The Cardinia Shire Council has proposed ‘Honora’ as the new suburb name for the area within the Pakenham East Precinct Structure Plan (PSP), subject to approval by Geographic Names Victoria (GNV).
A new identity for a growing community
This change marks an exciting step in the identity of the area and the Kala community, which is located along the eastern boundary of the newly named suburb.
The name Honora, chosen by the community through a 5-week consultation period, received the highest number of votes, with 636 out of 1,840 responses. Other name options were Leila, Alice Park, Gwyn, Beatrice Park and Debra.
Speaking at the Council meeting on Monday 15 July, Cardinia Shire Mayor Cr Jack Kowarzik emphasised the need for a new suburb name due to the size and scale of the (PSP) development area, which includes parts of Pakenham, Nar Nar Goon and Nar Nar Goon North, and is expected to accommodate 7,000 new homes.
Council will now work with family members of Honora Carney (the suburb’s namesake) and GNV to select a suitable suffix for the name, which will then be submitted for final approval.
Council also proposed to rename Mount Ararat North Road and Mount Ararat South Road, to Mount Ararat Road and Hannah Road respectively. Hannah Road commemorates Hannah Duff, who was one of the few female farmers at the time who owned a property in the area with her husband.
Honouring the past, embracing the future
Honora pays homage to Honora Carney, a significant historical figure with strong ties to the area.
Born in County Tipperary, Ireland in December 1836, Honora migrated to Australia by ship, meeting her husband Michael on the way. In 1869 they leased a large parcel of land between Pakenham and Nar Nar Goon, south of Princes Highway. Together they had 7 children and ran a farming business before Michael passed away in 1880.
Honora was determined to keep the family farm and purchased land south of the highway in 1887 and land north of the highway in 1902. She continued to run the family farming business with her children until her death in 1912.
The selection of Honora by the community is a fitting one, as many of her descendants still live in the area today, representing five generations of farming!
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