Variety of opinions on renaming of building

A senior indigenous figure in Geraldton claims it “wasn’t right” to change the name of one of the city’s oldest buildings. The National Trust of WA recently renamed the Bill Sewell Community Recreation Centre The Depot Ngurra Barlunggu. The decision has incensed many locals — including Elvie Dann — who said they weren’t aware of a proposal to change the name. “I agree with the four letter writers (Call to resist name change, Geraldton Guardian, 13/3). I wasn’t aware of any community consultation with the National Trust,” Ms Dann said in a letter to the Editor of The Geraldton Guardian. “The decision is not known to many elders. “I certainly have many years of historical knowledge and am taking my right to freedom of speech.” Meanwhile, Marg McNaught doesn’t want to pick an argument — but she said there was sufficient consultation from the National Trust before renaming the centre. Prominent citizen Ron Hayward started the local protest at the trust’s decision, urging people to “speak out”. Letters to the Editor scribes Jeff Wheat, Delma Attrill, Kerry Hood and Gary Warner supported Mr Hayward’s views. Among other reasons, they were upset the name Sewell had been abandoned. Mr Sewell was the member for Geraldton for 25 years from 1950, and the centre was named in his honour in 1988. However, Mrs McNaught — who runs Maggie’s Handmades in the Old Geraldton Gaol Craft Centre at Bill Sewell Centre — said the National Trust had consulted widely. “The tenants on site were made aware of this proposal early last year and this was followed by an open forum,” she said. “The Sewell family were also consulted. “There was also a meeting at the library and there may have even been another public forum.” Mrs McNaught said the new name was in order. “The site began life as a convict hiring depot in the early 1860s, and with limestone quarried from the vicinity (Quarry Street), construction of gaol cells was commenced using the convict labour in 1863,” she said. “In 1864, the cells became the local gaol for convicts and citizens until 1922 when it became the responsibility of the WA Police Department. “There had been a convict built hospital facility on the site prior to the opening of the Victoria District Hospital in 1887. “Following the closure of the hospital in 1965, it housed minimum security prisoners and female prisoners were accommodated in Margaret House. “The title of the depot is not out of place. And in this day and age, there is an inclination to include indigenous titles in names.”