Wadjuk, Kaurna, Eora: Australia finally embraces its Indigenous place names
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Loading... - Wilow Mayer
- 15 Mar 2022
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Western Australia became the final part of the continent to reopen to vaccinated international tourists last week - after nearly two years of tough restrictions.
To encourage tourists to return, the region handed out over $500,000 (€460,000) worth of vouchers to the first arrivals. Ranging in value from $150 to $2,200 (€138 to €2,025) the vouchers were meant to be used for local tourism experiences including swimming with dolphins, a tour of Penguin Island or activities like skydiving.
A cash prize on arrival wasn’t the only change at Perth Airport though. Passengers boarding domestic flights might also have noticed that the airport is now displaying Indigenous place names alongside commonly used place names.
The change, which was introduced in November 2021, but has only been seen by internal tourists until now, sees the boarding gate signs rotate between the two names.
So, for example, the boarding sign for a flight to Adelaide now also ​displays the name Kaurma Country.
However, some Indigenous leaders told ABC news that the airport had mislabelled their countries.
“Obviously, the genuine meaningful comment they made about acknowledging First Nations people, when they didn’t even have the courtesy to come and talk to traditional owner groups, was disappointing,” Jennell Reynolds from the Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation told the national broadcaster.
Where else are Indigenous names used in Australia? Read More...
