Indigenous war hero rejected ‘due to feedback’

The Geographical Names Board had accepted a proposal to call the Metro stop Gadigal Railway Station until last year when it was proposed it be named Saunders Station in honour of the World War II hero.“Saunders Station may not sound as Aboriginal as Gadigal Station but Reg Saunders was a true Indigenous hero,” Bruce Relph, immediate past president of the NSW Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans Association said.“We don’t have too many monuments to Aboriginal people so turning this station into one would be a great idea.The Metropolitan Land Council originally proposed the name Gadigal Railway Station to honour an entire local culture rather than one individual and won strong departmental support.But former Transport and Veterans Minister David Elliott last year called for the proposed Gadigal Station name to be dumped in favour of honouring the first Aboriginal Australian to be commissioned as an Army officer.Saunders fought behind enemy lines in Crete in World War II and won the hearts of the local population. He went on to serve in Papua New Guinea and later in the Korean War.“As Veterans Minister I’m concerned we haven’t honoured Reg the way we should so my vision is for the station to include a large ‘story board’ of Captain Reg Saunders MBE,” Mr Elliott said.The Geographical Names Board sought community feedback on the name last year and yesterday a spokesman said the name had been rejected “due to feedback received from key stakeholders and members of the public.”The station’s name is now up in the air with Transport for NSW due to go back to the Geographical Names Board to resume the naming process before it opens in 2024. It is up to the NSW Government to give the final endorsement.Business and community leaders have called on the new Labor Government to overrule the GNB and go ahead with honouring Reg Saunders.Nick Andriotakis, Secretary of the Joint Committee for the Commemoration of the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign, said the Greek community was strongly in favour of naming the station after Saunders.“I think it is a great opportunity to honour an amazing Australian,” he said. “He was an Australian who had no right to vote, no right to drink with his mates, an Australian who served this country and showed the way about what it means to be an Australian to future generations.“It would be great to have something in a prime spot that would show millions of people passing through what a great man he was.”Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou said his members “supported” naming the station after an Australian war hero.“This is an opportunity to honour an individual Indigenous hero who, as a soldier, served Australia with distinction and bravery. It would ensure that Captain Saunders’ legacy is long remembered by this and future generations as a role model for all Australians,” he said.A City of Sydney spokeswoman said it acknowledged Saunders as a “worthy candidate for commemorative naming” but would prefer an Aboriginal leader from central Sydney.The Council said if the Saunders name went ahead Transport for NSW should provide “information and interpretation materials” to explain Saunders’ military background.DT app download info factboxDavid Harris, the minister for both Veterans and Indigenous Affairs, said the GNB was responsible for administering place names including the station.NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen promised to investigate. “I am seeking further advice regarding the Geographical Names Board process,” she said.“The government will follow the proper processes and naming conventions in a respectful and consultative way.”Daily Telegraph news tips form

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The Geographical Names Board had accepted a proposal to call the Metro stop Gadigal Railway Station until last year when it was proposed it be named Saunders Station in honour of the World War II hero.“Saunders Station may not sound as Aboriginal as Gadigal Station but Reg Saunders was a true Indigenous hero,” Bruce Relph, immediate past president of the NSW Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans Association said.“We don’t have too many monuments to Aboriginal people so turning this station into one would be a great idea.The Metropolitan Land Council originally proposed the name Gadigal Railway Station to honour an entire local culture rather than one individual and won strong departmental support.But former Transport and Veterans Minister David Elliott last year called for the proposed Gadigal Station name to be dumped in favour of honouring the first Aboriginal Australian to be commissioned as an Army officer.Saunders fought behind enemy lines in Crete in World War II and won the hearts of the local population. He went on to serve in Papua New Guinea and later in the Korean War.“As Veterans Minister I’m concerned we haven’t honoured Reg the way we should so my vision is for the station to include a large ‘story board’ of Captain Reg Saunders MBE,” Mr Elliott said.The Geographical Names Board sought community feedback on the name last year and yesterday a spokesman said the name had been rejected “due to feedback received from key stakeholders and members of the public.”The station’s name is now up in the air with Transport for NSW due to go back to the Geographical Names Board to resume the naming process before it opens in 2024. It is up to the NSW Government to give the final endorsement.Business and community leaders have called on the new Labor Government to overrule the GNB and go ahead with honouring Reg Saunders.Nick Andriotakis, Secretary of the Joint Committee for the Commemoration of the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign, said the Greek community was strongly in favour of naming the station after Saunders.“I think it is a great opportunity to honour an amazing Australian,” he said. “He was an Australian who had no right to vote, no right to drink with his mates, an Australian who served this country and showed the way about what it means to be an Australian to future generations.“It would be great to have something in a prime spot that would show millions of people passing through what a great man he was.”Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou said his members “supported” naming the station after an Australian war hero.“This is an opportunity to honour an individual Indigenous hero who, as a soldier, served Australia with distinction and bravery. It would ensure that Captain Saunders’ legacy is long remembered by this and future generations as a role model for all Australians,” he said.A City of Sydney spokeswoman said it acknowledged Saunders as a “worthy candidate for commemorative naming” but would prefer an Aboriginal leader from central Sydney.The Council said if the Saunders name went ahead Transport for NSW should provide “information and interpretation materials” to explain Saunders’ military background.DT app download info factboxDavid Harris, the minister for both Veterans and Indigenous Affairs, said the GNB was responsible for administering place names including the station.NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen promised to investigate. “I am seeking further advice regarding the Geographical Names Board process,” she said.“The government will follow the proper processes and naming conventions in a respectful and consultative way.”Daily Telegraph news tips form