Member - Browny (VIC) replied:

Six years protecting it.............Struth!

That "minority" group spent 40'000 years calling it their own!

Browny

lindsay replied:

Good on you rocky, we becoming a minority group in our own country. The more people that stand up and say that we don't agree with this form of culture change the better it will be for every one. Heard the other day that a person who had immigrated here, said that Australians had no culture. Why? because we are constantly being told that we must conform to all these minor groups, and at the same time disregarding our own forbearers. How do you think that Gosse, Giles and all the others who struggled to open this (our) great country and named these sites would feel if all of a sudden we go back to an indigienous name. I wonder how people in Sydney, Melbourne or the likes would react to the renaming of there cities. A couple of years ago the Vic govt. attempted to rename the Grampians and there was a public outcry from victoria. But if we can change the name of an icon site for a few people and sell it to the international tourists then hide the rubbish and discrace then make a few bucks out of it. who cares what a few locals think. i like you will still call it Ayers Rock, Olgas and the Bungles ect.
But say it to the people in the resorts and tourist areas to indicate that not all peolpe agree or are prepared to go along with the rot of changing names.

Member - Foxer replied:

Ayres Rock you bet yah

Truckster (Vic) replied:

Yup another vote for Ayres Rock..

White man is allowed history isnt he?

Like tryin to rename Captain Cooks Landing Place to kangaroowallabywallawallawallawallapetroleum isnt it?

Member - Roachie (SA) replied:

Quote:................."now call it that other name"................

What other friggin name is there???????????????? hahahaha (;-))

Kiwi Kia replied:

Jessss !!! Talk about giving 4wd owners a bad name. Maybe you do not like it but that doesn't mean you have to be a twit and vent your spleen in this manner. How about you put brain into gear before opening mouth eh !

Bob of KAOS replied:

I've said it before - why would you want to honor some pommy bastard "His Excellency the Governor of South Australia". Fair dinkum you blokes you'd be better off going and living over there. I guess you barrack for the Poms in the cricket too. Truckster you are obviously a suck to the Monarchy - go and live there.
Its Uluru

navaraman replied:

Before you get to carried away with what you call it you might want to learn how to spell it.

.

Tuff60 replied:

Are we not still a free country??
Each person ONE vote, no voice louder than another, reguardless of education.
So BOB and KIWI, it is thier right to call the big red rock anything they like.
Your opinion is no more important than anyone else's.

Ted (Cairns) replied:

Maybe we should go the same way as New Zealand and be "politically correct":

- let's call all non-indigenous persons pakeha coz that's the Maori name for it
- let's spend ratepayer money on getting govt employees to learn Maori - which 80% of Maoris can't speak(!!!!)
- let's forget about Europe and the US (not that I'm a Bush fan myself...) and embrace pacific island culture instead, and call it superior too.
- let's instill a sentiment of guilt into our offspring - after all they ARE guilty for what happened 150 years ago right?
- let's begin govt meetings with a 10 minute prayer in Maori, which only about 0.5% of people there (the priest??) understand, and end them the same way. After all, it's the ratepayers who pay wages for public servants - and guess who pays the higher taxes anyway?, Oh, and end meetings with the same prayer of course.
- let's let Maori's sell the radio frequency spectrum to the broadcasting stations, coz it wasn't covered by the Treaty of Waitangi.
-etc etc, just watch the news (I for one have given up)

Now no disrespect meant, everyone has a right to his own culture, and should try to understand and certainly respect everyone else's culture. The problem is when some group is trying to ram it down everyone else's throat, in the name of PC.

Okay, we did it to them I guess, but I don't think they should do it to us now. Two wrongs don't make a right I think.

Where's all common sense gone?

Alloy c/t replied:

Me first ,you first ,who realy cares , take the word Aborigine = native of the region = native = born in region = any and all born in Australia are Aborigine ,,so who cares if a big rock is called Alice or Biggustdamnestredcolourchanginghunkofrockindewholewideworldieverdamnsee...

ev700 replied:

Your durn right there are too many things named after English royalty and their hangers-on.

Maybe Deputy John Howard could come up with a name from the land of the stars and stripes. That's where the cringe is directed these days and we really should keep up to date.

Maybe one face could be carved to display John Howard in a typical pose with President Bush? Imagine the sunsets! As a bonus, the sculpture of President Bush could offer sun rise photo opportunities as well! Double the benefit, but there's more.....................

Ayres Rock/Uluru could be called Big Cowboy Hat Rock and something shorter could be called Little Cowboy Hat Rock.

I can see it now - Big Cowboy Hat Rock with a revolving restaurant on top with golden arches. And Bush on top as well.

Go you good thing!

Diamond (Vic) replied:

............... Noah, who was now living in Australia .................


