The Queensland government’s potential move to rename Great Keppel Island to reflect its Indigenous ownership has sparked a debate on whether the change is unnecessarily divisive. The 1,300-hectare tropical paradise off the coast of Rockhampton could be renamed to Woppa, honoring the island’s original inhabitants, the Woppaburra people. This proposal follows the renaming of Fraser Island to K’Gari in 2023.
While the Queensland Labor government has not officially announced the plan to rename Great Keppel Island, the project’s website already acknowledges it as Woppa—Great Keppel Island. The trend to address the imbalance of European-inspired place names in Queensland gained significant momentum after the approval of the Fraser Island name change last June.
The island’s hotels are slated for revitalization to boost tourism, which has been declining since 2008. The government took over stewardship of the island in 2023 after the former owner could not pay rent. The Queensland Department of State Development has pledged a $30 million commitment towards common-user infrastructure to improve the island’s facilities.
Senator Pauline Hanson of One Nation has voiced objections to the proposed name change, expressing concerns about potential community division. Hanson criticized the government for what she perceives as underhanded tactics, claiming that the name change reflects a broader trend in Queensland politics. Despite her petition collecting over 10,000 signatures, analysts believe that the Woppa name will likely be adopted following the precedent set by the renaming of K’Gari.