On 7 June 2023, the world’s largest sand island and formerly known as Fraser Island, officially reclaimed her Butchulla name of K’gari.

The renaming took place after a lengthy process under the Queensland Place Names Act 1994. In 2011, the alternative names K’gari and Gari were recorded in the Queensland Place Names Database. In 2021, the Queensland Government started the process to rename Fraser Island to K’gari, and the co-named K’gari (Fraser Island) World Heritage Area was formally recognised by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee.

But the battle for K’gari’s name started far earlier in 1836, after James Fraser, Captain of the Stirling Castle, ran aground in May 1836 on Swain Reefs while travelling from Sydney to Singapore. Also on board was his wife, Eliza. The survivors headed south in a leaking lifeboat, hoping to reach the convict settlement at Moreton Bay. Twelve survivors eventually reached the northern tip of Great Sandy Island, which would later be renamed after Captain Fraser, in 1842.

The Butchulla People named the island after the white spirit, K’gari who was transmogrified into the island after begging Yindingie (creator and messenger of the great god Beeral) to stay. Understandably, having lived on K’gari for over 6000 years, they were reluctant to adopt a new name for the island. This was exacerbated by Eliza’s increasingly fictional stories about her time with her Butchulla rescuers, which undoubtedly contributed to the alienation, removal, and massacre of Butchulla people on K’gari. 

The Department of Resources’ consultation process received more than 6,000 submissions with ~70% in favour of restoring the island’s Butchulla name that will now appear on maps, road signs and postal addresses. 

So, is it K’gari or K’gari Island? K’gari is still an Island and when referring to it in that context, it could be referred to as K’gari Island or the Island of K’gari. However, when referring to traditional places, such as K’gari, Uluru or Kakadu it is not necessary to also include a description of the geographical feature.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was a historic day. “K’gari is the name, it always has been, and it always will be,” she said. “From now on, all Queenslanders should refer to it as its rightful name, K’gari.”

Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation chairperson Gayle Minniecon said she acknowledged the changes may be an adjustment for tourists on the island. “People will feel that they can’t deal with the change,” she said. “They will experience loss, but it won’t be anywhere near the loss that our old people experienced back then. They didn’t have their heart, their soul, their spirit broken.”

“As traditional owners, we have always called it K’gari – so for us to officially get the rest of Queensland and Australia to call it K’gari, is really important,” added Christine Royan, BAC Director. Ms Royan hoped the historic name change would inspire other traditional owners looking to follow suit.

“Like Uluru, this has been a great battle,” Ms Royan said. “I would say to everyone that wants to fight for their name and the country, keep fighting. It’s been a long time coming for us. Go with your heart.”

Article and photo by Lucy Loram and Pat Heagney, ABC Wide Bay, adapted with permission