Honora has been adopted by Cardinia Shire Council as the new suburb name for the area within the Pakenham East Precinct Structure Plan, subject to approval by Geographic Names Victoria (GNV).
Honora received the highest number of votes for most preferred name during the community consultation undertaken between 16 April until 21 May. Other name options were Leila, Alice Park, Gwyn, Beatrice Park and Debra.
At the Council meeting on Monday 15 July, Council adopted Honora as the new suburb name and resolved to work with family members of Honora Carney and GNV to select a suitable suffix to the name.
Cardinia Shire Mayor Cr Jack Kowarzik said a new suburb name was needed due to the size and scale of the development area, which includes parts of Pakenham, Nar Nar Goon and Nar Nar Goon North and which is expected to accommodate 7,000 new homes.
"During the 5-five-week consultation period, Council received 1,840 valid responses, and Honora was the clear front runner with the highest number of votes for most preferred name with 636 votes, compared to 399 votes each for Alice Park and Debra," Mayor Kowarzik said.
"Honora honours Honora Carney, who has strong links to the area and whose family still own land and live in the area."
Honora Carney and her husband Michael leased a large parcel of land between Pakenham and Nar Nar Goon, south of Princes Highway, from 1869. They had 7 children and ran a farming business before Michael passed away in 1880.
Honora was determined to keep the family farm and purchased land south of the highway in 1887 and land north of the highway in 1902. She continued to run the family farming business with her children until her death in 1912.
At the Council meeting on Monday, Council also adopted the new suburb boundary, which will generally follow the Precinct Structure Plan boundary, with the exception of the northern boundary which will follow existing property boundaries south of the transmission lines, as well as additional parcels of land south-east of Mount Ararat South Road, between Princes Highway and Princess Freeway.
Council also resolved to rename Mount Ararat North Road and Mount Ararat South Road, on the advice of GNV and based on feedback from emergency services that highlighted concerns around public safety and the confusion caused by duplicated road names.
Council will rename Mount Ararat North Road as Mount Ararat Road, and the report to Council recommended the use of the second most popular name, Alice, as the new name for Mount Ararat South Road.
Bunyip Ward Councillor Graeme Moore moved an alternative motion to rename Mount Ararat South Road as Hannah Road. A submission received by Council during the consultation period requested consideration of the name Hannah, commemorating Hannah Duff, who was one of the few female farmers at the time who owned a property in the area with her husband. Council voted in support of Cr Moore's alternative motion, and Mount Ararat South Road will be renamed Hannah Road, subject to approval from GNV.
Council will now submit the adopted names to GNV for formal approval and gazettal.
