Council rejects park name change

A PETITION has been submitted to Rockhampton Regional Council's parks and recreation committee to have Norris Park renamed to Muellerville Park to gain more recognition for Anthelme Thozet's contribution to botany and to the City of Rockhampton.

The committee has met and discussed the application and the decision has been made to keep the park named Norris Park.

Norris Park was originally named after long-time Koongal resident and long serving employee of Rockhampton City Council William Norris for his commitment to the region.

Chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee councillor Cherie Rutherford does identify that Mr Thozet, this park and the surrounding area has a significant value to the history of the Rockhampton Region.

"Mr Thozet established an experimental garden at "Muellerville, and grew a wide variety of agricultural crops and fruit and timber trees to test their suitability to the local climate," Cr Rutherford said. 

Muellerville covered a wide area on North Rockhampton; 70 acres of land at Koongal bounded by Rockonia Road to the north, the Fitzroy River to the south, Thozet Creek to the east and Thozet Road to the west.

Mr Thozet, his son Auguste and his son's wife Lucyann were all buried on the property, and over the time the locations of the three Thozet graves had become lost with the changing landscape.

In November, 2010 the location of these three graves were found at Norris Park, Koongal by an archaeological investigation conducted by officers from Rockhampton Regional Council and the University of Queensland.

"The Parks and Recreation Committee has made the decision to keep the name of the park as Norris Park, but we are committed to acknowledging the contribution that Mr Thozet has made on our community," said Cr Rutherford.

"There are a number of different ways that we as a Council and as a community can acknowledge the contribution made by Mr Thozet.

"A commemorative stone has been installed at Norris Park giving recognition of the pioneering works of Anthelme Thozet, and will be unveiled at the end of July.

"In addition a marker will also be installed in the park to indicate the location of the graves of Anthelme, Auguste and Lucy Anne Thozet," said Cr Rutherford.

The Parks and Recreation committee is also looking at the opportunity to develop an interpretative walkway from Norris Park, Koongal straight down Bryant Street to finish at Thozet Creek Auxiliary area.