Perth has become the first major Australian airport to reflect its indigenous cultural heritage by acknowledging Traditional Custodians of destinations.
Boarding gates at the airport will now show both the commonly used name of the destination, along with the name of the Traditional Custodians of that place. Displayed on the screens at each boarding gate, the initiative has been rolled out across Terminal 1 Domestic, Terminal 3 and Terminal 4.
Kevin Brown, CEO of Perth Airport, said: “Acknowledging Country and Traditional Custodians demonstrates respect for Aboriginal traditional cultural practices and promotes greater appreciation and respect. This is a small but meaningful step in our efforts to create a better understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal culture and traditions.
“Reconciliation is about connections and beginning to acknowledge Country is a way to connect with the First Nations peoples of Australia in genuine and meaningful ways. Perth Airport sits on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation that once formed part of their traditional travelling networks.”
The screens will rotate between the commonly used place name and the name of the Traditional Custodians. A flight to Adelaide will be displayed as Adelaide/Kaurna Country and flights to Newman will be Newman/Nyiyaparli Country.
