Shared history
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The Bundian Way is a great project and a credit to all those people involved in its development!
They say every idea has its time, so maybe it's time to introduce another idea that links into what people like Ossie Cruse are trying to achieve with the development of the Bundian Way.
As we look around our local area there are a lot of names we take for granted that are obviously Yuin names for their country - Nadgee, Towamba, Kiah, Merimbula, Pambula, Bermagui, Mogareeka and many more.
One of the most beautiful stretches of coastline and hinterland within the Yuin Nation’s boundaries is the Ben Boyd National Park.
Declared in 1971 it is named after the English entrepreneur Benjamin Boyd (1801-1851).
Boyd arrived in Port Jackson on July 18, 1842.
Boyd brought with him one million pounds, which was provided by the Royal Bank of Australia formed in London in 1839.
Boyd was a director, his brother Mark the manager.
By the mid-1840s, “his” Royal bank had more than 160,000 sheep and “controlled” over 2,500,000 acres or 1,011,715 ha in the Monaro and the Riverina alone, for a reported trifling annual licence fee!
He has been called adventurer, entrepreneur, pioneer, enterprising.
But by1847, the shareholders and debenture holders back in London were becoming uneasy and suspicious about his enterprises, attitudes and motives.
His financial reports were found to be misleading.
As a result he was forced out in 1847 and bankruptcy and liquidation followed.
There is a lot more to Boyd's “short” stay here - only seven years!
How long have Aboriginal people lived here?
Read more about him on the Internet and at the library and the Eden Whale Museum and then consider my next question!
My question is...is it not time to consider renaming the Ben Boyd National Park in favour of a local Aboriginal name?
It has been done elsewhere - Ayres Rock to Uluru.
Or at least a dual naming in the spirit of a shared history?
Perhaps there might also be an Aboriginal name for the Light to Light walk?
And what about a dual name for Greencape, two that are often quoted are “Bunderoo” and “Punderweroo” (my apologies to the local Aboriginal community if the latter is not correct or the spelling incorrect).
Alan Roadknight
Upper Brogo
Borrowed time
In reply to Klaas Woldring.
Good call Klaas, let the government just borrow, borrow, borrow.
To hell with Australia - when the country is stuffed you can join the boat people and look for another country.
Good luck.
Keith Beresford
Sydney
Earth threatened
A tsunami of threats to the planet wrought by human overpopulation encroaching on and swamping the natural environment, leaves those of us who are aware, overwhelmed and depressed.
I shall not concentrate on any one threat in particular, as it would take a book to explain to the ignorant the many reasons why the following activities should not be continued in their present capacities.
Burning, land clearing, rampant mining, coal seam gas extraction, wetland degradation, killing rivers from irrigation, logging original forests (that will not grow back again due to global warming), overfishing and polluting the world’s oceans and rivers, genetically modified crops (to name but a few).
Inhumane hunting in state forests and national parks, pesticide spraying, battery birds/animals, the live cattle and sheep trade.
And how humans treat all living things in general (apart from pampered dogs and cats), so despicably!
Most countries in the world have depleted their natural environment to such an extent it is virtually non-existent.
The Amazon forest – a part of the earth’s lungs - is being destroyed daily, as are the equally precious eucalypt forests of Australia, especially here in the South East.
The number of logging trucks seen on the roads daily attests to this.
Yet it seems the majority of Australians just don’t care.
With the current government policies, never, since early settlement, has Australia’s environment been more endangered than now.
“Environment” appears to be an extinct word in this government, which seems intent on removing many hard fought-for laws made previously to provide at least some environmental safeguards.
It is now making it easier for landowners to slash and burn precious, little remaining native vegetation habitat and allow big conglomerates and overseas interests to plunder this country’s precious, unsustainable, land, forest and mineral resources.
Are we a race of sport crazy bogans, living in total ignorance of anything other than mobile phones, senseless chat, the Internet, movies and TV?
I say to the youth of today, get real, wake up and live, attempt to save the planet and its natural wonders.
It is up to young people to protest - to vote for politicians who seek to protect the wonders of Australia, while they still exist!
Time is running out, with previous extinctions and more current near-extinctions than any other country.
In conclusion, it would be interesting to know what price avocado growers are being paid per avocado, when they are over $3 each in the supermarket!
Diana Gillies
Moruya