Griffin said the renaming of the park was a significant moment for NSW,and another step towards reconciliation.
“The Aboriginal community in this area called for us to rename Ben Boyd National Park because of Boyd’s shocking legacy of blackbirding,” he said.
Griffin said the new name of the park was chosen after consultations with more than 60 representatives from Aboriginal and South Sea Islander communities,including Faye Campbell,who said the name Beowa represented a connection to whaling and ancestors.
“We are saltwater people and our ancestors were the best whalers going,” Campbell said. “My ancestor Budgenbro used to communicate with the killer whales and there are a lot of stories to share,now we can.”
Griffin said the park’s new name celebrated the connection between the coastline and the spiritual lives of its first inhabitants.
“The NSW South Coast has a long history and association with whaling,particularly around Eden,where the relationship between orcas and Aboriginal people goes back thousands of years,” he said.