THE official gazetting on Friday of Wahluu as the dual name of Bathurst’s Mount Panorama has been a long time coming, according to elder Dinawan Dyirribang.
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Under the proposal, lodged by the Bathurst Aboriginal Land Council and supported by Bathurst Regional Council, Mount Panorama will retain its European name but will also recognise its Aboriginal name.
The application was supported by V8 Supercars, which organises the Bathurst 1000, and Yeehah Events, a joint partner in the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Friday’s announcement by the Geographical Names Board ensures the dual name is now gazetted.
The proposed dual naming split Bathurst Regional Council, the community and dedicated race fans last year.
Some feared the proposal was for a change of name, rather than a dual name.
But Friday’s official gazetting was welcomed by Bathurst Wiradyuri Aboriginal Community Elders’ Mr Dyirribang, who has campaigned for the dual naming for 40 years.
“It’s an acknowledgement from our point of view ... that’s what the name has been for thousands of years,” he said.
Mr Dyirribang said Wahluu is part of their creation story and it connects with Mount Canobolas in Orange and Mount Macquarie in Carcoar.
“It’s part of our three brothers story,” he said. “It means young man’s initiation place. We used to take young guys up there for initiation.”
Bathurst mayor Gary Rush welcomed the dual naming, saying Mount Panorama means many things to many people.
“Co-naming the area is not about making one element of that history more significant than any other, but merely recognising that the history of this very special mountain goes back much further than the last century,” he said.
“The co-naming is an opportunity for us to expand on all the stories that we know.
“It is an opportunity to recognise the special significance of Mount Panorama/ Wahluu to the original inhabitants of this land, the Wiradyuri people.”
Mr Dyirribang said it will take “a bit of an education” to ensure people understand that it is a dual name, not a rename.
“When we’ve told people it’s a dual name and not a change of name then they understand,” he said.
“People have no idea of the history. Australian history hasn’t been taught properly, that’s why we are pushing to get our story out there.”