Victorian Place Name Abbreviations and Alternative Names A Genealogy Research Aid Kathleen M Fanning [1] Introduction This list of abbreviations and place names is to help the family historian work out where their ancestors were born, married or died in Victoria Australia. The abbreviations were mostly taken from the Pioneer Index for the state of Victoria in Australia. This index covers the period 1836-1888 but most abbreviations still apply to later times. These are by no means all the abbreviations found in the Pioneer Index records but are about three thousand of the most commonly used abbreviations. I have used the Pioneer Index to find place names but I have only looked at some original certificates. I have used the sort function on the Pioneer Index extensively and Google maps to help work out abbreviations. I have taken care to try and be as accurate as possible and if I have been unsure I have left out that abbreviation. How to Use this PDF File The pdf file is organized with the abbreviations in alphabetical order on the left hand side and place names on the right. The pdf file can be searched through Edit and then Find. If a place has more than one abbreviation the abbreviations are all listed in alphabetical order e.g. Abbotsford has five different abbreviations. Often the same abbreviation was used for several places e.g. ALLA was used for Allan’s Flat and also Allansford. If you look at where other family members lived this may help to narrow it down. The majority of these place names still exist. Google maps are very useful in looking at locations and their proximity to each other. Sometimes there are two places or more with the same name so I have indicated this in brackets next to the name for example there were e.g. Barker’s Creek (2). Most times whoever was recording the record abbreviated the place name to the first four letters. With longer names they sometimes took the first letter and the last three or four letters e.g. Essendon becomes EDON and [2] MALLOC is for Mordialloc. But there was no set method so there are many variations. If the place name has two words like St Arnaud there are two variations one is ST AR and the other is STAR. Often they are split even for place names of one word and there is a space between the second and third letter, Dimboola is abbreviated as DI MB and also DIMB. There were however often spelling errors in transcription. Some of the common errors are these letters being mixed up: N and M, E and A, N and W, N and U e.g. MAGA instead of NAGA for Nagambie. I suspect spelling errors in place names and surnames account for a lot of lost records. Keep in mind that many places in the colonies were named after places in the home country. For example I discovered that Castlemaine was Castlemaine in Co Kerry Ireland not Castlemaine in Victoria. I have included some overseas countries and place name abbreviations. The country is also listed. The Pioneer Index covers the Gold Rushes in Victoria and many of the place names reflect this, for example, Scotchman’s Lead, Peter’s Diggings and Nuggetty Creek. Gold was discovered in 1851 in Victoria and resulted in a huge population increase and much movement from one gold field to the next. Don’t be surprised to find your ancestors moving around a lot in this period. Short names were not abbreviated and they are the actual names e.g. Sale or Moe. If you do have the Pioneer Index on CD you can sort on every field which means you can sort by mother’s name or place or registration number. You can also use a wildcard, type in the first four letters and then an asterisk for e.g. for Barkly BARK* Many places had their names changed several times e.g. Pentridge was changed to Coburg to avoid the stigma of Pentridge Gaol, Rosedale replaced Blind Joe’s Hut and Gravel Plains became Corryong. Name changes I have come across are included at the end of the file. Some of these came from the Gazetteer of Victoria included in the Pioneer Index Cd, others from reading on sites about particular places. [3] Place names in Vic BDM Indexes has some good hints on working out place names. If all else fails it is possible to purchase online from Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria an image of the original certificate for $17.50. It only takes a few minutes. It is a good idea to save a copy to your hard drive as well as print a copy. This way you can go back and use zoom tools to study it. If you have any questions, additions, corrections or feedback you can contact me by email at kathleenmfanning AT Hotmail DOT com. Victorian Place Names and Abbreviations 4 Abbreviation Placename A P Albert Park A PARK Albert Park A PK Albert Park A V Ascot Vale A VALE Ascot Vale AARA Ararat AB Abbotsford ABB Abbotsford ABBFORD Abbotsford ABBO Abbotsford