Arabic version: إعادة تسمية دائرة غراي الانتخابية إلى أودونوغو

According to ABC News, South Australia’s largest federal electorate will be renamed O’Donoghue in honour of Aboriginal leader Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue. The Australian Electoral Commission confirmed on Monday that the regional seat of Grey, held by Liberal MP Tom Venning, will take the new name.

The electorate covers more than 92 per cent of South Australia and has been called Grey since its creation in 1903. It was named after former South Australian governor Sir George Grey. Dr O’Donoghue, who died in February 2024 aged 91, was the first Aboriginal person to train as a nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and was a senior member of the team that negotiated Australia’s Native Title legislation in 1993.

The AEC said Dr O’Donoghue’s connection to the APY Lands and her achievements gave “strong reasoning” for the change. Her family welcomed the decision, saying she was born, raised, worked and lived within the electorate for much of her life and made substantial contributions across health, education and social justice rights.

The renaming drew 310 submissions after it was proposed in March, with 75 supporting it and 235 opposing it. The AEC said arguments supporting the change were “well detailed, informative, convincing and ultimately persuasive”. Mr Venning said most of his constituents wanted the Grey name retained, while expressing respect for Dr O’Donoghue and saying she could be honoured in other ways.

Mr Venning said changing office branding, letterheads and online material would cost “tens of thousands” of dollars. The redistribution otherwise makes minor changes to South Australia’s federal electoral map: 24,000 people, less than 2 per cent of the enrolled population, are shifting electorates. The boundaries of O’Donoghue are unchanged after a proposal involving the Riverlea housing development was abandoned.