Park Renaming Proposal

We are seeking community feedback on a proposal to rename Spearing Reserve in Gwynneville to Bonacina Park. The proposal, put forth by the Bonacina family to honour the late Mr and Mrs Bonacina, is on exhibition from 24 February to 23 March 2014. A commemorative plaque would also be placed in the reserve.

The public reserve, currently referred to as Spearing Reserve, is bordered by Spearing Road, named after James Stares Spearing who was one of the region's early agriculturalists. The reserve name has not been formally gazetted with the Geographical Names Board of NSW. In recent years, the site has been the focus of a community Bushcare project.

The Bonacinas were Wollongong residents who contributed significantly to the community, dedicating more than 35 years to local volunteer work and charity fundraising. They were instrumental in establishing professional interpreter services in the area, co-founded Senior Citizen’s Week and the Migrant Heritage Project, and were both Fellows of the University of Wollongong.

Their years of dedication to the community are recognised by many and they are seen as astute role models for helping to create a better
society through leading by example.

Council’s role is to facilitate feedback from the community on the proposal, and if positively received, to assist with an application to the Geographical Names Board (GNB).

A frequently asked question sheet (FAQ) and map have been included on the right hand side of this page and are also available at Wollongong Library. For more information and to have your say, visit Council’s Customer Service Centre, Wollongong Library or contact the Community Engagement Team by phoning (02) 4227 7060 or emailing engagement@wollongong.nsw.gov.au. All feedback must be received by 23 March 2014.