In the year 2005, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in
Australia,
and said, "once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated and
I see the end of all flesh before me.
Build another Ark and save two of every living thing along with a few good humans."
He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, "You have six months to build the
ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights".
6 mths later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard, but
no ark.
"Noah", He roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?"
"Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah. "But things have changed.
- I needed a building permit.
I've been arguing with the inspector about the need for a sprinkler
system
My neighbours claim that I've violated the neighbourhood zoning laws
By building the Ark in my yard and exceeding the height limitations.
We had to go to the Planning Tribunal for a decision.
Then the electricity companies demanded a bond be posted for the future
costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions, to clear
the passage for the Ark's move to the sea.
I argued that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing
of it.
Getting the wood was another problem.
There's a ban on cutting local trees in order to save the spotted owl.
I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save
Owls but no go !
When I started gathering the animals, I got sued by an animal rights
group.
They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. As
well,
they argued the accommodation was too restrictive and it was cruel and
inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space. Then the EPA ruled
that
I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact
study on your proposed flood. I'm still trying to resolve a complaint
with
the Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I'm supposed to hire
for
my building crew.
Also, the trades unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to
hire
only Union workers with Ark building experience. To make matters worse,
the
Tax Office seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country
illegally with endangered species. So, forgive me, Lord, but it would
take
at least ten years for me to finish this Ark."
Suddenly the skies cleared.
sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky.
Noah looked up in wonder and asked ,
"You mean, You're not going to destroy the world ?"
"No," said the Lord. "The minoritys beat me to it.

ev700 replied:

Mt Augustus is twice the size of Uluru/Ayres Rock and a bloke called Gregory called it after his brother Sir Augustus in 1858.
See: http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/national_parks/previous_parks_month/mount_augustus.html

Although Francis Gregory was the first European to find it, I suspect the Aboriginals (Wadjeri Tribe) already knew it was there ;-)

I wouldn't be offended if it came to be known by its original name because I, like many others on this forum, dislike change for change sake.

So Mt Augustus should revert to Burringurrah. As a bonus there are some dreaming time legends to go with the name.

As an aside, I suspect most of the ire about 'political correctness' is a reaction to the excesses of the middle class elites who gain benefit from the 'victim' industry. They annoy me as well :-(

Member - Andy Q (VIC) replied:

G'day rockyone, must be bored, are you
andy

Member - Phil G (SA) replied:

Couldn't care less what its called.

Main hassle with Uluru is the way its been exploited/developed the past 20 years. Having visited it a few times in the 70's and 80's, when travelling there was an adventure, I am quite happy never to go back again - way too many tourists.

Cheers
Phil

Redback replied:

200 years ago some fella was say the same thing, why change the name it's been Uluru as long as i've known, probably sitting round a fire just like yours in the pic.

Get a grip mate and build a bridge.

Baz.

Willem replied:

Just can't leave this one alone lol

History records that the human race started out as Black in the Rift Valley in Africa.

Whitefellas got their skin colour from living under mammoth skins for centuries

There were another human race here in Terra Australis before the aborigines arrived about 20,000 recorded years ago.

I wonder what THEY called the Big Stone?

Does it matter?

After WW 1 the townsfolk of this town changed the name of our town(and many street names as well) from Petersburg to Peterborough because they hated Germans. Funny thing is that the fella after whom the town was named was born in Australia to German immigrant parents.

Aren't we a petty lot!!!

Joe replied:

Hi,
The rock is part of all the creation... so I'm not clear why any one group of Australians has has more rights to it than another.
As a photographer who sells images from time to time... I'm not allowed to photograph it without a permit... which limits what can be photographed at the rock...and I have to sit over 1hr at a briefing on WHY.

My attitude is it's not "THEIR" rock ...it but belongs to all Australians
Cheers joe

Peter replied:

it always intrigues me to see the reactions of us white aussies when there is a name "change" of an area to the original indigenous name.
we whites have been here a bit over 200 years. we get attached to the name and think of it as our own. something to identify with and cherish and to marvel at when we visit it for a day or 2. then someone changes it and we feel outraged and victimised. its not fair we cry. its our name and you have no right to change it we scream.
so imagine being a blackfella in this land during the 1800s. what is must be like to have been here for 20,000 years and see the place everyday of your life. to live side by side with it. to identify with it as part of your culture and as part of your identity. to feel that you dont own it but that it owns you. then someone comes along and says "tough luck mate we are changing the name now". i reckon your sense of outrage and victimisation would be pretty intense. to be told your culture is not worth preserving or recognising and that you must comply because the new fellas want to have a sense of belonging to this land and need to change the name to suit themselves. talk about political correctness gone mad.those damn minority group of whites coming here and changing the name of the land. pretty soon they will think they own the place and may well become the majority. then we are stuffed.
so anyway the anger and sense of betrayal we have after being here for 200 years must seem pretty small when one tries to imagine it after 20,000.
it is after all just a name. to us day visitors and tourists it is a place to visit. for others it is a place to live. at worst it means some of our maps need updating to the "new" name.

Jimbo replied:

Why do people want to change the name AGAIN, to Ayres Rock. This would be the third name we have known it by.

The first name we knew it by was Ayers Rock.

Who, or what, is Ayre that you are all so mad about?

Get Fair Dinkhum, it won't look any different, or be any less attractive to visit if someone renames it the "The Greatest Living Fossilised Turd of the Mighty Dreamtimeosauraus". I don't give a bugger what it is called.

I've been watching this all day and had to comment. Much ado about nothing IMO.

Jim.

Graham replied:

nice troll. ;-)

I have enjoyed you reeling them in.

Regards

Graham

PS - this post would be more suited to the Overlander Campfire area - they really know how to go to town on one of these topics :-)

Skinny replied:

A rock by any other name is still a rock. When rocks become more important than people and names more important than each other we had better take a long hard look inside ourselves.

Whoops on the soap box so early in the day.

Skinny