Coon Island and Coon Point in the NSW Hunter region will be renamed Pirrita Island and Miners Pointafter a divisive community debate about what is and is not racist.
Pirrita is the local Awabakal Aboriginal word for oysters from the mangrove tree, while Miners Point is in recognition of the coal mining families who lived there between 1915 and 1974.
Lake Macquarie City Council last night voted in favour of the name change, in spite of a strong community backlash from people who wanted the Coon Island name preserved.
The locality got its name after Herbert Greta Heaney, nicknamed "Coon", who was the first person to live there in 1915.
It is widely thought he was given the moniker because he was a coal miner who would often return from work with black coal dust on his face.
Supplied: NSW Land Registry Services
Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council acting chief executiveKentan Proctor said the name change was long overdue.
"Back in the day it was obviously a little bit different, but the Aboriginal community find the name Coon Island is quite racist, significantly racist, honestly," he said.
"It's quite a shame to have that in the community here, especially where my family is going to grow up. It's hurtful really."
A community consultation process by the council found 938 of the 2,120 respondents were supportive of a name change, but a majority of 1,182 were against it.
Supplied: Lake Macquarie City Council
On a Facebook group called "Save the Coon Island name. Cancel culture wants to change the name" many people vented their frustration at what they claimed was the erasure of local history, woke cancel culture and political correctness gone mad.
Mr Proctor said it was disappointing, but not surprising.
"They always talk about the history, but it (Coon Island) was only named that in the 40s," he said.
"We've been here for 60,000 years and we have a traditional name, so if you want to talk about history why can't we talk about ours?
"Once the issue came to light, I realised how prolific racism was in the community still, but ... at least that's shed some light on it and got the community talking, so that's a good point."
Supplied: Lake Macquarie Holiday Parks
At last night's council meeting, Councillor John Gilbert said the community discussion had also caused offence to non-Indigenous people.
"The people around here who call Coon Island, Coon Island or Coonie are not racist," he said.
"I think there's been a great deal of offence that they have felt ... by the fact that there's been grandstanding and publicity that has said this is a racist name and this is a racial slur.
"The people of this area are not racist, they do not see that as a racist name."
During the consultation process the descendants of Herbert Greta Heaney acknowledged the need for change and suggested the name Miners Point.
Supplied: Gordon Humphreys
The motion was put forward by Liberal Councillor Kevin Baker who said it represented a "coming together and a time to heal".
"We have rare occasions where we can stand as leaders within our community and support those where they are hurting," he said.
Supplied:Facebook
"We have the ability tonight to recognise our shared history, both the recent European history and the 60,000-plus years of Indigenous history."
The motion was supported by Kay Fraser (ALP), Christine Buckley (ALP), Brian Adamthwaite (ALP), Barney Langford (ALP), David Belcher (ALP), Adam Shultz (ALP) and Wendy Harrison (IND).
It was opposed by councillors John Gilbert (IND), Jason Pauling (LIB), Luke Cubis (IND), Colin Grigg (IND) and Nick Jones (LIB).
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Coon Island in Lake Macquarie to be renamed Pirrita Island - ABC News
