Annastacia Palaszczuk hits back at reports that Brisbane could be renamed

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has hit back at claims she is planning to change the name of Brisbane to its Aboriginal equivalent, ‘Meanjin’ before the 2032 Olympics.

Yesterday 4BC radio host and veteran journalist Peter Gleeson claimed that ‘my sources are telling me that the Palaszczuk government is working behind the scenes’ on the change, adding there were ‘also suggestions that streets such as George Street, Queen Street, Anne Street, Edward Street might be renamed, and we may even see the statue of George V outside City Hall removed’.

But Premier Palaszczuk hit back, and branded the rumoured reports as ‘absolute nonsense.’

‘No, that is absolute nonsense,’ Ms Palaszczuk told reporters. 

The Premier’s denials have done nothing to quell the barrage of backlash.

Queensland Premier Annastasia Palaszczuk (pictured) rubbished reports that the state government will propose to rename Brisbane before the city hosts the 2032 Olympics

Furious One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was asked about the 4BC report of the possible name change and described the idea as ‘ridiculous’. 

‘How insane is this, to actually want to change the name of Brisbane, that’s been called Brisbane for what 150 years plus,’ Senator Hanson told Sky News Australia.

‘And generations have grown up under Brisbane; all our birth certificates, marriage certificates, where were we born? Brisbane, Australia. All our tourism – people overseas know it as Brisbane.

‘And we’re going to change it to a name that – I kind even remember what you said, within matter of a few seconds – I can’t remember.

‘And I have no intentions of actually wanting to remember. So the fact is, to me it will be Brisbane.’

‘Wanting to change it to some Aboriginal name is absolutely ridiculous.’ 

The name Meanjin is derived from the Turrbal word for the spike of land on which parts of Brisbane was built.

Earlier this month the Queensland government renamed popular tourist destination Fraser Island, now known as K’gari.

Queensland’s capital Brisbane (pictured) will host the Olympics in 2032

Former Queensland Senator and Sky News host Amanda Stoker urged the state government to ‘lay off the virtue-signalling.’  

‘We should all respect and treat as our equals the people in this country who have Indigenous roots,’ Ms Stoker said.

‘But that doesn’t mean we need to rewrite history. It doesn’t mean we need to change the name of everything. And it doesn’t mean we need to carry a black armband about everything in our past.’

Queensland opposition leader David Crisafulli has also slammed the move.

‘Not a chance. Every Queenslander would be looking at this this morning would be shaking their head and say they’re not going to change that,’ he told Today show on Thursday.

Pauline Hanson (pictured) has jumped on the bandwagon of outrage against the proposal

Queensland-based federal treasurer Jim Chalmers was reluctant to weigh in on the saga.

‘I hadn’t given it a moment’s thought until someone asked me 30 minutes ago,’ he said on Thursday.

‘If there is a conversation going on, I haven’t been part of it. 

‘Obviously we try and recognise the First Nations heritage of beautiful places like Brisbane and like K’gari, that’s a good thing.

‘But I’ve got a few things on my plate at the moment and this hasn’t been one of those things.’

The Queensland government has already renamed Fraser to its Indigenous name K’gari