Apple Maps labels part of Sydney as non-existent ‘Eora Nation’

Apple Maps is under fire for labelling part of Sydney as “Eora Nation” even though it is not a real place name, as part of a global far-left initiative by the US tech giant.

A local user spotted the name and its centre point in the city’s inner-west last week and shared the image on social media, sparking criticism from many Australians, with some pointing out it is historically and linguistically inaccurate, while others said it was not a useful function for the iPhone map app.

Eora is a contested term referring to a group of aboriginal clans who lived in the Sydney area at the time of British arrival, but there was no “Eora Nation”, nor any places named Eora.

“It’s stupid. Not helpful for navigation,” said one Aussie Reddit user.

“They need a new term if they must do this. ‘Nation is not it,” said another.

“We’ve just imported the ‘first nations’ stuff from North America. Can’t believe more people don’t understand how insulting and straight-up false that is,” another replied.

“There is no Eora nation. It’s Dharug people being erased by other mob that aren’t even from here,” said a third.

Apple added about 250 indigenous “dual names” to its maps in 2025 after working with aboriginal consultancy Nyikbar and indigenous mapping companies.

Nyikbar managing director Charles Prouse said it was a “powerful thing” to “put ourselves back on the map”, while Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations CEO Paul Paton described it as an “act of truth-telling”.

The tech giant made similar changes in the US and Canada in 2023 as part of its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI), which aims to “advance equity and expand opportunities for black, Hispanic/Latinx (sic), and indigenous communities”.

The global push was led by Canadian activist Steve De Roy, the co-founder of the Firelight Group, who wants tech companies to “indigenise” mapping.

Header image: The map showing the fake name “Eora Nation” over Sydney’s inner west.

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