Ocean Grove Spit renamed Wadawurrung word for “between”

THE protected area of coastline that connects Ocean Grove to the Barwon Heads Bridge, formerly known as the Ocean Grove Spit, will have its name changed to a Wadawurrung word.

In a collaboration between the Barwon Coast Committee of Management and the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, the popular stretch of coastline has been renamed to Bukareeyoo, the Wadawurrung word for “between”. Wadawurrung People would visit the area historically to camp and fish due to its geographical location between the ocean and the river in the warm summer area.

Barwon Coast is the designated land manager for Bukareeyoo, however, the area’s new name was given by the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.

“At Barwon Coast, we support the Wadawurrung People through embedding their assertions into our decision making, planning and management. Placing Wadawurrung names back on Country is one important way we can do this,” Barwon Coast chief executive officer Gary McPike said.

“Naming Bukareeyoo will help educate the broader community about Wadawurrung stories and history. It will be an everyday reminder that this is Wadawurrung Country. We look forward to everyone who uses the area to start calling it Bukareeyoo. For example, when I am meeting a friend, I will be saying, let’s meet for a walk down at Bukareeyoo.

“We are undertaking a precinct master planning process for our accommodation services areas, including caravan parks and campgrounds. This renaming process aligns with the master planning process. We will return Wadawurrung language to other areas of coast that we manage over the next few years, as we develop more precinct masterplans.” Bukareeyoo remains culturally significant to the Wadawurrung, with evidence of gathering, connecting, and feasting found at the location for thousands of generations.

The location is a popular place for walking, swimming, fishing, and picnics, used over summer and Easter periods as a campground named “Riverside”.

The campground will be named Bukareeyoo Campground in time for the summer 2024 camping season.

“Bringing language names back to Dja (Country) is something that we as a Wadawurrung community want to see and we have expressed this as a goal in our Paleert Tjaara Dja – let’s make country good together Wadawurrung Country Plan,” Traditional Owner Sarah Eccles said.

“Having a Wadawurrung language name will help those who enjoy this cultural landscape understand whose traditional country it is, the cultural values it holds and ongoing connections it has to Wadawurrung people.

“The partnership with Barwon Coast in working with us to bring Wadawurrung language back to Dja (Country) is deeply valued and in the spirit of Koling wada-ngal (let us walk together).”

The process of naming Bukareeyoo was guided by the Geographic Place Names Act 1998 and the Naming Rules for Places in Victoria 2022.

It has been proposed the new name will be formally gazetted in March 2023.