Names chosen for civic precinct

GEELONG’S $220m council headquarters and civic precinct will celebrate the area’s Indigenous heritage after being given a Wadawurrung name.

Geelong council this week announced its new office and the surrounding community spaces would be named Wurriki Nyal — Wadawurrung words meaning “speak and talk together”.

The civic precinct — opposite the Geelong police station on Mercer Street — is under construction, and expected to open midway through 2022. When it does the council will relocate staff from offices around the Geelong city centre to the site.

The second building in the precinct, to be built by Quintessential Equity, will be named Ngytan Koriayo, meaning “look over the water, see all around Corio Bay”.

The city and Quintessential Equity worked with traditional owners in using the Wadawurrung language.

“This is the first time in the Geelong region that a major project has had such a depth of collaborative engagement with our people into construction, design, story, place and language,” Wadawurrung woman Corrina Eccles said.

Mayor Stephanie Asher said the use of traditional language helped celebrate the city’s Aboriginal heritage.

“It is a wonderfully fitting name and a reminder that lively, respectful community discourse is at the heart of everything we do as a council,” Cr Asher said. “We hope the community will embrace the new name and the celebration of community spirit and togetherness it represents.”

A yarning circle — built by the Wadawurrung people as places of ceremonial business, gathering and celebration — will be constructed in the civic precinct and named Gayoopanyoon Goopma, meaning “gather”.