Aussie Place Names
Lockstar
place names and their meanings.
But first let me correct all those Americans who pronounce the word
Aussie as ARSE-ee ... a more correct pronunciation would be OZ-ee, being
that the first portion of that incorrect pronunciation is the
Australian/British version of the American word referring to ones rear
end. :)
Also, while on the subject of pronouncing Aussie - while dining at the
Outback Steakhouse recently (which contrary to popular belief does not
sell Australian food, but rather American food with Australian names -
Sorry to disappoint those who thought it was genuine.) When I placed my
order the waitress asked if I would like a serving of ARSE-ee fries ...
and of course she was referring to what we Aussies know as hot chips. :)
One of the real genuine and interesting Australian touches at the
Outback steakhouse was the sporting memorabilia on the bathroom walls.
They had pictures of Aussie sporting heroes (cricket, AFL, Rugby league)
on the walls, and another thing I had never seen before, they had posted
on a little board above the urinal the daily sports page from the local
newspaper - so you could read how the Cowboys thrashed the Raiders while
taking a piss. Ingenious.
Now on to the real reason for this posting. I have gathered this list
of interesting Australian place names ... and what makes them more funny
is that often their Aboriginal meaning is something not all to
appealing. And, with many places, their names and origins are often
disputed with varying stories of origin and meaning.
Baan Baa NSW = Aboriginal: swim away
Beerwah QLD = Aboriginal: up in the sky
Binalong NSW (pronounced BY-na-long) Aboriginal: high place
Binnaway NSW = Aboriginal: ear thrown away
Boort VIC = Aboriginal: up in smoke
Borenore NSW = Aboriginal: bora rock (a bora is an aboriginal place for
ceremonial dances)
Brawlin NSW = Aboriginal: Native companion
Broke NSW = after Sir Charles Broke Vere
Bugaldie NSW = Aboriginal: blossoms damaged by possums. It is said the
final "e" was added after WWII in comemmoration of lost soldiers -
pronounced BUGLE-die.
Bulla VIC = Aboriginal: two
Bulla Bulla VIC = Aboriginal: four
Bulli NSW (pronounced BULL-eye)= Aboriginal: several meanings - white
grubs, place where Christmas bush grows, and two mountains.
Carrabarrawirracanna, Lake SA = longest recognized place name in
Australia.
Casino NSW = corrupted spelling taken from Italian monastery city of
Cassino and the only place of gambling in the area is probably the
local RSL club.
Come-by-chance NSW = name given by two settlers after the surprise of
being able to purchase a sheep station in the district.
Coopernook NSW = Aboriginal: elbow
Croajingalong VIC = Aboriginal: go east
Dee Why NSW = meaning uncertain, could be from the shape of 2 lagoons
that bear the shape of a D and a Y.
Devil's Marbles NT = named for the large granite boulders in the area
Dingee VIC = Aboriginal: star
Dunbible NSW = Local story suggests that at one time an itinerant
preacher was crossing a swollen stream in the area and had an
Aboriginal convert with him who, upon noticing the preacher had
dropped his Bible into the creek shouted "Mister. Done Bible!"
Dunedoo NSW = Aboriginal: swan
Dungog NSW = Aboriginal: clear hill
Ebor NSW = After Eboracum, a Roman town in England which became the city
of York
Grong Grong NSW = Aboriginal: bad camping ground
Gundagai NSW = Aboriginal: shortened version of Gundabandobingee which
means "cut with tomohawk at back of the knee"
Mount Hopeless SA = place where explorer, Eyre, was finally convinced
is search for fertile land was over.
Howlong NSW = corruption of Aboriginal Oolong meaning place of native
companions.
Indooroopilly QLD = Aboriginal: running water
Kalgoorlie WA = pronounced KAL-girly and known by locals as "Kal".
Koo-wee-rup VIC = Aboriginal: black fish swimming
Maroochydore QLD = Aboriginal: where black swans live
Merriwa NSW (pronounced MERRY-war) = Aboriginal: fertile place
Merrygoen NSW = Aboriginal: bleeding nose
Merrywinebone NSW = Aboriginal: place of cockatoos
Moombooldool NSW = Aboriginal: death
Moorooduc VIC = Aboriginal: dark
Mudgee NSW = Aboriginal: nest in the hills
Mullumbimby NSW = Aboriginal: small round hill
Nar Nar Goon VIC = Aboriginal: koala
Nuriootpa SA = Aboriginal: barter/trade
Poowong VIC = Aboriginal: carrion
Pullabooka NSW = Aboriginal: head
Rottnest Island WA = from the Dutch meaning rats nest.
