Government to stick with Arden station name despite namesake’s racist link

The state government plans to stick with the name of one of the new Metro Tunnel railway stations, despite objections from some that the station’s namesake was a colonist with racist attitudes.

The Age last week unearthed the bigoted views of George Arden, whose name is already on the new Arden Metro station, as well as Arden Street and Arden Street Oval in North Melbourne.

MPs and Indigenous activists have called for Arden station’s name to be changed.Credit: Eddie Jim

Indigenous independent senator Lidia Thorpe, other Indigenous activists and a Greens MP called last week for the name Arden to be removed. Thorpe said: “We should not be honouring a man who held such violent and racist views.”

The government confirmed on Sunday that it had no current plans to change the station’s name despite the concerns.

The government’s statement came after Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson deflected questions about the issue at a press conference earlier in the day.

Asked directly whether the Arden name would be changed in light of the racism reports, Pearson said he would take advice on the issue and that the government would “respond in due course”.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto said he would be open to a discussion with the government on the matter.

Pearson said he had not previously known of the station name’s connection to racism against Indigenous Australians, which this masthead reported exclusively.

The government named Arden station, in North Melbourne, in reference to its proximity to Arden Street. It was the most popular name among 50,000 stakeholder and public submissions.

Arden Street was named after George Arden, the co-founder, in 1838, of the Port Phillip Gazette.

Detail from George Arden’s 1843 essay Civilization of Aborigines.Credit: Trove

Last week, The Age unearthed an essay and a report on a pamphlet published in the early 1840s and available online, in which Arden wrote that Indigenous Australians are violent, promiscuous savages whose children should be removed, educated and put to work under “moral and sober masters”.

Greens state MP for Melbourne Ellen Sandell said last week that the name Arden was completely inappropriate and must go, and the Greens’ federal MP for Melbourne Adam Bandt said we should listen to First Nations leaders and “choose not to commemorate racism”.

Pearson, when asked on Sunday whether the name would be changed, said: “I wasn’t aware of that [the links to racism]. That was news to me.

“The station was named Arden because of its proximity to Arden Street and obviously the home of the Kangaroos [North Melbourne Football Club].

Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson at a North East Link press conference on Sunday.Credit: Chris Hopkins

“But I’ll need to take some further advice on that. I have seen those reports but that was news to me. The government will consider that and respond in due course.”

Asked whether on principle he thought Arden station’s name should be changed, Pearson, whose portfolio covers the Metro Tunnel project and Arden station, said: “I don’t know enough about the allegations that have been made to provide a definitive response at this stage.

“I have heard those reports, I’ve seen those reports. I have not been briefed on it, and I’ll need to take further advice on that.”

Pesutto, when asked on Sunday whether he would support a name change, said: “I’d want to hear the arguments first, and what the government has been able to access as part of its processes, but I think we should be open to any discussion.”

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