Renaming of electorate for Aboriginal leader abandoned after disagreement
A plan to rename the Tasmanian electorate of Franklin to honour an Aboriginal resistance leader has been abandoned in part because of disagreement among local Indigenous groups.
A proposal to rename a Tasmanian electorate in honor of an Aboriginal resistance leader has been abandoned. If implemented, it would mark the first time in the state's history that an electorate bore the name of an Indigenous person. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) determined that further consultation was necessary, and any changes to electorate names should be addressed during future redistributions.
The AEC proposed renaming Tasmania's Franklin electorate, which covers Hobart's eastern coast and southern Tasmania, to Tongerlongeter. The name honors Tongerlongeter, a 19th century Aboriginal warrior who died in 1837 and led resistance against British invasion. The AEC consulted the public, Tasmanian Aboriginal organizations, and individuals throughout the process, but ultimately decided against the name change due to disagreements and a call for further consultation.
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