Blackfellows Caves
The final picture in today’s travel series is of Blackfellows Caves between Carpenter Rocks and Port MacDonnell near Mount Gambier.
Legend has it that in the pioneer days, settlers hunted the Aborigines who often speared sheep and cattle for food. The Aborigines ran to this point, dived into the sea and swam into the caves to hide.
There is a small village there today with mostly holiday houses.
The name raises a question whether it’s offensive. I recall a similar debate in Victoria last year, where there was a push to rename Mount Niggerhead and other such places.
I personally don’t have a problem with any of them. The names are historical and they were given in the context of their times.
It probably wouldn’t cause much inconvenience to anyone if the Victorian place names listed here were changed. Most of them are in remote areas.
Blackfellows Caves though is a community, and if you were going to change such names you’d probably have to look at everything with “black” in it.
I wonder how Blackbutt got its name?
I'm a 41-year-old father of four working as a newspaper editor at Mount Gambier in South Australia.
June 16th, 2008 at 1:34 am
Silly names.
It’s Father’s Day here, Michael, so Happy Father’s Day to you. (I think you guys celebrate it in September? I seem to recall lots of Dad’s Day marketing during my trip last August.)
June 16th, 2008 at 7:22 am
Thanks Sue. Yes, it’s in September here. I think we have Mother’s Day at the same time in May.