Calls for renaming of 'Little India' to be expedited, formalised ahead of Indian PM's visit to Australia

Gurmeet Singh Tuli, President of Little India Australia, says that despite the Parramatta City Council passing a motion in 2019 to rename three streets of Harris Park to 'Little India', a formal application has yet to be lodged with the official naming board.

Marion Street, Wigram Street and Station Street East in Harris Park were to be renamed 'Little India'. Source: Supplied / Supplied by Hitesh Patel

Key Points

• Ahead of the Indian Prime Minister's Australia visit, the call to rename part of Harris Park in Sydney is in the spotlight again.
• The Parramatta City Council had passed a motion to rename three streets of Harris Park as 'Little India' but only on a trial basis.
• No further steps required to rename have been taken, including submitting an application with the Geographical Board of NSW.

Gurmeet Singh Tuli, President of Little India Australia, told SBS Punjabi that Parramatta City Council had passed a motion in 2019 to call part of Harris Park 'Little India Australia'.

“And, in 2021, the Parramatta Council further declared three streets of Harris Park would be named as the 'Little India' precinct on a trial basis and that order is still current," Mr Tuli said.

Ahead of the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Australia, the call to rename part of Harris Park to 'Little India' is once again in the spotlight.

Gurmeet Singh Tuli is the President of Little India Australia. Credit: Gurmeet Tuli

“However, to change the name of an existing location, three steps have to be followed. One is getting approval from the local council and then the state and federal governments," explained Mr Tuli.

“In this case, only the council had approved it in 2021 and on a trial basis. After that, the next crucial step, which was to submit a formal application with the Geographical Naming Board of NSW, was never taken up."

Mr Tuli advised that all the relevant documentation in this regard is available on Little India Australia’s Facebook page.

“There is still a chance that a plaque may be unveiled by Indian Prime Minister Narender Modi sometime during his Australian tour but that is also not confirmed yet," said Mr Tulli.

He appealed to the community to stay united to bring about the name change.

Please click on the speaker icon to listen to the interview with Mr Tuli explaining all the crucial steps for changing the name of a place in Australia.