Published on Wednesday, 30 August 2023 at 4:45:00 PM
Banks Reserve could be the first park in the City of Vincent to have its Noongar name Warndoolier revived.
Vincent will be seeking community feedback on whether the park should be renamed as Warndoolier or dual named Warndoolier / Banks Reserve after the local government election in October.
The reserve sits on the Swan River foreshore in Mt Lawley. It covers approximately 3.5 hectares and is bounded by Joel Terrace, the old East Perth Power Station and the Toni Di Scerni wetlands.
Historic maps from the 1900s to 1940s show that the reserve’s Noongar name was Warndulier.
The reserve was previously called Walter’s Brook in the 1840s and Swan Street Reserve in the 1890s.
It was then renamed Banks Reserve after City of Perth Councillor Ronald Frederick Banks in 1963.
It is known for its cultural significance as a ‘meeting place’ and a ‘camp’ and is officially recognised as a Place of Reconciliation.
Over the past five years, Vincent has worked with Traditional Owners, the Vincent Boordiya Reference Group, the Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group and Aboriginal organisations on the dual naming/renaming and the Banks Reserve Master Plan.
Noongar Elder Professor Len Collard played an important role in the process through his Sense of Place Study in 2018 and Noongar Naming Project in 2022, where he worked closely with the Boordiya Elders.
The Vincent Boordiya Reference Group recently endorsed the preferred spelling of Warndoolier as it was easier for phonetic pronunciation than the previous spelling Warndulier.
“This has been a long time in the making as we have been working with Professor Collard and our local Elders on the dual naming or renaming of Banks Reserve for several years,” said Mayor Emma Cole.
“Warndoolier, located down by the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River), is one of our nine significant Aboriginals sites.
“It’s a beautiful park with a deep history and cultural significance to Noongar people. It also has one of the best nature playgrounds and views in Vincent.
“This proposal marks our first step towards acknowledging Aboriginal culture through the reviving of the traditional names of our parks.
“Naming is a good way for our community to start to pick up some Noongar language and learn the meaning behind the words.
“The name Warndoolier is taken to mean women’s spirit and place where the spirit mist dwells.”
A key action of Vincent’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2022-2024 is to bring Noongar language and names into public places by reviving traditional names of parks and reserves located at significant sites, in consultation with local Elders, stakeholders and the community.
There are nine significant Noongar sites in Vincent including Weld Square, Hyde Park, East Perth Power Station, the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) at Banks Reserve, Stones Lake, Robertson Park, Carr Street, Dog Swamp and the former Lake Monger Velodrome.
“It is important that we recognise and support the history of Aboriginal language and culture, and one way we can do this is through the names of our significant places,” said Ms Cole.
“We will continue to work closely with our Boordiya Elders and community members on future naming proposals.”
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