Following suit with Uluru, Fraser Island is in the final stages of returning to its traditional name, K’gari. Queensland National Parks and the World Heritage title already refer to the island as K’gari, however, it’s expected to be universally official and recognised by the end of 2022. This comes as another move toward reconciliation for First Nations People.
K’gari, pronounced “Gurri”, means paradise in the Butchulla language. It derives from a traditional creation story. K’gari is named after the white spirit that helped create the country that Butchulla people call home. Restoring the name shows respect for the Traditional Owners and acknowledges their connection to country.
Dark history behind the name
Fraser Island was previously named after Eliza Fraser, who’s narrative was responsible for the massacre and dispossession of the Butchulla people. After being shipwrecked on the island in 1836, she described her experience as “a fate worse than death”. Eliza told stories that painted the Butchulla people as barbaric, murderous and cannibalistic. These claims were debunked by other survivors of the shipwreck who denied this behaviour occurred, however the negative narrative stuck.
Due to this dark history, the name Fraser Island has become known to be both culturally inappropriate and disrespectful. For decades, the Butchulla people have had to refer to their home as the name of a person that contributed heavily to their suffering. Now, things are changing.
“For us it’s about respect for our people. It’s important for us to let our ancestors know that our culture is still strong and we continue to care for our country” the chair of the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation, aunty Gayle Minniecon, said.
Rather than a renaming, the general manager of the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation, Chantel Van Wamelen, said the title change should be referred to as a restoration.
A natural sensation
If you’ve never visited K’gari, you may be surprised to learn that it’s recognized as the largest sand island in the world at 123km in length. There’s evidence that the Butchulla people inhabited the island a whopping 5,000 years ago! Also home to much of Australia’s natural wildlife, you may come across dingoes, echidnas, wallabies and possums. It’s also unique as it’s the only place on earth where rainforest grows in sand.
