River signage a poignant project
• Aunty Patsy Cameron at the newly dual-named signage for Worewoter/Little Pipers River in the North-East. Photo: Hamish Williams.
July 19, 2023
By Rachel Williams
The North-East continues to lead the way in the dual naming of areas to honour the legacy of the state’s Indigenous history and culture.
Two rivers have had signs erected with their dual names in the last week - Worewoter/Little Pipers River and Larnerrangener /Great Musselroe River.
There are now more than 20 dual-named places across the North-East, which is a proud moment for those involved with the Melythina Tiakana Warrana Aboriginal Corporation.
MTWAC member, Zac Cameron, grandson of Elder Aunty Patsy Cameron, said the region was well represented with dual naming in comparison to other areas around the state.
“It’s because a great many of our ancestors came from that region and the Melythina Tiakana Warrana Aboriginal Corporation has been very active in representing the area and putting a lot of our resources, effort and research into this project.
“The way we tell stories and reflect on our on our ancestors, there is so much power in speaking our language and it is so important to us,” Mr Cameron said.
“To be able to say our words out loud on country is very poignant.”
Aunty Patsy Cameron has been heavily involved in the research and consultation for the dual names, along with many other volunteers from across Tasmania.
Mr Cameron said he was also involved in a passion project to expand community knowledge of Aboriginal history, with the roll-out of traditional names of animals, places and conversational language.
“Because of the effects of colonialism, much of our precious language was lost. There are no communities where traditional language is a first language in Tasmania.
“There are some historical records in existence from the Colonial English and French so we would like to develop a website and a printed dictionary in the next six months to provide translations and meanings, as well as more information on the clans and individuals who spoke these words and place names.
“There were at least seven different languages spoken across the many clans in Tasmania.”The State Government has been working with the Tasmanian Aboriginal people and the wider community to encourage more Aboriginal place names in Tasmania for more than a decade.
The Aboriginal and Dual Naming Policy was first adopted in 2012 and was revised in 2019, the International Year of Indigenous Languages, to improve the framework for nominating and assessing Aboriginal and dual names for geographic features and places.