Victoria’s Labor government is under fire over revelations all six schools to open in the state so far this year have been given aboriginal names, with 26 more to come in 2026.
In 2023 then-Education Minister Natalie Hutchins announced the state would no longer name schools after geographical locations in order to ensure “the history, culture and languages of Victoria’s First Peoples (sic) are strongly embedded in our education system”.
She also said the policy would “contribute to the ongoing process of reconciliation”, but the state government declined to comment on the practice again this week after the renaming of six schools sparked outrage.
Sky News Australia host Steve Price linked the policy with the Victorian government being “deep into a secret treaty negotiation with indigenous groups”, and said the it would “make it impossible for many parents to explain what the name of their school is”.
“No it won’t [contribute to reconciliation], it will simply make you feel good about yourself for yet another virtue signalling move that does zero to help indigenous poverty,” Price said.
“In a week when we learn alarming numbers of year 9 boys, according to Naplan results, can’t understand punctuation and spelling with appalling literacy skills, wouldn’t we be better off teaching the basics?”
Liberal MP Jason Wood said he was concerned the aboriginal names could make it hard for parents to locate schools.
“Every new school in Victoria is now being given an indigenous name, replacing the tradition of calling schools after their suburbs” he told his social media followers.
“I am all for reconciliation, but I’m not sure how this act will help indigenous Australians – but it could make it very tough for parents trying to find their local school.
“What do you think? Is it a great step towards reconciliation or will it make no difference while causing confusion and division?”
The six schools which have had their interim names replaced with indigenous names so far this year are:
- Barayip Primary School in Tarneit (was Riverdale North Primary School)
- Kuyim Primary School in Pakenham (was Pakenham North West Primary School)
- Mirniyan Primary School in Clyde North (was Thompsons West Primary School)
- Turrun Primary School in Clyde North (was Clyde North Primary School)
- Wirrigirri Primary School in Wollert (was Wollert Central Primary School)
- Wulerrp Secondary College in Clyde North (was Clyde North Secondary School).
The government said in February that so-called traditional owners were consulted with by the Victorian School Building Authority on designs for all six schools.
“Local indigenous plants, cultural stories and histories and translations were incorporated into design elements, giving each school a unique identity in local First Nations (sic) culture,” a spokesperson said at the time.
“Principals continued this work when designing their new school logos, colours and branding.”
The Victorian government could sign Australia’s first treaty with indigenous people as early as next week, which would make the state’s First People’s Assembly permanent and give it new powers to “hold the government to account”.
The Opposition withdrew from Treaty negotiations last year and has criticised the move to entrench the Assembly, having previously granted a conscience vote within the Liberal Party on the Voice referendum while the National Party supported the No vote.
“Trying to introduce legislation to have a voice to parliament here in Victoria, after Victorians have already said no, flies in the face of democracy,” Liberal leader Brad Battin said last month.
The Assembly’s last election in 2023 election had 4,200 votes cast from 7,000 enrolled voters out of the 45,000 indigenous people aged 16 years or older in Victoria.
Header image: Turrun Primary School in Clyde North.
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