Gender bias calls defer park decision

Submissions calling on Baw Baw Shire Council to acknowledge women in place names convinced council to defer naming two reserves in Waterford Rise, Warragul.

A report to council last week recommended the two reserves be named Marrabel Park and Hamilton Park – after early landowners.

But, a narrow five to four vote by councillors defeated the motion, leaving an opportunity for Crs Annemarie McCabe and Jazmin Tauru to suggest women’s or indigenous names be considered for the parks.

Council’s Place Names Advisory Committee will be now asked to reconsider the matter, with women and indigenous people in mind.

Presentations from Kerry Wilson, Nicolette Snowden and Nigel Beck supported submissions from Women in Gippsland which has previously put forward a list of women’s names who should be considered in future place naming.

Ms Wilson, an advocate for the Women in Gippsland campaign “Put her name on it,” said “you only have to look around your town to see the gender bias”.

She said street names, parks and buildings were all predominantly named after men, and women were “practically invisible.”

Despite being 50 per cent of the population, Ms Wilson said only three per cent of place names told the stories of women.

“Public place naming can immortalise a story…women deserve a pedestal,” she said.

Sarah Prentergast supported the nomination of her mother Christine Holland to be considered for one of the park names.

She said the recommendation to name the parks after men was “systematic bias that is prohibitive to gender and indigenous people.”

Ms Prentergast said women of yesteryear were unable to own land like Mr Hamilton and Mr Marrabel.

She said her mother had selflessly contributed more than 50 years of her life to community work and council should consider acknowledging living people.

Officers said the suggestion to name a park after Ms Holland was not appropriate on the basis of the principle that names of living people should be avoided.

Waterford Rise developers Baw Baw Developments presented a proposal to the place names committee in 2013, outlining its preferred names for all six reserves in the estate.

A report to council said the concept behind the proposal was to acknowledge the owners of allotments in the estate.

The four other parks were named Penaluna Park, Kestle Park, Strachan Park and Harkness Park. Of the four, Kestle Park is named after a woman, Ethel Kestle.

There were 25 submissions relating to the naming of the final two parks, of which two supported the original proposal to name the parks after landowners (Marrabel and Hamilton) and the other 23 objections suggested the parks should be named after women or have indigenous names.

The report said Henry Hamilton took the first registered ownership of land on the corner of Tarwin St and Princes Way, while Leslie Marrabel was a “cattle king” who owned 640 acres around Warragul.

Cr McCabe said it was time to demonstrate to the community that council recognised the significance of women in place names.

“It’s important we make sure communities are aware how and why place names are made,” she said.

Cr Peter Kostos said he did not disagree with the submissions calling for women and indigenous people to be recognised, but the place names committee had gone through a process and made a recommendation.

“Yes we need to start creating change but it has to be part of the process,” he said.

Cr Kostos, who is on the place names committee, said Cr Tauru, also on the committee, had supported the recommendation for Marrabel and Hamilton when voted on by the committee.

Cr Tauru admitted she had changed her mind since the committee’s consideration. “I am here to listen, what’s why I have changed my mind, and that’s healthy.”

Cr Tauru said if council supported the names Hamilton and Marrabel it would not be meeting its obligations under the Gender Equality Act.

Cr Darren Wallace said he was reluctant to vote against a recommendation from a council advisory committee.

He said council needed to change its policy to ensure equity in the future, suggesting place names could alternate like cyclones between male and female names.

Cr Michael Leaney said it was important to acknowledge the right people, whether male or female.

“We can’t exclude people who have done good things. We can’t exclude people just because they are male. I think there should be a general re-assessment of these two parks,” he said.

Councillors in favour of Marrabel and Hamilton included Crs Kostos, Wallace, Danny Goss and Joe Gauci. Against were Crs McCabe, Tauru, Leaney, Ben Lucas and Tricia Jones.

Council also has called for a report identifying women and indigenous people of significance that could be considered by the place names committee in future place naming.