New street names approved in the Bargara Rise Estate pay tribute to the Bundaberg Region's South Sea Islander heritage.
The developer of the significant residential development, located off Watsons Road, asked to adopt four street names with the historic cultural link.
Bundaberg Regional Council planning and development spokesman Cr Ross Sommerfeld said the gesture was a fitting acknowledgement of a culture that helped to shape the region.
“South Sea Islanders, through forced labour, played a significant role in developing the region’s sugar industry in its early days,” Cr Sommerfeld said.
“More than 60,000 South Sea Islanders were recruited to work in the Australian sugar industry between 1863 through to 1906, with Bundaberg being one of a number of major posts.
“Given these ties to one of our region’s key industries and the many reminders of the culture that remain within our region today Council felt these street names appropriately reflected the region’s history.”
Street names and their meanings:
Rennell Street: Rennell, also referred to by the locals as Mugaba, is the main island of two inhabited islands that make up the Rennell and Bellona Province in the Solomon Islands.
Ambrym Street: Ambrym is a volcanic island in Malampa Province in the archipelago of Vanuatu.
Gowa Street: Gowa Regency is located within the province of South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Aniwa Street: Aniwa is a small coral island in the southernmost province of Tafea, Vanuatu.
Throughout the application process the developer consulted with a local Australian South Sea Islander group on the names.
- Other news: Bargara residential development site goes to auction
