Premier Daniel Andrews has dismissed calls by a former Greens MP to rename Victoria over its links to the British empire and colonialism, calling it 'ridiculous'. She claimed the names of both Victoria and Queensland 'caused harm' to Aboriginal people by honouring an empire 'that murdered people'. Queen Victoria granted permission to become a separate colony in 1859, and the new colony was named Queensland (Queen's land) in her honour. The history of early British settlement in Australia is intensely controversial and has been characterised by Aboriginal people as an 'invasion'. The territory was once part of New South Wales but since the seat of the colony, Sydney, was too far away, northern settlers petitioned to separate.

Source: Daily Mail June 18, 2020 02:58 UTC