Gin’s Leap is a familiar sight which greets motorists driving between Boggabri and Narrabri on the Kamilaroi Highway, but the name could soon change.
There is a new push to rename the site, following a request by Jody Sevil, secretary of the Gomeroi Narrabri Aboriginal Corporation (GNAC).
“Gin is a derogatory word used to describe an Aboriginal, mainly focussed at women, but it’s never said to an Aboriginal person in a nice way,” said Jody, who wrote to Narrabri Shire Council three weeks ago requesting a name change.
“I got a response from tourism manager Penny Jobling, she called me and it went from there.
“She said attitudes are shifting, so I thought that was fantastic.”
Jody said she wants the community to embrace a name change.
“It’s a positive step forward for this community and the whole shire, it’ll show that the whole community is moving on and that we’re not stuck in the dark ages,” she said.
“We want to embrace everyone’s culture in a nice way, regardless of wherever you come from.”
Cr Les Knox said the issue would be investigated by Narrabri Shire Council.
“It’s being looked at, and then hopefully it will be put to the public, it’s been talked about for a while but no one has been keen to do anything but finally something will be done which is good,” Cr Knox said, adding that the word Gin is widely considered offensive.
“I’ve never liked it, it sounds offensive and comes across as very derogatory.”
A report is currently being prepared by Narrabri Shire Council which will then go to general manager Pat White, and be tabled at council’s September meeting.
Jody said a name change would be a huge step forward.
“It would be nice for our future generations for that word not to be written up in a big sign when so many Aboriginal women get offended by it,” he said.
“I think that it’s such a positive thing that Elders from our past who are no longer here would be smiling down at us for doing.”