Harden Shire Council approved the new village and Shire boundary signs at the 26 November business meeting. However, Council is seeking verification that one of the symbols to be displayed on the shire boundary signs does not cause confusion or offence.
The modern, but easily read signs are designed to send a warmer welcome to visitors to the Harden Shire and the villages of Galong, Jugiong and Wombat.
Council is seeking verification from the Chinese Embassy and other sources that a symbol depicting a Chinese ‘Friendship Bridge’ cannot be construed as having a meaning in Japanese or Chinese script.
“As Chinese calligraphy is based on the thickness and order of the brushstrokes, we are pretty confident that this symbol will not cause any confusion,” said Harden Shire Council General Manager, Trevor Drowley.
The village signs will be placed on the outskirts of each village, with each being represented by a unique symbol. Galong is represented by a head of wheat, symbolic of its agricultural heritage and continued agricultural links; Jugiong is represented by a river symbol, due its location on the Murrumbidgee River; and Wombat, unsurprisingly, is represented by a wombat.
