THE new public space which will occupy the place where the lower Civic Hall once stood will be named after one of Ballarat's traditional owners, one of the first buildings in the city to hold such a name.
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The new space stood in the soon to be completed GovHub, will be known as the Catobeen Building and will be named after Wadawurrung Ancestor Catobeen.
The state government has worked in partnership with traditional owners and members of the seven family groups to reflect the cultural significance of the space.
"This is a special day about recognising the past, but building on the future," Wendouree MP Juliana Addison said.
"This is showing that the traditional owners of Ballarat are at the centre of our community and we honour them today."
Traditional owner Deanne Gilson said she was honoured to have her ancestors name on the iconic new building.
"She was known as Queen Mary of Ballarat," Dr Gilson said. "We're very proud to acknowledge that we have a building named after her today.
"It's a first that acknowledges my ancestors and I'm very proud of that. It's a starting point for reconciliation with my people. There's not much left of my history, it's a real honour."
Chief executive of the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation Paul Davis said it was a deserving honour.
"The naming of this new building is a deserving gesture in not only recognising Ballarat's rich Wadawurrung heritage over tens of thousands of years but also tells an important story about the resilience of the Wadawurrung people," he said.
