It's Like Jimmy Sharman's Boxers

FOOTY greats Kevin Sheedy and Michael Long are leading a call for racist Victorian place names to be consigned to history's waste basket.

Sheedy, Long and pop singer Deni Hines have joined a powerful lobby of Aboriginal leaders who denounce the names as offensive relics of Australia's colonial past. Offending place names in Victoria include Mt Niggerhead, The Niggerheads, Niggerhead Aquaduct, Niggerhead Creek and Massacre Bay -- where hundreds of Aborigines were slaughtered in the 1800s.

Road names include Blackboy Lane, Black Charlie Track, Nigra St and Black Fellah Camp Rd. The lobby is calling for the Bracks Government, which first looked at the issue of racist place names in 2000, to rid the state of the names immediately.

"These names are not needed," Sheedy said yesterday. "Let's get rid of them and move on in life. They are offensive. There's been bridge-building for 200 years and we've got to get smarter and better now." Michael Long said: "Anyone would have to agree the word Niggerhead is derogatory." Deni Hines described the names as "just wrong".

"Names such as Mt Niggerhead have got to go. Massacre Bay, too," Hines said. "I don't feel nice when I hear them -- I'm blown away that they still exist.

"I'm not sure how aware people are of these names, but I hope people become aware and I hope there is a change because it shouldn't be like this."

Full list of offensive names.