Call to recognise local Aboriginal heritage

State Liberal Member for Eildon Cindy McLeish has called on the Victorian Government to co-name The Cathedral in the Cathedral Range State Park near Taggerty with its traditional Aboriginal name.

“I have asked the Minister for Planning to look into co-naming The Cathedral with its traditional Taungurung name Naah-Naah Dhong. This would be an important step in recognising the rich history associated with the region and the Taungurung people’s connection with this land,” Ms McLeish said. Ms McLeish’s call for the co-naming follows a request from local Taungurung elder Uncle Roy Patterson, who has been campaigning to have Naah-Naah Dhong formally recognised. “This is a very special place that was formed 30,000 years ago at the same time we were living here. I have been trying to have Naah-Naah Dhong recognised for a long time. I am glad Cindy is supporting our request to have our cultural history recognised,” Mr Patterson said. Ms McLeish said that although it was not common practice in Victoria for landmarks to be recognised by their traditional Aboriginal name as well as their English name, there is a significant opportunity to honour the cultural heritage of the region in this instance. “A prime example of co-naming landmarks can be seen in the Northern Territory with Uluru, which has been officially gazetted ‘Uluru / Ayres Rock’, recognising the significant history of that place,” Ms McLeish said. Ms McLeish concluded saying “I believe this is a great opportunity to celebrate the culture of the Taungurung and the contribution this community makes to our region.”