Harrington Reserves Naming
Published on 18 February 2020
The community has a chance to help name two reserves along the riverbank at Harrington Waters, with MidCoast Council seeking assistance on behalf of Harrington Crowdy Head Chamber of Commerce.
Council was approached by the local chamber of commerce to rename the two sites, with two options put forward and the opportunity for further consideration and suggestions from the wider community.
The Chamber of Commerce believes it’s important to highlight the long ship building history that defined the riverbank from as early as 1846.
The options the chamber has put forward are Baruah Reserve and Alexander Newton Reserve.
Alexander Newton was a pioneer of the local ship building industry establishing the Pelican Shipyard on his land that operated from 1846 to 1878 and is believed to have been the largest shipyard in the Sourthern Hemisphere at the time.
The biggest ship ever built at the shipyard was aptly named after Alexander, but he is also well known for founding the first school in Harrington in 1866, named Pelican Point School, located on part of his land.
“We think Alexander Newton Reserve would be a fitting commemoration of the great contribution he made to the Harrington community,” said Dan Aldridge, MidCoast Council’s Manager of Community Spaces, Recreation and Trades.
The other options the chamber has given include ‘Baruah Reserve’ as a tribute to the Pelican Shipyard. ‘Baruah’ was known as an Aboriginal name for pelican, at the time the shipyard was in operation.
As Baruah is not the local Aboriginal word for Pelican, ‘Dhunggaarr Reserve’ has also been suggested as this is ‘pelican’ in the local Gathang language.
“While these suggestions are fitting and a great reflection of the importance of local history and culture, we’re also open to other suggestions from the community,” added Dan.
“It’s important that everyone gets involved and has the chance to have their say.”
To find out more about the project, including the exact location of the reserves, background of Alexander Newton and the strong historical shipbuilding industry, head to the ‘Have Your Say’ page on Council’s website www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/HYS
The consultation period will run until 20 March and participants are asked to complete a short survey as part of their submission.
To have your say, head to our website during the consultation period www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/HYS. For those who don’t have the internet you can visit the Harrington Library and use their free wifi or complete a hardcopy of the survey that will be available there.