Friday 8 October 2010

I give you an "R"... now it's Mirriwinni !

Today, "Miriwinni" a tiny settlement south of Cairns, will get what they've been asking for. The Queensland Government will officially present them with a letter "R".

Miriwinni will now now officially be named Mirriwinni.


The Department of Environment and Resource
Management recommended the name change after consultation with the Mirriwinni community.

They also sought the views of postal, emergency and telecommunication services.
The debate over the spelling of the town’s name has gone on for more than 20 years with an overwhelming majority of the local community wanting the name change.

A Restore the ‘R’ in Miriwinni Committee lobbied local politicians for the change of "Miriwinni" with two Rs. The committee argued the case with substantial evidence that included
photos, postal records, invoices and bank deposit slips dating back many years.

Mulgrave MP Curtis Mr Pitt says Mirriwinni has a fascinating history, with many locals believing the name change actually restored the original spelling of the town prior to World War II.

“According to written accounts from the Mirriwinni Restore the ‘R’ Committee, the spelling with a double-R was commonly used prior to World War II including on a sign at a railway siding that was temporarily removed during the war,” Curtis Pitt says. “The successful application was assessed favourably by the Department against place names criteria such as community views, cultural and historic significance, Aboriginal tradition and Islander custom and commonly known names.”

Mirriwinni is located near the base of Mount Bartle Frere, at 1,622 metres, is Queensland’s highest peak.

It’s believed that Mirriwinni is derived from the local Aboriginal word ‘merriwinnoo’ which means ’mountain rock’.

3 comments:

Syd Walker said...

Kurranda next. Then Cairrns. After that Brrisbane and Canberrrra.

Growl said...

There's obviously very little to do in Mirriwinni

yk said...

Get your suburb's name etched in stone. If the land developers get hold of it they will rename it Palm Cove South.