YOUNG people and the “wider community” will be able to choose one of three Aboriginal names for the yet to be completed $13 million southern peninsula youth hub at Rosebud.
The name will be chosen from three suggested by the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation: Tounnin Wominjeka (warm welcome); Umarko Wominjeka (all, everyone welcome); and Kartnuk Bullito Wongonon (joy everywhere, all about).
The hub is expected to open in November and the shire will later this month and in February seek the opinions of youth groups and schools.
In a report to council’s 19 December public meeting, shire officers said youth groups would be asked to vote on the three names. The chosen one would “be the final name for the hub that we will commence community consultation with to the wider community”.
“Once the final name has been determined, the wider community will be consulted and provided with the opportunity to give feedback on the name,” the officer’s report stated.
The “final name” would then be put on public exhibition for 30 days “to inform the community of the decision”.
“Any feedback must be considered and objections addressed. The naming proposal is then lodged with the Registrar of Geographic Names Victoria for consideration and approval.”
Councillors agreed in May last year to ask the Frankston-based Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation to consider suitable names based on a list of words suggested by young people that represented them “and how they feel”.
The adoption of an Aboriginal name for the youth hub follows council’s decision to name the $50m Rosebud aquatic centre Yawa.
The process for naming the youth hub – by considering only Aboriginal names – is unlikely to lead to the same delays surrounding the naming of aquatic centre. After rejecting an Aboriginal name on National Sorry Day in May 2020, councillors eventually agreed the centre would be called Yawa (Yawa ‘milestone’ for aquatic centre, The News 3/8/20).
The $13million youth hub being built at Olympic Park, Rosebud will provide such services as youth health and learning through the shire’s youth services department, Headspace, YSAS, Oakwood School, Peninsula Health and The Brotherhood of St Laurence.
Cr David Gill said the choice of name for the youth hub “should be made by our youth and First Peoples”.
While the names may sound strange he wondered if that would have been the reaction made by Aboriginals hearing such names as Dromana, Rosebud or Mount Eliza.
“They’re probably just as strange in many ways, but will roll off our tongues in no time,” Gill said.
“It’s no more difficult than the English language … getting something authentic and real, with 60,000 years of culture behind it.”
Cr Despi O’Connor said it was “really fitting” to use names suggested by the Bunurong Land Council as “a lot of our First Nations people live around this area of the peninsula”.
Cr Debra Mar said young people could see the youth hub as their second home and the meaning of the suggested names “certainly goes to that point”.
Cr Sarah Race was excited that young people had said they wanted Bunurong names for the youth hub.
When work started on the youth hub last year, then mayor Cr Anthony Marsh said young people living in the southern peninsula were accessing services and programs at lower rates than would be expected, and many vulnerable young people were missing out on the services and supports they needed (Start for $13m ‘youth hub’ at Rosebud, The News 3/10/22).
He said the hub would meet their current and future needs.
“Evidence shows an accessible youth-friendly site will deliver the best outcomes for young people and their families. We’re so pleased this one stop youth hub is being built in Rosebud.”
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 9 January 2024
