NAME BEACH AFTER DUKE, SAYS COUNCILLOR
A SURF Coast councillor says Point Roadknight should receive a royal makeover and be named in honour of the late Prince Philip.
Cr Adrian Schonfelder will write to acting Premier James Merlino requesting the state government name a building or location in the Duke’s honour.
The Duke visited Geelong with Queen Elizabeth in 1954 and 1988. He died on Friday aged 99.
Cr Schonfelder said he was inspired to write to the state government by locals who approached him with the idea.
Cr Schonfelder said Point Roadknight could be named Point Mountbatten to avoid confusion with Port Phillip Bay.
“Given we’ve got the Princes Highway through the Surf Coast and Albert Park — naming something after Prince Philip is fitting,” he said.
But the controversial idea has been dismissed as a step too by far by self-declared monarchist Jill Duck, who said it was not necessary to change names of “iconic” destinations.
“Point Roadknight is too iconic, I’m not really interested in changing names of locations,” Mrs Duck said.
Cr Schonfelder said he hoped the state government could rename a building or location in honour of the Prince to mark what would have been his 100th birthday on June 10.
“I think that there is much fondness for the royal family,” he said. “I have gauged a lot of fondness for Prince Philip and believe he is greatly admired for his longevity and for the championing of environmental causes.”
British citizen and Geelong resident Alister Douglas said renaming Point Roadknight in the Duke’s honour was an appropriate nod to the Prince’s commitment to environmental conservation.
“I think it’s a fine idea, he seems to have done an awful lot for the world,” he said.
But Western Victoria MP Beverley McArthur said residents should be able to decide on the names of locations they lived in.
“It’s completely right that residents should decide, and if they come together and choose this name as a fitting tribute to Prince Philip’s life of service, I would certainly be supportive of it,” Ms McArthur said.
Surf Coast Shire Mayor Libby Stapleton urged anyone who was interested in seeing the name of places changed to write to council.
The state government confirmed there were no proposals before government in relation to changing the name of Point Roadknight and that no changes were being proactively considered.
Requests to name places after a member of the royal family require endorsement from the state government, Government House and federal government before being referred to Buckingham Palace.