Media release – Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania, 18 May 2022
Tas government prints new maps with ‘Niggerhead Rock’ name: racist.
Mansell demands burning of maps; calls for review of failed system of renaming
The Tasmanian government Crown Lands Map services has recently published a map with the offensive name ‘Niggerhead Rock’ used to identify a piece of island within eyesight of titima/Trefoil an Aboriginal owned mutton bird island on the far north west coast. The Chairman of the Land Council has demanded government withdraw the maps from circulation and burn them.
“This is a disgrace,” Chairman Michael Mansell said today. “It is unforgiveable that any government in this day and age would publish such racist nomenclature. The origin of the name clearly was generated by white racists who couldn’t care less about the effect on Aboriginal people of slurs such as ‘nigger’ when referring to us.
“The Tasmanian government developed a policy in 2012 about renaming offensive and racist geographical places. The policy provided that places or features offensive to Aboriginal people would be renamed.
“In 2017, under that policy, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre brought this racist name to the attention of the Tasmanian Place Names Board and asked it be changed (attached). The TAC even made its submission public in the publication ‘pilri/Cape Grim’ in December 2019. And yet the government goes ahead with printing maps on which are racist slurs.
“This is a real failure of government. Clearly, there is no system in place to ensure the Aboriginal community is consulted before new maps are created. The nomenclature Board has failed to operate effectively. The dual names process is becoming a farce. The responsibility lays squarely at the feet of Aboriginal Affairs Minister Roger Jaensch who is pre-occupied with promoting white people at Circular Head and failed to carry out his responsibility. The Minister should have made sure departments consulted the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, not just groups in the minister’s Braddon electorate.
“We demand the government recall these maps and burn them. There needs to be a review of the dual-naming and removal of offensive names process. This event alone shows haw farcical the process has become.”
Tasmanian Aboriginal Affairs Minister apologises for racist slur on government map
by Damian McIntyre, ABC
Tasmania’s Aboriginal Affairs Minister has apologised for the publication of a racist slur as a place name on a government map.
The Tasmanian government will immediately seek to remove the place’s name from Parks and Wildlife Service maps after the discovery by a Tasmanian Aboriginal group.
Read the full story here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-18/government-apologises-for-racist-location-name-on-map/101075922.
Media release – 19 May 2022
Offensive place names
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (the department) accepts full responsibility and apologises unreservedly for the publication of a recently identified historical place name that has caused offence.
The culturally offensive place name is a long-standing historical geographical name in use for more than 100 years and the department has used the lawfully determined name in publications.
However, the right thing to do is to expunge these names from official records.
The department has taken swift action to address the matter, including the implementation of suppressing place names in LISTmap. This took effect yesterday. This process also identified two other potentially offensive place names that have now also been suppressed.
The department will take further action to resolve this longstanding issue.
In addition, the department has identified the existence of the place name in printed copies of the Recreational Sea Fishing Guide, reflecting the official gazettal for the area.
These are being removed from circulation, along with printed maps containing the offensive place name.
Digital versions are being amended immediately and will remain available as printed versions are amended through routine print rounds. Fishers and anglers are encouraged to download the digital guide at Sea Fishing Guide 2021-22 FULL.pdf (nre.tas.gov.au) as an alternative to the printed copy.
The department has commenced an immediate review of all printed map products and documents to identify any further maps that contain the place name.
Further, the department is considering an interim process to address urgent culturally offensive place name matters when they arise. This will be done in consultation with the Place Names Advisory Panel, under the Place Names Act 2020.
The department did receive a naming submission from the TAC back in 2017 in relation to this geographical landmark, however the submission was withdrawn. The department welcomes all Tasmanian Aboriginal people, and the broader community, to highlight concerns and encourages all proposals to explore dual or replacement names.