ABBY Abbyard ABER Aberdeen ABER Aberfeldy (Sale District) ABERDEEN NB Aberdeen Scotland ABERDEENSH Aberdeenshire Scotland ABIN Abingdon ABT'FORD Abbotsford ABTON Ashburton ACHE Acheron ACHE Acheron River AD LD Adelaide Lead ADALE Armadale ADDGTON Addington ADDI Addington ADE Adelaide South Australia ADEL Adelaide South Australia ADELA LEAD Adelaide Lead ADELAD LD Adelaide Lead ADRA Alexandra A'FORD Allansford AFR Africa AFRI Africa AFRIC Africa AHEARST Amherst AHME Amherst AHURST Amherst AILS Ailsa AIT Aitkens Gap AIT Mt Aitken AITK Aitkens Gap AITK Mt Aitken AL LA Allans Flat ALB Alberton ALB PARK Albert Park ALBE Alberton ALBER Alberton ALBERT Alberton ALBI Albion ALBU Albury Copyright © Kathleen Fanning 2011 Victorian Place Names and Abbreviations 5 Abbreviation Placename ALEX Alexandra ALFR Alfredton ALLA Allans Flat ALLE Allendale ALLEN Allendale ALMA DGS Alma Diggings ALPH Alphington ALPHTON Alphington AM PH Amphitheatre AMER America AMHE Amherst AMPHITHRE Amphitheatre AMS Amsterdam Holland AMST Amsterdam Holland AN DE Andersons Creek ANAK Anakie ANAK Anakie Hill ANAK Anakies ANDE Andersons Creek ANDSON C Andersons Creek ANGL Anglesey Wales ANTR County Antrim Ireland ANTW Antwerp ANTW Antwerp Belgium APHI Amphitheatre APOL Apollo Bay APOLLO B Apollo Bay APPO Apollo Bay APSE Apsley AR DALE Armadale AR RA Ararat ARAR Ararat ARARAT ASY Ararat Asylum ARAT Ararat ARCA Arcadia ARDALE Armadale ARDO Ardochy ARDTON Ardgarton ARGY Argyll Scotland ARIN Aringa ARMA Armadale ARMS Armstrongs Diggings ARMSTG DG Armstrongs Diggings ARRA Ararat ARTHURS SE Arthurs Seat ARTHURS ST Arthurs Seat ARUN Arundel AS VALE Ascot Vale ASCO Ascot (2) Copyright © Kathleen Fanning 2011 Victorian Place Names and Abbreviations 6 Abbreviation Placename ASCO Ascot Vale ASH Ashby ASHB Ashby AUBU Auburn AUDL Audley AV EN Avenel AVE Avenel AVEN Avenel AVO Avoca AVOC Avoca AVOCA DGS Avoca Diggings AVOCA DIGG Avoca Diggings AX ED Axedale AXED Axedale B ARAT Ballarat B FAST Belfast B HILL Box Hill B MARSH Bacchus Marsh B MEADOWS Broadmeadows B MSH Bacchus Marsh B WARTHA Barnawartha B WICK Brunswick B WOOD Burwood B WORTH Beechworth B YONG Buninyong BA IR Bairnsdale BA LM Balmoral BA RK Barker's Creek (2) BA RK Barkly BA RK Barkstead BA RN Barnawartha BAC Bacchus Marsh BACC Bacchus Marsh BACK Back Creek (6) BADA Badaginnie BAG Bagshot BAGS Bagshot BAIL Baillieston BAILLIESTO Baillieston BAIR Bairnsdale BALA Balaclava BALAC Balaclava BALD Bald Hill (4) BALL Ballan BALL Ballarat BALL E Ballarat East BALLT Ballarat BALLT E Ballarat East BALLT EAST Ballarat East Copyright © Kathleen Fanning 2011 Victorian Place Names and Abbreviations 7 Abbreviation Placename BALLYASSY Ballyshanassy BALLYSHANA Ballyshanassy BALLYSHANN Ballyshanassy BALM Balmoral BALN Balnarring BALNAING Balnarring BALW Balwyn BANY Banyena BANY Banyenong BAR Barker's Creek (2) BAR Barkly BARB Barber's Creek BARF Barfold BARI Baringhup BARK Barker's Creek (2) BARK Barkly BARK Barkstead BARN Barnawartha BARNATHA Barnawartha BARNTHA Barnawartha BARR Barrabool BARR Barrapoort BARRYS R Barry's Reef BARRYS REE Barry's Reef BARRYS RF Barry's Reef BARWO Barwon Heads BARWO Barwon River BASS Bass River BATE Batesford BATM Batman's Swamp BAYL Bayles BAYN Baynton BBEET Burrumbeep BBEET Burrumbeet BBURN Blackburn BDALE Bairnsdale BDARA Boroondara BE EC Beechworth BE LF Belfast BE LL Bellarine BE NA Benalla BE RW Berwick (2) BEACH Beechworth BEAL Bealiba BEAU Beaufort BECK Beckworth BECK Mount Beckworth BEEA Beeac BEEC Beechworth Copyright © Kathleen Fanning 2011 Victorian Place Names and Abbreviations 8 Abbreviation Placename BELF Belfast BELL Bellarine BELLA Bellarine BELM Belmont BELV Belvoir BEN Benalla BENA Benalla BEND Bendigo BEND Bendoc BENT Bentleigh BERE Berembroke BERM Bermondsey BERM Bermuda BERW Berwick (2) BET Bet-Bet BETB Bet-Bet BETH Bethanga BEVE Beveridge BFORD Batesford BFORD Beauford BFORD Broadford BFORT Beaufort BGEICH Ballangeich BGO Bendigo BHEAD Barwon Heads BHOLME Branxholme BIGH Big Hill BIGR Big River BIND Bindi Cr or Mount BINDI Bindi Cr or Mount BINE Bellarine B'INE Bellarine BIRC Birch's Hill or Creek BIRM Birmingham BIRR Birregurra BK SWAMP Black Swamp BL AC Blackwood BLAC Black Station BLAC Blackwood BLACK L Black Lead BLACK DG C Black Dog Creek BLACK F Black Forest BLACK FOR Black Forest BLACK FRST Black Forest BLACK FT Black Forest BLACK GY Black Gully Creek BLACK H Black Hill (3) BLACK LD Black Lead BLACK SPRG Black Springs Copyright © Kathleen Fanning 2011 Victorian Place Names and Abbreviations 9 Abbreviation Placename BLACK SWMP Black Swamp BLACKFELLO Blackfellow Creek BLAK Blakeville BLAN Blanket Flat BLAND Buckland BLEAK Bleak House BLK DOG CK Black Dog Creek BLUE Blue Mountain BLUE Blue Mountains BLUE MT Blue Mountain BLUE MTN Blue Mountain BLUE MTS Blue Mountains BMDOWS