Albany Menang Noongar dual-naming project continues with five new locations to be submitted to Landgate

Another five locations within the City of Albany will be submitted for official Menang Noongar naming and dual-naming after securing the green light from the council. Councillors voted unanimously on Tuesday for the City to make a second submission to Landgate for the dual-naming of Mammang Koort/King George Sound, Yeerup/Torbay Inlet and Narrinyup/Geake Point. An unnamed lake (Manarup) and an unnamed reserve (Talyenup) will also be put forward for official naming. If approved, the five locations would join 28 others across the municipality already recognised by Landgate by their Aboriginal names as part of the City of Albany’s Restoring Menang Noongar Place Names project. In August, 16 natural landmarks were approved for dual naming and 12 “reserves, geographic features, waterways and vegetation” named for the first time with their traditional Menang Noongar names. Eleven remaining locations fell on land managed by other authorities or private landowners, with approval needed before the names could be submitted. Five of the locations that received letters of support from the relevant landowners or authorities will now be put forward by the City. The project — which discovered 66 traditional names for locations across the municipality — is believed to be the biggest dual-naming project to be undertaken by a local government in Australia. Speaking at the meeting, Cr Chris Thomson praised the City for setting an example for other local governments. “I’ve never seen a place co-naming ... project as big as this anywhere. There may be a bigger one in the world somewhere, but I am yet to see it,” he said.