Hepburn Shire Council is working with project partners, Mount Alexander Shire Council, North Central Catchment Management Authority and Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation (DJARRA), on the proposed renaming of Jim Crow Creek to Larni Barramal Yaluk.
Larni Barramal Yaluk means ‘Home or habitat of the Emu Creek’. The renaming of Jim Crow Creek is being proposed in recognition of Aboriginal heritage and the reinstatement of Dja Dja Wurrung language into the landscape, and the removal of a name that is offensive and derogatory.
Mayor, Cr Lesley Hewitt, said that Council was committed to reconciliation and working positively with the Dja Dja Wurrung (Traditional Owners) and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members.
“The history of the term ‘Jim Crow’ is rooted in racial segregation and racism. We want to learn, acknowledge and move forward together. By reinstating a name that reconnects our community with the Dja Dja Wurrung culture and language that spans many thousands of years, we are setting the standard for how we can support the Dja Dja Wurrung Peoples,” said Cr Lesley Hewitt.
Rodney Carter, CEO at DJAARA, said the proposed renaming is really positive because it is putting language back into the landscape, and therefore puts People back into the landscape.
“Naming places in our language opens up conversations so when people say that word, it is talking to Country. You create a degree of fondness and care of a place,” said Mr Carter.
The name “Jim Crow Creek” will be reserved in the state’s geographic names register as a historic name and will remain a part of the region’s history.
There are strict protocols that govern the renaming outlined in the Naming rules for places in Victoria – statutory requirement for naming roads, features and localities 2016.
The engagement phase of the project will be held 30 September to 12 November 2021.
For information on the renaming process, frequently asked questions and ways to provide feedback, visit https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au
