Council last night supported calls by the Ngalla Yorga Waangkan (We Women Talking) Group to rename a portion of Harry Mcguigan Park in Medina.
The group had approached the City requesting consideration for the renaming of the area off Wheelock Road which was an established meeting place for families in Kwinana’s early years.
Mayor Carol Adams said the renaming reflected the area’s cultural and historical use by local Aboriginal families.
“The Council on 14 July last year resolved to undertake targeted community engagement to determine the level of community support for the renaming of a portion of the park to Ngalang Danjoo Bidi (Our Together Connection/Path/Track,” Mayor Adams said.
“This included the Boola Maara Many Hands Advisory Group, the Naming of Parks, Places and Buildings Working Group, and the Elder’s Group that meets at the Medina Aboriginal Cultural Centre and a workshop for community members was facilitated by the Ngalla Yorga Waangkan Group and the City.”
“After consultation with the Aboriginal community it was agreed to amend the proposed name to Ngalang Moort Manjar which means Our Families Meeting Place which was supported by the Council at last night’s Ordinary Council Meeting.”
Ngalla Yorga Waangkan chairperson Cindy Ballard said since the 1950s, families had gathered at on the hill to socialise and even gave food to any child that came up onto the hill hungry at lunchtime.
“Parents would bring lunches and the kids would come over from the school, there was always damper or something cooking, sausages or stew. It used to bring whole families together,” Mrs Ballard said.
“We want to come back here and start meeting again.”
Mrs Ballard said the tree people often met under was felled by developers but an interpretive overlay on the stump recognised the key Aboriginal families in the area and the space currently includes circular paving and seating as an inviting space to gather.
While City would add signage to earmark the space as Ngalang Moort Manjar, Mrs Ballard said the Ngalla Yorga Waangkan group would also like to install a totem pole to improve visibility from the road.