Should Churchill have been named Hazelwood?

Many of the families around the Latrobe Valley that I have spoken too to this day feel that the naming of Churchill was an underhanded political move by the then Government of Australia which at the time did not listen to the people that it claimed to represent.

After two generations went to war believing that they were sent to protect their homes and families the returned Hazelwood peoples had not only first hand witnessed carnage and manslaughter but their home and harth had changed dramatically.

The faming and family culture that they had left had changed by the time those on the Hazelwood Honor Board had returned home.

People were maimed, broken or crushed not only from the fighting while in the service, but families suffered educationally, financially, in health and in every other way known and not known at the time The suffering was not contained to them who went but was occurring back at home where none had a voice to change what was happening. Those that may have spoken out were too worn out to do so.The suffering just kept lingering on.when they returned..

It was in this climate that the local, State and Australian Government of the time were seen to back big business and ignore those very people on the Hazelwood Honor Board who went away.

In this climate of distrust and apparent broken promises the vote for a town name was made. Churchill name is said to have won by a slim margin. Their are other towns, some in other countries, in the same error, that have a similar historical ‘vote’ for the name ceremony. People do not like change. Especially when the change involves their heritage, home or identifty. But worst still they do not like to feel cheated with issues unresonved festering away within them. The people of these areas still today carry a bitterness at the feeling of being cheated.