What the Murray's name perpetuates

For thousands upon thousands of years, a mutually beneficial dialogue between River and First Peoples living along River's banks has continued: River, revered and respected as a living being; addressed with names like Millewah, Toogwillum, Yoorlooarra, Goolwarra, Koore, Parrungka Perre, Ngalta and Murundi.


This sacred conversation was suppressed as the British invaded. They labelled 'landmarks' with their own names or those of their family, their homeland, their warriors, their dead. In their wake, the invaders left a monologue of British Conquest.

In 1828 River was named Hume by Hamilton Hume (or his companion William Hovell) after himself or his dad. Then in 1830, fellow invader Capt. Charles Sturt, changed Hume to Murray, to keep 'imperishable,' the name of the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. Sturt also named Rufus River after the hair-colour of his mate MacLeay.


Sir George Murray was the epitome of British Conquerors. From the age of 17, he was a professional military man, rising to the rank of major-general. He fought for the British Empire almost every where, and, in recognition for his 'talent' for 'civil occupation,' he was invested as a Knight of Bath. When he went into politics, he was rewarded with the post of Colonial chief.


However, the Murray name has a much older historic link with Conquest. In the 12th century, the Norman Conquest extended by stealth into Scotland under King David I, brother-in-law of the English, King Henry I.


David invited Norman and Flemish Knights to impose feudalism by force. In the ancient Pictish province of Moray, the descendants of good King Macbeth: sons of Life respected the sacred marriage between a Living land and Her peoples. They objected.

A Flemish knight, Ollec Freskin was sent to quell the rebellion. His success was rewarded with lands and tyrannical authority in the region. to consolidate his power, Freskin and his sons inter-married with the royal house of Moray, an ancient line of mormaers: mor: great, maer: steward. (The Normans replaced this custodial title with earl: warrior-noble.)


It's likely that Freskin, in usurping the matriarchal tradition of land tenure, took the Latin name de Moravia: of Moray, and this evolved into Murray. It's also possible that the name derived from Moravii, Mor: great, av: water, after the Morava River and the Moravians warriors that King David hired. Murray could also be derived from *Moritreb, Pictish for the 'seaward settlement' of Moray. On the Isle of Man, the Murrays were said to be sea-kings, descended from Manaun Mac Ler, Lord of the Sea.


Thus, the name Murray imposes its long history of British Conquest along the 2,500 km murky 'flow' that's the lifeblood of this continent.


In order for this great River to survive, let's liberate River from the feudal yoke of servitude.
Let's ask the Murray Lower Darling River Indigenous Nations to suggest more appropriate names. Let's ask Traditional Owners for permission to use the traditional name for River in our area.


Let's resume a dialogue of respect.