A land mass briefly known as Fraser Island has reverted to its original name, K’gari.

In a momentous event on Wednesday, the Butchulla people gathered on K'gari to celebrate the reinstatement of the island's traditional name. 

The Butchulla people, the traditional owners of the land, danced and sang in the forests as rain fell, seen as a symbolic washing away of the colonial title.

The decision to restore the Indigenous name came after years of campaigning by the Butchulla people. 

In 2017, the island's Great Sandy National Park was renamed K'gari, marking a partial victory. Now, the name Fraser Island has been completely dropped in favor of K'gari, meaning “paradise” in the local language.

Gayle Minniecon, chair of the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation, expressed her joy at the decision, calling it “just amazing”.

“I bet there aren't many that don't have tears in their eyes at the moment. We have chased away the bad spirits and now have the protection of the good spirits,” she said. 

K'gari, the world's largest sand island, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year who come to witness its breathtaking freshwater dune lakes and unique dingo population. 

The island was originally known as Great Sandy Island before being renamed Fraser Island after Eliza Fraser, a shipwreck survivor who spread negative and debunked tales about the Butchulla people, whom she referred to as “savages” and “cannibals”. Her claims led to the massacre of the local people. 

The decision to revert to the Indigenous name corrects a historic wrong for the Butchulla people, who have a deep connection to the land and its creation story. 

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk welcomed the reinstatement, acknowledging the importance of respecting traditional owners' names and histories. 

“While steps like these can't change the wrongs of the past, it goes a long way to building a future where all Queenslanders value, trust, and respect each other,” she said. 

As part of the ongoing Path to Treaty in Queensland, the lands, placenames, and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will play a significant role in shaping shared experiences, according to Leeanne Enoch, Queensland's Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships.

For the Butchulla people, K'gari is not just a name but a profound creation story. 

According to their beliefs, K'gari was a spirit princess who played a role in forming the island and chose to forever remain there out of love. 

The lakes, dense flora, and animals on the island were created to provide her with companionship and beauty.

While the reinstatement of K'gari's name is a momentous occasion, concerns remain about the island's ecological status, particularly regarding eco-tourism and the effects of global warming. 

Scientists have dated the formation of K'gari and the nearby Cooloola Sand Mass to between 700,000 and 1.2 million years ago, highlighting its importance in the initiation of the southern and central Great Barrier Reef.