'MOUNTAIN'
pronounced 'koo-narn-yee'
7 AUGUST 2013
'kunanyi' is officially gazetted and recognised as the indigenous name for Mount Wellington. kunanyi (pronounced koo-narn-yee) means ‘mountain’ in palawa kani, the beautifully revived language of Tasmanian Aborigines.
Throughout history, the mountain has carried many names. Some of the first recorded names included Unghbanyahletta and Poorawetter, whilst during early European exploration the mountain was referred to in Dutch as Skiddaw, French as Montagne du Plateau and English as Table Hill. After the landing of David Collins in 1804 it was known for a several decades as Table Mountain, after its ‘twin’ overlooking Cape Town, South Africa. After the defeat of Napolean in Europe, it was officially named in honour of the Duke of Wellington.
MWCC welcomed the dual-naming policy for Tasmanian's most popular natural visitor attraction and have committed to a significant investment in cultural interpretation and look forward to enabling better visitor awareness through our proposed Pinnacle Centre.
Whilst collaborative work with various indigenous elders and stakeholder groups shows promise to ensure this unique heritage is properly interpreted, we recognise that engagement does not establish collective support. We look forward to any associated tourism opportunities being guided by appropriate relationships, permissions and Aboriginal leadership, and we continue to welcome discussion about how those responsibilities should be met.
We hope all visitors to the mountain can be taken on a journey of discovery through its fascinating and largely untold geological formation, aboriginal heritage, colonial adaption and modern day stories so visitors gain a deeper respect for the mountain's significance.
