,” she said.

“This kind of woke virtue signalling causes nothing but confusion and division in society.”

The council did not respond directly to the Southbank name change issue, but indicated it supported street and place names that reminded people of local history, culture and citizens, and especially opportunities to recognise contributions by Aboriginal people.

The council is looking at a plan to rename Southbank. Picture: David Caird

Possible dual naming of spaces to reflect Aboriginal heritage would be considered in future as discussed in council’s recently endorsed reconciliation action plan.

The briefing note from council’s City Economy and Activation branch said the Southbank art project was due for completion by the end of 2023, “subject to achieving commitment from funding partners”.

It can be revealed that the names of the proposed landscape artworks are Yesterday, Tomorrow, Knowledge, Intentions and Seal.

The note said that work on Tomorrow had been paused due to engineering drawings not being released to the artist by the National Gallery of Victoria until the complete commission was confirmed.

A City of Melbourne spokeswoman said the council’s public art program included artwork to drive visitation to Melbourne and “reinforce our position as the cultural capital of Australia”. “Our Southbank public art commission is part of this program, and will be completed in the coming years,” she said.