I AM writing to express my strong desire to have the name of Henry Dangar removed from all place names in the city of Newcastle. This would include Dangar Park in Mayfield and Dangar Street in Wickham. As a concerned citizen, I believe it is crucial to reassess the individuals we choose to honour and ensure that their actions align with the values we hold dear as a community.
Henry Dangar's active involvement in supporting the individuals implicated in the Myall Creek massacre of Indigenous people is deeply troubling. The massacre was perpetrated on Dangar's land and involved some of his employees. His role was highlighted in the recent apology and truth-telling ("Time to right a wrong", Sydney Morning Herald 10/6). Dangar, through his membership of the "Black Association", a group of landholders who insisted that the right of whites to kill blacks must be kept sacrosanct, also helped to fund the defence of the 11 accused.
