The City of Parramatta Council has back peddled on plans to progress naming 5 Parramatta Square either ‘Civic Place’ or ‘The Civic’, following community feedback.
The Council announced the narrowed down list of names back in May, however received criticism that Aboriginal/Indigenous inspired names discussed during the consultation process had not made the final cut.
The $130 million development, which is currently referred to as 5 Parramatta Square, is located in the heart of Parramatta’s historic civic precinct, nearby heritage-listed Town Hall since 1883, and was the previous home to Council and the former Parramatta Library.
The site is being redeveloped as part of the wider Parramatta Square project.
Once completed, it will be the home of Council’s new chambers as well as a library and community hall.
It will also house a Discovery Centre and cultural heritage space with interactive displays and exhibitions and an Aboriginal Keeping Place for local Indigenous objects.
Council says ‘Civic Place’ and ‘The Civic’ reference the site’s past while acknowledging the building as a place for the people for generations to come.
However, after calling for community feedback on the two names, 273 objections were received for ‘Civic Place’ and 327 for ‘The Civic’.
A total of 433 responses were submitted via Participate Parramatta and seven email submissions.
Six of the seven emails requested options for the building name to be influenced by Dharug language.
“In general, community sentiment for both name options was negative,” a Council report stated.
“Respondents were disappointed with the limited naming options presented and a lack of names that either recognised Aboriginal heritage, that were ‘inspirational’, or unique to Parramatta.
“Most respondents shared their disappointment in a lack of name suggestions that recognised Aboriginal heritage.”
Residents have taken to social media to share their suggestions of better names.
Some Dharug suggestions included Yuwingalyang, meaning Place of Truth and Baramada Butbutyin, meaning heart of Parramatta.
The Council will now undertake further investigation to identify a broader selection of naming options for the community to consider.
5 Parramatta Square is expected to be completed by April 2022.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.