It’s official: New Road has a new name

Westmead precinct’s New Road has now been officially named Dragonfly Drive.

You may have noticed the newly installed street sign when turning into the precinct from Mons Road.

The Westmead Redevelopment wishes to thank everyone who got involved in our competition to name the new road.

It was the suggestion of staff to give the road an Aboriginal title which led to discussions with our local Aboriginal community to identify the most culturally relevant and appropriate name.

The name Dragonfly Drive was chosen due to the diverse mix of tribal nations within the western Sydney Aboriginal community. It was suggested by the local Elders that a universally recognised name common to all groups would be the best fit.

The chosen name recognises and celebrates this cultural diversity present within western Sydney by connecting groups through the shared narrative of the dragonfly.

The dragonfly is seen as a cheeky ‘sticky-beak’ by many Aboriginal communities. They are inquisitive and interested in what is going on.

Like bees they are cross-pollinators of plants bringing important medicinal properties from one plant to another. You could think of them as the doctors, nurses and pharmacists of our hospitals.

The dragonfly travels from different parts of the state and around Australia, so that medicines are not concentrated in one part of a region. This way all the communities have access to a range of medicines.

Dragonflies can also make people think about bringing families together and they are peaceful creatures. Joy, change and adaptability are also qualities that they hold.