The METRONET Noongar Reference Group has been announced as a finalist in the 2023 NAIDOC National Week – Caring for Country and Culture Award for their collaborative work identifying Noongar place names for new stations across METRONET projects.

Under the Noongar Place Names Initiative, the Group worked with the METRONET Gnarla Biddi team, researchers, linguists, and facilitators to provide cultural governance and input into identifying the 26 place names and their meanings.

The Noongar Place Names Initiative acknowledges the traditional and ongoing connection of Noongar people to Country, and the place names and their meanings reflect culture, stories and connection to boodjar (land).

The Initiative supports the wider METRONET Gnarla Biddi Aboriginal Engagement Strategy and has helped members of the METRONET Noongar Reference Group reconnect with their language.