Monash wins
The AEC has announced it will maintain the recommended change to Monash, in recognition of World War I military commander Sir John Monash.
More than 30 submissions opposed renaming the federal seat of McMillan to Monash. And, overwhelmingly, the majority of submissions called for the electorate to have an indigenous name.
The final redistribution of boundaries and names released by the AEC last week also returned Bunyip North, Garfield North, Maryknoll, Tonimbuk and Tynong North to the new Monash electorate.
The boundary redistribution originally proposed by the AEC was for the Bunyip River become the new western border but this was rejected in the final decision.
Sitting Member for McMillan Russell Broadbent will no longer live in the electorate, with the redistribution transferring the Pakenham growth area to the Latrobe electorate.
Monash also will gain Koo wee rup, Lang Lang, Grantville and San Remo from the Flinders electorate.
Mr Broadbent said Monash was a name he proposed some years ago during early discussions but it was criticised. “I’d be honoured to be the first Member for Monash.”
Calls to rename McMillan have gained momentum in recent years, because of reports that Angus McMillan massacred Aboriginal people in Gippsland area in the 1840s.
Mr Broadbent said he thought Monash was an appropriate name given he had had an office in Foster and a connection with the Latrobe Valley area.
The redistribution committee favoured Monash in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the community and because of his work with the State Electricity Commission which contributed significantly to the Gippsland area.
Some of the submissions said renaming McMillan to an indigenous name was an opportunity to redress past wrongs.
The Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, Bunurong Land Council and Bass Coast/South Gippsland Reconciliation Group called for the electorate to be named “Bunjileene-Purrine” or requested the AEC committee consider another Aboriginal name.
One submission said “surely after the horrible history the local indigenous peoples have suffered at the hands of McMillan, would be enough to offer a small token and gesture of acknowledgement to the massacres, murder and devastation caused by McMillan, to numerous communities and many families and people.”
Only one division was renamed following consultation and the name of Corangamite was retained rather than adopting the proposed name change to Cox.
The AEC said 11 of Victoria’s 38 electoral divisions will be named for an Aboriginal person or word; and, the number of Victoria’s electoral divisions named after a woman will increase by one to five.