Library name a no-go

By Kate Taylor

Moorabool Shire Councillors have closed the book on a proposal to rename the Lerderderg Library.

A motion put forward at the February council meeting by East Ward Councillor John Keogh requested that a report be prepared on changing the Lerderderg Library to the Peter Carey Library, in honour of the award-winning author who is from Bacchus Marsh.

Cr Keogh argued that such a noteable local talent should be recognised.

“The Booker Prize is one of the highest accolades for writers worldwide. We are fortunate to have a former resident of Bacchus Marsh that has been the recipient of the prize on two occasions. Peter Carey is a highly acclaimed and best-selling author,” Cr Keogh explained.

“The Lerderderg Library could achieve worldwide notoriety by being renamed the Peter Carey Library.”

Debate quickly turned to whether or not a place can be named after a person who is still living.

“A living person cannot receive a place named after them is my understanding, not just from a council,” Cr Sullivan said.

“If you watched the tennis over the summer then that does not ring true,” CEO Rob Croxford replied, with a slight chuckle.

“I know it is irregular – normally a building is only named after people if they are dead. But Peter Carey has a world-wide reputation -we should make an exception,” Cr Keogh argued.

Cr Dudzik asked how the library had been named in the first place, and it was former councillor John Spain, who had been sitting in the gallery after having addressed the meeting on a different matter, who provided the answer.

“It was named as a result of community consultation for expressions of interest, the appointment of a committee and that determined Lerderderg as an excellent name and it fitted the locality,” Mr Spain said.

A question about name confusion was also quickly answered.

“How do we avoid confusion, as there are other Peter Carey’s living around our Shire?” asked Cr Toohey.
“I suggest they are not Booker Prize winners,” Cr Keogh replied.

The motion failed, with only Cr Keogh in favour of the name change.