MEDIA RELEASE - 28 SEPTEMBER 2010

For most Australians, Kfarsghab in Lebanon is not well known. Yet their peoples are one of the very first wave of Lebanese migrants to call Australia home since the late 1800s. In Parramatta, Kfarsghab descendants have lived in Parramatta for almost 130 years, are one of the largest Lebanese-Australian communities locally, and are exemplary Australians.

On Monday, 27 September 2010, Parramatta City Councillors unanimously agreed to Deputy Lord Mayor Chiang Lim’s request to begin the formal processes of renaming a small part of Amos Street, east of Good Street, to be Kfarsghab Place. With the written support from almost all landowners who would be affected, and also with 389 petitioners with hundreds more anticipated, the renaming to Kfarsghab Place appears to be broadly supported.

“There are some standout migrant Australian communities who you want to embrace. Australians of Kfarsghab descent are one of those fantastic communities. In addition to over a century of positive contribution to Australia, their Christian heritage, two successful club houses in the Parramatta area, a past member who dutifully served as a Parramatta City Councillor and was very respected by the wider community, overwhelming local support, and even their naming of ‘Parramatta Road’ in Lebanon, ‘Kfarsghab Place’ seems well overdue,” said Deputy Lord Mayor Chiang Lim.

In his own privately funded visit to Kfarsghab, Lebanon, on his way to London for his own work in 2009, Clr Lim presented to the people of Kfarsghab an updated ‘Parramatta Road’ in recognition of the contributions of the late Joe Barakat, a beloved elected Parramatta City Councillor. Mr Barakat enabled a road in Lebanon to be called ‘Parramatta Road’ due to his love for Parramatta and his Australian home. The new ‘Parramatta Road’ street blade was produced by Parramatta City Council and paid for by Clr Lim. It is attached above the original ‘Parramatta Road’ street blade in Kfarsghab, Lebanon, and was initiated by the late Joe Barakat almost 15 years ago.

“Australia is a global success story because it is a nation of migrants. I am extremely proud of my fellow Parramatta City Councillors who agree with me that we begin the formal process, which includes public consultation, before ‘Kfarsghab Place’ can be submitted to the Geographic Names Board for finalisation,” said Deputy Lord Mayor Chiang Lim.

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For any further information, please contact Deputy Lord Mayor Clr Chiang Lim,
Parramatta City Council on 0427 277 299 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

http://www.chianglim.com.au/mediareleases