Four of Eugene Jasnos’s great-grandchildren, Braelan, Jack, Eddie and Arnika behind the carpark sign honouring him. Photo: Oliver Jacques
There’s been a lot of whinging about local government lately but it’s time to give credit where its due. Griffith City Council has pleased hundreds of residents by naming carparks and roundabouts, recognising both history and culture within its town.
It’s a novel idea that has instilled pride in parts of the community without imposing any costs or inconvenience on anyone else.
Last year, council erected signs alongside three new carparks it had built along Railway Parade.
Rather than call them carpark one, two and three, they named each after people who contributed to the growth or development of the town.
Behind Griffith Post Office is the Jasnos Carpark, named after Eugene Jasnos, a Polish immigrant who established a longstanding shoe repair shop on Banna Lane in the 1950s.
Mr Jasnos exemplified the Australian immigrant success story, moving to the Riverina from Poland after World War II with no money or English language skills, before building a successful brand that was recognised across the region.
The sign has delighted dozens of Mr Jasnos’s descendants, many of whom still live in Griffith.
“We never got to meet him, but nanna used to tell us a lot of stories about him. We are proud to see him honoured in this way,” great-granddaughter Arnika said.
Just across the road and opposite Griffith train station is the Stevenson Carpark, named after Bob Stevenson, who built Stevenson’s Blue Metal Quarry in 1942. In 1956, he established Ready Mix Concrete, the first company of its type in the Riverina, which continues to this day as JJ Stevenson & Sons.
Behind Griffith Courthouse is the new Eardley carpark, named after Fred Eardley, an early pioneer of Griffith who opened the town’s first haberdashery store in 1926.
“I’m really pleased [about the carpark], because he did a lot of work in the area. He was a great sportsman as well as businessman, and he did a lot for charity,” Fred’s grandson Robert said.
Fred Eardley’s staff Phyllis Whitehurst (nee Millynn), Joan Millynn (nee Maher), Enid Little (nee Harvey), Pat Hamilton (nee Cavanagh) in 1938. Photo: Western Riverina Libraries.
Historical icons aren’t the only ones who are being honoured.
More recently, councillor and traffic guru Simon Croce introduced a motion to name a new roundabout at Kidman Way and Thorne Road ‘Khalsa Chowk’, which means pure junction in the Punjabi [Indian] language.
This came about after a request from Sikh community leader Harpreet Singh, who wanted to mark the group’s 10-year anniversary in Griffith.
Council were unanimous in their support for the new name. There were some nasty comments on social media about this, but it’s hard to argue with the decision. The 1000-strong local Punjabi population make a substantial contribution to this town. They regularly collect and donate money to the hospital, bushfire appeals and other charities. Their annual Sikh Games bring in tens of thousands of visitors and millions of dollars to the local economy.
Nobody is really hurt by naming a road juncture ‘Khalsa Chowk’. Roundabouts don’t usually have names, so it’s not taking an honour away from anybody else.
“I think other things that aren’t named should be named, as we’ve got a lot of names to use,” Councillor Croce said.
Hear! Hear! This naming initiative ought to be celebrated. It educates us on Griffith’s history and provides recognition where it’s most deserved. Let’s hope it’s a trend that continues.
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