Bayside Council wanted the dual name, Wadhangarii-Barton Park for the area.

A submission by Bayside Council to have the dual name Wadhangarii-Barton Park for the Barton Park area has been refused by the Geographical Names Board (GNB).

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The council asked to include the name Wadhangarii which is the Dharawal word for Old Man Banksia (Banksia serrata), a local Banksia tree species found around Barton Park.

The GNB has advised that the council's submission does not meet the criteria for dual naming as a previous Aboriginal name is not documented either in written or oral history for the area.

The council engaged the Bayside Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group and the Local Aboriginal Land Council to determine whether the Barton Park area has an existing Aboriginal name that meets the GNB criteria.

The Gujaga Foundation assisted with the community engagement for this work, consulting with the Aboriginal community, Traditional Custodians, Elders and the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council.

The Gujaga Foundation did not identify an existing Aboriginal place name for the area around Barton Park, recommending instead Dharawal words for objects local to the site.

The GNB advised that renaming Barton Park was not appropriate, as reserve names are meant to be permanent. The name Barton Park was gazetted in the 1970s and a change may cause confusion for emergency services and general wayfinding, the GNB noted.

As an alternative, the GNB has suggested Council name a facility within Barton Park such as the stadium or a playing field.

This option would need to be discussed with Bayside Council's RAP Advisory Group and Local Aboriginal Land Council. Should the Aboriginal community wish to pursue this option.

Speaking at the May 13 Bayside City Services Committee meeting, Councillor Peter Strong said, "The Geographical Names Board relies heavily on documented colonial records of Aboriginal place names which can be disadvantage communities whose language and cultural practices was disrupted by dispossession.

"Aboriginal naming should be recognised as legitimate acts of cultural restoration and living language renewal, particularly when traditional owners, the local Aboriginal community supports the naming," he said.

Cr Strong asked that the council commit to continuing discussion with the Bayside Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group and other relevant organisations to expand First Nations naming opportunities in this case and generally rather than accepting that the GNB says no.

Bayside Council general manager Meredith Wallace said that the GNB is the ultimate decision-maker and they have said that dual naming is about restoring a name, not creating a name.

"We could look at the opportunity for Aboriginal naming of a feature within the park itself that is not dependent on GNB approval," she said.

The recommendation was supported by the committee.