Melbourne electorate
Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:52): (556) My question is to the Premier: will the state government rename Kings Domain in central Melbourne? Just opposite the NGV in the middle of Melbourne is a site you may not even have heard of. Among the gum trees in the middle of a tranquil patch of grass the remains of First Nations people from 32 clans are buried, remains brought back from museums and institutions around the world. Yet this significant Aboriginal site is unfathomably named Kings Domain. In 2006 a group of First Nations people set up camp on this spot to draw attention to the injustices perpetrated against First Nations people throughout our history. They called it Camp Sovereignty. Since 26 January this year Camp Sovereignty has started up again. The asks are clear: return the land to traditional custodians for ceremony and healing, rename it and build a cultural centre on the site. This site does not belong to the King. It belongs to the First Nations people of this land, and it should be renamed accordingly.