‘We live in a multicultural Australia’: Thousands back renaming of Victorian lake after Sikh founder

A controversial decision by the Victorian government to rename a lake after an Indian religious figure has sparked a neighbourhood war, with thousands now backing the move and hitting out at “fear” and “misunderstanding”.

Berwick Springs Lake, southeast of Melbourne, was renamed Guru Nanak Lake after Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith, at an official ceremony earlier this month.

But local residents said they were caught by surprise and were not consulted about the name change.

A petition calling for the decision to be reversed has attracted more than 5500 signatures and community members will hold a protest on Tuesday joined by state Liberal MPs Brad Battin and Ann-Marie Herman.

But now a rival petition supporting the name change has emerged “on behalf of entire Australian multicultural communities”, with nearly 2200 signatures as of Monday.

Arguing that “this is not a renaming, as the lake never previously had an official name”, the petition noted the decision was made “following consultations with key organisations” including the Bunurong Land Council, City of Casey, Geographic Names Victoria, the Victorian Multicultural Commission, Melbourne Water and Emergency Management Victoria.

“However, some local community members are now expressing unrest, possibly due to misunderstandings, and the issue appears to be politicised,” it said.

“So, we must ask — is this dispute truly about the lake’s name, or is it about the process?”

If residents were concerned with the process, the petition suggested they “could accept the name and provide constructive feedback to the government and stakeholders for future policy making, rather than calling for a name change”.

“But if the concern stems from unfamiliarity, fear or misunderstanding, we should remember that we live in a multicultural Australia,” it continued.

“We are enriched by multicultural communities like the Sikh community, who consistently contributes to Victoria in numerous ways. The Sikh community has demonstrated compassion and service, especially in times of crisis, be it the pandemic, bushfires or storm events, aligning with Guru Nanak’s teachings of love and sharing by caring.”

The petition encouraged those unfamiliar with Guru Nanak to engage with Sikh organisations “to learn more about his principles, which emphasise compassion, inclusivity and peace”.

“His teachings have fostered harmony across different religions — a principle that, if widely embraced, could reduce conflicts worldwide,” it said.

The petition said signing yes “affirms a commitment to multiculturalism in Australia” and “means endorsing values of compassion, understanding and mutual respect” as well as basing “decision on knowledge rather than fear or misunderstanding”.

“Signing yes is also practical — naming the lake won’t change its role as a community space but could help elevate it as a place of cultural significance,” it said.

Comment has been sought from the petition organisers.

One signatory wrote, “Australia is a multicultural and inclusive country. Our places should reflect this in their names. time to add some flavour and build a new heritage. We are not just an ex-British colony.”

Another said, “Australia belongs to everyone not a single community. We are also citizens of Australia.”

Victoria is home to Australia’s largest Sikh community with more than 91,000 Sikh Victorians recorded in the 2021 Census.

The renaming ceremony this month saw members of the Sikh community joined by government representatives including Multicultural Affairs Minister Ingrid Stitt, Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny and local Labor MPs Gary Maas and Lee Tarlamis.

“This name is another way we’re ensuring Victoria’s place names better reflect and celebrate our state’s rich diversity and history,” Ms Kilkenny said in a statement.

Jasbir Singh Suropada, chair of the Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria which lobbied the government for the new name, told SBS Punjabi last week the group had been in talks with the Victorian government since 2018 “regarding [naming] a place after the founder of our faith”.

“Now that this lake will be called Guru Nanak Lake, the name of our Guru will be part of legal documents such as Government Gazettes and be part of the history,” he said.

“People visiting this place will look at the board, read about our Guru, [and] some might Google it and learn about Sikhism and its founder. We are trying to add a link describing about Sikh history here so whoever wishes to know more can do so.”

The renaming ceremony began with a Welcome to Country performed by Uncle Mark Brown, a Bunurong elder.

“This land belongs to Aboriginal people,” Mr Suropada said. “Being welcomed by them here and having a place named after our Guru is an honour.”

In addition to the name change, the Victorian government has announced $600,000 in funding for Langar events — the tradition of sharing a free communal meal — across Victoria for the Sikh faith founder’s 555th birthday anniversary.

The change comes as the Victorian government’s “Name a Place” campaign seeks suggestions for 6000 new names over the next three years.

A number of “furious” local residents voiced their unhappiness on Facebook, slamming the change as “an absolute joke” and “outrageous”.

“No consultation,” one said. “This must be reversed immediately. We have lived in the Berwick Springs estate for 25 years. How can you change the name without the residents being notified?”

Michael Ball, who organised the original Change.org petition, said the process and “this renaming of an already established public place is simply wrong”.

“Even more disturbing is the lack of respect given to the local residents who were never consulted,” he wrote.

“It’s offensive. The Berwick Springs Lake is the focal point of our local area, it’s our identity and everyone knows it as Berwick Springs. Imagine next Saturday these ministers turning up at Albert Park Lake unannounced and renaming it without any consultation.”

frank.chung@news.com.au