The world’s largest sand island, which has been known as Fraser Island for centuries, is finally getting rid of its colonial title. The name of the island, situated off Queensland’s coast in Australia, has now been restored to its old indigenous name — K’gari. The name was restored in a governmental ceremony held by the Queensland administration in the presence of hundreds of traditional owners hailing from the local Butchulla community.
Significance of the new name
The name K’gari, pronounced gurri, holds deep meaning in the local Butchulla language as it translates to paradise. Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to K’gari to witness its breathtaking beauty, including its Dingo population and half of the world’s freshwater dune lakes.
The restoration of the island’s Indigenous name is the result of a decades-long campaign by the Butchulla people. In 2017, a partial victory was achieved when the island’s Great Sandy national park was renamed K’gari. However, the recent decision goes a step further by entirely dropping the name Fraser Island.
Why was it previously named Fraser?
The name Fraser Island became culturally inappropriate due to its association with Eliza Fraser, a Scotswoman who was shipwrecked on the island in the 1830s. Fraser wrote a debunked negative tale of her “captivity” by the Butchulla people, referring to them as “savages” and “cannibals.” Despite being contradicted by fellow survivors, these lies spread throughout the English colony, tarnishing the reputation of the Butchulla people.
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For the Butchulla people, this renaming corrects a historic wrong. K’gari, which represents their home, was unjustly taken away. But now that K’gari has reclaimed its name, the oral history and the creation story of the Butchulla people will be shared and learned as it should be.
Queensland’s premier expresses pride
Queensland’s premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, expressed pride in officially welcoming K’gari back and honouring the name used by the traditional owners for centuries. “While steps like these can’t change the wrongs of the past, it goes a long way to building a future where all Queenslanders value, trust and respect each other,” she said.
“This always was and always will be Butchulla Country,” she added.
Queensland’s minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partnerships, Leeanne Enoch, said: “As Queensland continues on its Path to Treaty, the lands, placenames and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will form a much greater part of our shared experience.”
