Australian Electoral Commission to Decide on Renaming Electorate of Grey by November

An independent inquiry is examining whether to rename the federal electorate of Grey after Indigenous leader Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue AC. The proposal follows an anonymous submission to the Australian Electoral Commission's Redistribution Committee. The electorate covers 92 percent of South Australia.

The committee cited Sir George Grey's limited connection and contribution to Australia as grounds for the change.

Grey served as governor of South Australia from 1841 to 1845. He later governed the British colony of New Zealand and became its premier. New Zealand historian Vincent O'Malley described Grey as a bundle of contradictions. He said Grey was a ruthless, manipulative, and deceitful servant of the empire while also acting in some ways as a liberal and humane figure.

Grey led early expeditions in Western Australia and compiled wordlists of the Noongar language. He was speared by a local Aboriginal man during one expedition, an injury that contributed to lifelong opium use. As governor of South Australia, Grey oversaw a copper boom.

He also supported the Aboriginal Witnesses Act, which allowed Aboriginal people to give evidence in court without an oath but barred its use in capital cases involving settler violence.

During his second term as New Zealand governor in the 1860s, Grey's government invaded Waikato. Historian Vincent O'Malley stated the campaign killed a large number of Maori people and led to the confiscation of millions of acres of Maori land. Oxford historian Bernard Cadogan said Grey used Machiavellian methods to undermine Maori sovereignty while appearing to support native title.

The Redistribution Committee has received hundreds of public submissions on the proposed name change. The proposal has divided local councillors and politicians. Vincent O'Malley said the debate reflects growing attention to Maori and Indigenous Australian perspectives.

He noted that choices about historical commemoration reflect current values and priorities. The Australian Electoral Commission is expected to make a decision in November.