A petition to rename a Slade Point park in honour of a beloved former resident has been denied by Mackay Regional Council, with a park bench being recommended and agreed upon instead.
The petition to rename Seagull Street Park was lodged with council in August 2021 following the death of Nolear ‘Nanna’ Ramsamy, aged 103, by Nanna’s grandson John Ramsamy.
Documents from council’s ordinary meeting held on Wednesday September 14, 2022, read “noting that renaming of a Park itself wouldn’t fit under Council’s Policy, options allowed such as installation and naming of park infrastructure (ie: park bench seat with plaque) were discussed.”
“It is recommended that in line with Council’s adopted policies, it does not rename the Seagull Street Park as requested, and rather the Council agrees to the installation of an appropriate piece of park infrastructure at the applicant’s cost with the appropriate plaque recognising Nanna Ramsamy.”
Councillor Alison Jones, a friend of Nanna, has since started a crowdfunding campaign of her own volition, aiming to raise $3,000 for a park bench seat to be installed at the park.
“It’s not just the Ramsamy family that would want her remembered in that way,” said Ms Jones.
“There is a large number in the community that would want to remember her as well.
“If we did a GoFundMe, that would give everybody an opportunity to put some money together, and we would be able to pay for the chair that way.
“Therefore, it’s not on a particular family member, it’s a community remembrance.”
Ms Jones said Nanna’s 103 years were filled with love, family and community.
“The one thing that was always very, very dear to Nanna’s heart was her family,” she said.
“The way she would embrace community was just outstanding.
“She would make everybody feel welcome.
“She’s just an all-around amazing lady and she has a huge amount of respect in our community, not just in Slade Point, but the greater Mackay community as well.”
Ms Jones said the park and the creek held significance to Nanna and the Ramsamy family who have called the Slade Point area home for generations.
“The family that lived close to the creek would take her (Nanna) down there in her wheelchair in her later years and just sit there and allow her to watch everybody else catching fish,” she said.
“As long as she was down there at the creek, that was her happy place.”
To find out more about the GoFundMe campaign, visit www.gofundme.com/f/purchase-of-a-park-bench-seat.
