A council has abandoned plans to name a new park after Licorice Allsorts lollies, fearing the branding would be “racistly offensive”.
The City of Sydney planned to name the new facility on Rothschild Avenue, in the inner-city suburb of Rosebery Allsorts Park, in recognition of the confectionery factory which had occupied the site, but the idea met with criticism. strong disapproval.
Local residents have voiced their opposition, as has the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee, which pointed out that the brand name was a historical derogatory term for mixed-race people.
A Sydney city council has backtracked on plans to name a new park after licorice Allsorts previously made at the site.
Panel member and local councilor Yvonne Weldon said the insensitive name had caused concern and distress.
Public comments also indicated that the name could be “interpreted in different ways.”
Council now proposes name “Butterscotch Park” to recognize the Sweetacres factory which produced lollies on the site from 1918 until the late 1960s.
Other local features named after the area’s confectionery-making past include Confectioners Way, Honeykiss Park, Sweetacres Park, Stedman Street and Sweet Street.
Local Green councilor Sylvie Ellsmore said the council made the right decision in dropping the ‘offensive racist name’
Local Green councilor Sylvie Ellsmore said while it was appropriate not to use the racist name Allsorts, the park should be named after its pre-colonial inhabitants.
‘TThis is the sixth thing in the area to be named after the Candy Factory – it’s a nice name, but why bother? she asked.
“It’s a real wasted opportunity when we could be recognizing voices that are all too invisible in the city – most often Indigenous names, but also women.”
Sydney City Councilor Linda Scott also supported an Aboriginal name using the “abundance of words” from the local Gadigal Aboriginal language.
Despite opposition, the name “Butterscotch Park” was supported by a 6-4 majority vote of councilors.
It will be submitted to the Geographical Names Council of New South Wales for assessment.
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