A racist place name in a small New South Wales coastal community is set to be changed after a council vote on Monday night.
C n Island, a nature reserve in the Lake Macquarie suburb of Swansea, will be given the name ‘Pirrita’ Island - an Awabakal word for oysters from the mangrove tree.
The island was originally named after Herbert Heaney, the first permanent resident.
Heaney was a miner who would come home covered with coal dust and was referred to as ‘c n’ because of his blackface.
Councillors voted 8-5 in favour of the change, with the name expected to be passed by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.