WANGARATTA'S mayor is open to renaming a street in the city that honours squatter George Faithfull who was involved in the killing of Aboriginal inhabitants.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Dean Rees was responding to Wendy Mitchell, author of Corroboree or war party: the last dance of the Wangaratta Pangerang, a book that outlines an 1838 massacre involving Faithfull.
Mrs Mitchell wants a debate over whether Faithfull Street in the Wangaratta CBD should be rebadged and has suggested it could known as Bpangerang Street.
Cr Rees said he was willing to hear varying viewpoints.
"I don't have a direct opinion either way, whether it should or should not (be changed), but I would support people either way," Cr Rees said.
"It's a hard one to gauge - did he commit genocide against Aboriginal people? Probably.
"It's a little bit like the Ned Kelly (bushranging) story, some people call him a hero and some people call him a murderer but he's still recognised.
"Would it worry me if the street got changed? No it wouldn't."
IN OTHER NEWS:
However, Cr Rees said he believed Faithfull, who named Wangaratta through forming a run in the area, did a "lot of good things" even though he killed Aborigines.
He suggested a plaque outlining Faithfull's genocide could be put at Marmungun Rock where Wangaratta's citizens of the year record their handprints.
A formal change to Faithfull Street would require a submission to the Rural City of Wangaratta's place names committee.
Mrs Mitchell, who wrote her book with Pangerang elder Freddie Dowling, welcomed Cr Rees' interest in acknowledging the killing.
"It can only be a good thing because it can start to heal the hurt that our First Australians feel," she said.
"They feel we don't have empathy but many of us do care a great deal."
Mrs Mitchell would also like the Warby Ranges named for the Pangerang instead of pastoralist Ben Warby.
"At the end of the day we acknowledge our history is not unblemished and there is always more that we need to do and we want to recognise the richness of Indigenous culture, but at the same time we don't achieve that through erasing our history," Mr Clancy said.
Deputy mayor Amanda Cohn had called for feedback on a name change after Wiradjuri leader Joe Williams said Wagga's Captain Cook Drive should honour an Aboriginal warrior instead of the British explorer.
Respondents to The Border Mail story on the issue overwhelmingly wanted Captain Cook's name retained.
