Wilson McShane, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

Snowtown residents say recent speculation about changing the town’s name has been blown out of proportion and the name is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Some influential Snowtown residents at one stage discussed changing the name in an effort to move on from the stigma which has dogged the town since the infamous “bodies in the barrels” murders were discovered about 25 years ago.

But Snowtown Progress Association chair Derryn Stringer said the suggestion of adopting a different name than Snowtown — which then-Governor William Jervois called after his Yorke Peninsula cousins in 1878 —was just one of many ideas floated to help increase the population and improve the town’s services.

Mr Stringer said last week his initial comments about Snowtown considering changing its name had been blown out of proportion.

“I’ve got a 25-year plan for Snowtown about where I want it to be, where I think it can be,” he said.

“(Changing the name) was just one of my concepts.

“It doesn’t mean it’s going anywhere.

“It just means I put forward the concept of opening a discussion,” Mr Stringer said.

The concept has met with opposition from current and former residents spoken to by the Yorke Peninsula Country Times who want to keep the current name.

Farmer Brayden Keech, who has lived at Snowtown his whole life, said the proposal was surprising.

“To be honest, I’m not sure where it’s all come from, because it is the first I, or anyone I know, has heard about the name change,” Mr Keech said.

“I’m not sure changing the name is going to help anything.

“Unfortunately, changing the name isn’t going to change the stigma that surrounds what happened in 1999,” he said.

Former Blyth-Snowtown Football Club B grade premiership coach Nigel Harris agreed.

“I wouldn’t change the name.

“I think it is just media creating a story,” Mr Harris said.

Narungga MP Fraser Ellis said it was disappointing the town’s history had been brought up again.

“I do think it’s tremendously unfortunate that the Adelaide media have tried to focus on the name change,” Mr Ellis said.

“There are some wonderful things going on in Snowtown.”

The Mid North town has recently received a $50,000 state government grant for upgrades to its caravan and RV park.

This comes after it recently resurfaced its tennis courts and renovated its football clubrooms.

“There’s some really good things going on, so it’s exciting for the future of the town,” Mr Ellis said.

This article appeared in the Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 14 May 2024.