Bubara, which is the Dharawal word for mountain, could one day be a street name in the Gilead residential development, pictured above.
It’s one of several Dharawal words prepared by Campbelltown Council staff for a report to tonight’s council meeting.
The report urges councillors to adopt the Dharawal words for future use in locations such as Airds, Claymore and Campbelltown west of the railway line.
Barriwurri – morning in English – is one suggestion for Airds, and bana (rain) for Bradbury.
Nharrawangay – lightining – is included in the list of Dharawal words for Claymore, while gugara – kookaburra – is part of the list for Campbeltown west of the rail line.
If councillors approve the recommendation, the list of words will be used as future roads and reserves names in those suburbs listed.
“The community and Council have expressed a desire for more Dharawal language words to be used when naming roads and places across Campbelltown,’’ says the report.
“This recognises the traditional custodians of Campbelltown – the Dharawal people – and their unique and spiritual connections with the land.
“The NSW Geographic Names Board also supports preserving local Aboriginal languages through road and place naming.
“Council has undertaken an extensive process to identify appropriate words from the local Dharawal language to be used as names for roads and reserves in Campbelltown.
“This process has included consulting with the Campbelltown Aboriginal Community Reference Group (CACRG), and engaging a local linguist, Jo Tanginoa, who researched and prepared a list of Dharawal language words,’’ the report said.
“This list of Dharawal words seeks to reflect the different parts of the Local Government Area such as animals, plants, landforms, and other significant features.’’
Tonight’s council meeting starts at 6.30pm, and it will be livestreamed via council’s website.
