King Leopold Ranges officially renamed after Landgate endorsementCain AndrewsThe Kimberley EchoWed, 18 February 2026 8:45AM
The brutal legacy of a Belgian monarch has officially been erased from a massive 35,000sqkm stretch of the Kimberley, with the State Government finalising the renaming of the King Leopold Ranges locality to Bularl di Wunami.
The move follows the 2020 renaming of the physical ranges themselves and marks the final chapter in removing the name of King Leopold II — a man whose colonial rule over the Congo was defined by documented atrocities — from the WA landscape.
The new name, which translates to ‘rocky big range Country’, combines the languages of the Ngarinyin and Bunuba people.
Planning and Lands Minister John Carey said the change was about acknowledging traditional owners’ “enduring” connection to the land.
“This new name, paired from two local languages, acknowledges not only the physical features of these lands but also the enduring cultural, linguistic and historical connections of their traditional owners,” Mr Carey said.
The process was guided by Landgate and First Nations consultants NyikBar Consulting to ensure the name was culturally appropriate and practical for emergency services.
It was recently endorsed by the Shire of Derby-West Kimberley and has now been approved by Landgate.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Don Punch described the move as a tangible act of “truth-telling” for the State.
“This removes the name of an historical figure with no connection to this land and rightly replaces it with a name that honours the deep cultural and linguistic connections,” he said.
Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna echoed the sentiment, noting the area must reflect its first people.
“The new name of Bularl di Wunami includes the languages of two traditional owner groups and this renaming honours their deep connection to country,” she said.
“Covering more than 35,000 hectares, this locality will continue to be an important cultural and spiritual landscape.”
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails
Read more on The West Australian
