Indigenous man Noel Walker explains why Coon Cheese name change is so important

For Noel Walker the heated — often openly racist — social media debate following the announcement of the Coon Cheese name change to Cheer Cheese was saddening, but also predictable.

Many of the posts blandly stated that Indigenous people offended by the previous name for the cheese should “get over it”. It’s a phrase Mr Walker sees dished out to Indigenous Australians constantly about a variety of issues.

Warning: Parts of this article contain language that may offend some readers.

Mr Walker, who as a boy was on the receiving end of the racial slur associated with the cheese, decided to join the debate and shared his experience through a Facebook post in a bid to turn the racist rhetoric into a “positive discussion”.