What's in a name: K'gari sheds its colonial legacy

Rudi MaxwellAAP
Camera IconThe Butchulla people are traditional owners of K'gari, which was formerly known as Fraser Island. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP

K'GARI NAME RECLAIMED: KEY FACTS

* Restoring the name K'gari is the result of a decades-long campaign by Butchulla traditional owners

* K'gari, the white spirit sent from the sky to help make the land and the seas, is pronounced "gurri" with a silent "k"

* It has been known as Fraser Island and Great Sandy Island

* At 122km long, it is the largest sand island in the world

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* In 2011, the Bligh government added K'gari as an alternative name for the place called Fraser Island

* In 2014, the Federal Court formally recognised the Butchulla people's non-exclusive native title rights and interests

* In 2017, the Fraser Island portion of the Great Sandy National Park was changed to K'gari (Fraser Island) National Park

* In 2021, the name of the Fraser Island World Heritage Area was changed to K'gari (Fraser Island)

* In 2022, the Queensland government held a consultation process about officially restoring the name K'gari

* The placename was restored in a ceremony involving generations of Butchulla people and guests with a smoking ceremony, traditional songs and dances

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