Tharbogang NSW = Aboriginal: old woman
Thuddungra NSW = Aboriginal: waters running
Toowoomba QLD = Aboriginal - unknown
Tuggerah NSW (pronounced TUG-uh-ra)= Aboriginal: cold
Uardry NSW = Aboriginal: yellow box tree
Ulladulla NSW = Aboriginal: safe harbour
Urana NSW = Aboriginal: word imitating quails (?)
Wagga Wagga (pronounced WOGGA WOGGA often shortened to just Wagga) =
Aboriginal: place of crows
Wagin WA (pronounced WAGE-in) = Aboriginal: place of emus
Wahgunyah VIC = Aboriginal: beware
Walla Walla NSW = Aboriginal: plenty of rain
Wallarobba NSW = Aboriginal: rainy gully
Wantabadgery NSW = Aboriginal: place where fight occurred
Wee Waa NSW (pronounced WEE war) = Aboriginal: fire thrown away
Wollongong NSW = Aboriginal meaning is uncertain, but could be an
exclamation of surprise when they first saw a ship in full sail.
Wonthaggi VIC = Aboriginal: to drag or pull along
Woodenbong NSW = Aboriginal: lagoon
Wooloomooloo NSW = Aboriginal: young kangaroo
Woolloongabba QLD = Aboriginal: whirling round
Lachlan Sims
San Antonio TX & Brisbane Australia
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Michael G. Koerner
>
> I've quickly put together this list of some of the weird Australian
> place names and their meanings.
Here in northeast Wisconsin, in 'Winnebago County' and 'Lake Winnebago',
the 'Winnebago' is Menominee Indian for 'Land of stinking water'.
Before the dams that created Lake Winnebago were built, it was a HUGE
smelly swamp.
--
____________________________________________________________________________
Regards,
Michael G. Koerner
Appleton, WI
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Matt Rose
>at the Outback Steakhouse recently (which contrary
>to popular belief does not sell Australian food, but rather
>American food with Australian names - Sorry
>to disappoint those who thought it was genuine.) When
>I placed my order the waitress asked if I would like a
I hereby apologize on behalf of all Americans for Outback
Steakhouses.....especially the bathroom labels ("Blokes" and "Sheilas"). I have
to say the food there is very good though, if the cultural thing is quite
misunderstood. (For one thing, a REAL Australian restaurant would offer
Victoria Bitter :P)
You guys got your revenge on us though with all the Lone Stars.....I was
dragged to one while in Melbourne last summer by my Victorian love-interest. Is
there nothing funnier than watching Australian waitresses with horribly
embarrassed looks on their face trying to line dance? (I have to say I
empathized with their position)
Looks like I'll be making a couple trips to Outback when she's here next :)
As for the place names, which is what this thread is really about, I found
nothing at all odd about them, since they're all as equally bizarre as those in
Wisconsin (and equally hard to pronounce)
Lockstar
bar...@aol.com.kwyjibo (Matt Rose) wrote:
> I hereby apologize on behalf of all Americans for Outback
> Steakhouses.....especially the bathroom labels ("Blokes" and
>"Sheilas"). I have to say the food there is very good though,
>if the cultural thing is quite
> misunderstood. (For one thing, a REAL Australian restaurant
> would offer Victoria Bitter :P)
Yeah, its funny to see here that many Americans think all Aussies drink
is Fosters ... and hardly anyone I know drinks it in Aust. I've always
seen it as being a "yuppie" beer. Further on the Fosters thing ... I
read the label on a can here the other day and its actually brewed in
Canada!
> You guys got your revenge on us though with all the Lone Stars.....I
was
> dragged to one while in Melbourne last summer by my Victorian
love-interest. <snip>
They're popping up all over the place in Aus. I have never been to one,
though Im sure to visit one when next Im home to see just how authentic
they are (after living in Texas).
> As for the place names, which is what this thread is really about,
> I found nothing at all odd about them, since they're all as equally
> bizarre as those in Wisconsin (and equally hard to pronounce).
I know what you mean ... it seems every part of the world has their own
bizarre place names.
Regards,
Lachlan