‘Catherine Point’ division: North Coogee locals hit back over latest name proposed for southern suburb

Residents of a coastal suburb in Perth’s south are at odds over what their locality should be called after a council-supported proposal for Catherine Point was met with fierce resistance by locals.

The City of Cockburn on December 14 backed a proposal for the suburb to be split in half — with its northern end to be named Catherine Point and the southern section to become Port Coogee.

According to the City of Cockburn, the name Kougee (also written as Koojee, Coojee and Coogee) had been recorded as a local Aboriginal name meaning “body of water”.

But some in the suburb have rebuked suggestions that Catherine Point has widespread support among the community and are now calling for the renaming process to stop altogether.

Tareq Batanony has lived in North Coogee since 2017 and said he initially threw his support behind the suggestion to become South Beach, which Landgate has already vetoed.

“Colloquially, we always refer to it as South Beach,” he said.

“One of the big reasons the initial name change came through is there was a frustration that we would say we’re in North Coogee and we’d always be associated with Port Coogee.

“Port Coogee is split due to geographical reasons.”

Mr Batanony said before South Beach had been rejected by Landgate’s Geographic Names Committee, a survey had been sent to residents asking which name they would support if South Beach was not allowed.

“One was Nara Beach and we said we had no problem with Nara Beach,” he said.

“And then there was Catherine Point, and I remember when we replied to it we said ‘anything but Catherine Point’.”

Catherine Point is an “important maritime landmark” and the “major geographical feature” between Fremantle and Woodman Point, according to the the Catherine Point Community Group pushing for the change.

Catherine Point is said to have first appeared on Admiralty tracings by navigating lieutenants in 1873-74.

In its submission to the council in December, the community group also said Nara, an Aboriginal word, would be “out of context” and therefore not appropriate.

But Mr Batanony says the Catherine Point suggestion was not supported by most locals.

“Our biggest concern was we didn’t like the name because it was just a Colonial name from an old Colonial map that had never been used for the area, instead of what is (right now) at least an Indigenous name,” he said.

Mr Batanony said his frustration lay with the State Government body for rejecting South Beach.

“My anger and frustration is mostly towards Landgate for rejecting a name that has such community acceptance,” he said.

“It’s really put a rift in the community.”

Alistair Stephens has lived in the suburb for five years and said he initially supported a proposal to rename North Coogee as South Beach.

“(I) thought it was a great idea,” he said.

“There is confusion between Port Coogee and North Coogee.”

Mr Stephens said Catherine Point “lacked identity”.

“I think there’s a lot of opposition to it,” he said.

“I certainly don’t support Catherine Point; it’s a step back into the Colonial past.”

The Catherine Point Community Group was contacted for comment.