On this day: Uluru given it's Aboriginal name
Australian Geographic
On 15 December 1993, Uluru became the first icon in Australia to be given an official dual Aboriginal-English name, giving birth to a wave of dual-named sites and landmarks across Australia.
Uluru was the name given to Ayers Rock by the local Aṉangu people. British surveyor William Gosse was the first European to 'discover' the monolith - the largest rock of its kind in the world - in 1872, and named it after the former chief secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers.
"Dual naming leads to better cross-cultural communication as it is one of the windows people can utilise to understand more of another culture's heritage," says Bill Watt, chair of the Committee for Geographic Names Australasia.
"For people to have local stories and place names available while travelling in Australia provides more significance to the place names and your understanding of the Aboriginal people's connection with the land," he says.
- Reconciliation is a people's movement
- Participate in action, activities and events
- Utilise your sphere of influence & make change
- Get connected and be part of the network
Terms and conditions : Privacy policy : Site map Copyright © NSW Reconciliation. All rights reserved.
