December, 2004 ������������������������������������������������������� Australia on the Map - 200 Years Ago n 14 November 1804 Matthew Flinders carefully sealed the between France and England, and Flinders was to spend the next six packet containing his newly completed chart which tracked years there in detention, despite his eagerness to get back to London his circumnavigation of Australia. A ship stood ready off with the news of his discoveries. All he could do was to prepare the Othe island of Mauritius, where Flinders was held prisoner of war, chart of his circumnavigation, and have it sent back to his patron, waiting for a favourable tide Sir Joseph Banks, in London. before sailing for London. Yet for nearly all of its 200 On 14 November 2004 the years, the map has missed Governor-General, Michael out on the public acclaim it Jeffery, hosted a reception deserves, because Banks and at Yarralumla to mark the the Admiralty completely lost bicentenary of that event in interest in Flinders during his Matthew Flinders’ life. imprisonment – so much so that when Flinders did fi nally Why the celebration? We are return to England in 1810, he so comfortable with the name discovered that Banks had that our nation now bears that not even bothered to unpack it’s easy to forget that, if it the chart. weren’t for Matthew Flinders, we might not be called Over the next four years until Australia at all. The 1804 chart his untimely death, Flinders that he so carefully drew on laboured to write up the Mauritius was clearly labelled account of his journeys and to Australia or Terra Australis. The supervise the engraving of his continent had previously been charts. By the time the revised referred to as New Holland or chart of his circumnavigation Terra Australis, and parts had was published in 1814, the been labelled New South Wales Governor-General Michael Jeffery and Bill Fairbanks share a cup of tea. authorities had forced him and Van Diemens Land. But Photo David Blair to change the title to “Terra until Flinders’ innovative step, Australis or Australia”. In other no map of the continent had borne the title Australia. words, Australia was now only a sub-title. When NSW Governor Lachlan Macquarie received Flinders’ chart in 1817, however, he Flinders had arrived on the island of Mauritius in December 1803, preferred Australia over Terra Australis and used it in the colony. By on the way home to Britain. Unfortunately, war had broken out 1824 the Admiralty had fi nally accepted the continent should be CONTINUED PAGE 3 ��������������������������������������������������������� In this issue International Training Australia on the Map – 200 Years Ago ............................................ 1 International Training Course Course in Toponymy in Toponymy ............................................. 2 Update on the ANPS Victorian State Committee ....................................... 3 French Names in Australia ......................... 4 The Grampians/Gariwerd and Churchill/Hazelwood North Debates ........ 5 The use of the name Québec in Australia ................................... 6 The Dangers of Taking Place Names at Face Value ........................ 8 ANPS Research Friend – Lorna McDonald ...................................... 11 On the web ............................................... 11 Placenames Puzzle No. 12 ......................... 12 Contributions ........................................... 12 Mailing List and Volunteer Research ......... 12 Graduation ceremony. Flavia Hodges, Helen Kerfoot, Tony Kelly & Paul Harcombe training course concerned primarily Development, Charles Sturt University, the course costs from the Intergovernmental with technical aspects of toponymy Bathurst, and organised jointly by the Committee for Surveying and Mapping, an was attended in October by 14 Asia-Pacifi c Institute for Toponymy at Australian federal body, and for the airfares Aparticipants from Australasia, South-East Macquarie University and the Geographical of some overseas participants from the Asia, and the South Pacifi c. The course Names Board of New South Wales. United Nations Statistics Division. was held at the Centre for Professional Sponsorship was also received for some of A wide variety of toponymic topics were covered during the two weeks Fieldwork in Perthville. Helen Kerfoot, Maria Vassallo & Davina Sickerdick of the course, with presentations, exercises, and hands-on experience of data processing, plus a practical fi eldwork exercise in nearby Perthville. Presenters included David Blair, Flavia Hodges and Jan Tent of the Asia-Pacifi c Institute for Toponymy (and Australian National Placenames Survey); Paul Harcombe, Glenn Jones and Greg Windsor of the NSW Department of Lands; and guests Helen Kerfoot, Chair of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names and Ferjan Ormeling, Convenor of the UNGEGN Working Group on Training Courses in Toponymy. Other presenters and contributors to panel discussions were drawn from the staff of several Australasian nomenclature authorities: Stuart Duncan, Secretary to the Place Names 2 Committee of the Northern Territory; Board and the issues to be discussed. They CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Brian Goodchild, Secretary to the also joined a meeting of the Committee International Training Geographic Names Board of Western for Geographical Names in Australasia Australia and Chair of the Committee for – the umbrella organisation for the naming Geographical Names in Australasia; John authorities of Australia and New Zealand Parker, former Surveyor General – held in conjunction with the course. Course in Toponymy and Registrar of Geographic Names for Victoria; Bill Watt, Secretary to the At the end of a busy fortnight, the course Geographical Names Advisory Committee graduates each received a certifi cate of South Australia; and Rowland Woods, from the NSW Minister for Lands, the former advisor to the New Zealand Hon. Tony Kelly. They all reported that, offi cially known as Australia. Geographic Board. although intense, the experience had been In the meantime, the 1804 version of very enjoyable, and that one of the most the chart languished in the archive of the A centrepiece of the course was a full valuable aspects was the opportunity to British Hydrographic Offi ce, forgotten meeting of the NSW Geographical Names share knowledge with counterparts in other and available only on microfi che – until Board, which participants attended as jurisdictions having different backgrounds Sydney enthusiast Bill Fairbanks discovered observers after a briefi ng on the work of the and expertise. it because of his involvement with the re- enactment of Flinders’ circumnavigation in 2002-03. He had 34 high-quality copies of the chart made, and resolved that all State parliaments in Australia should be presented THE ANPS TEAM WOULD LIKE with their own copy. TO WISH ALL OF OUR The reception at Yarralumla on the morning of 14 November 2004 marked the bicentenary of that symbolic act of Matthew READERS THE BEST FOR Flinders, and a large number of guests, including ANPS Director David Blair, CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR were there to honour the occasion. Royal Historical Society of Victoria president Professor Weston Bate gave the main address, and noted Flinders’ determination to have the continent offi cially known as Update on the ANPS Australia. Victorian State Committee “He liked the way it rolled off the tongue,” Professor Bate said. Prof Bate said the use he Victorian Committee recently thematic basis (eg Cornish placenames) can of the name was an important step in the advertised the activities of the ANPS collect this information from around the development of a national identity. in the Royal Historical Society of state, as long as each coordinator is aware TVictoria’s newsletter, asking for interested of this and advises other historical societies. “There was an enlargement of identity historical societies to be a part of a pilot beyond the parochialism of individual study, which will introduce participants Each historical society has been advised colonies. Australia had the fl avour of future to the ANPS data collection sheets and that they should collate their research greatness.” electronic spreadsheets and help to ensure material every two months (perhaps at that they are easy for all ANPS Research their society meetings) and go over any Governor-General Michael Jeffery praised Friends to use. problems they had with the datasheets Flinders’ achievements in accurately and/or the collection of the historical charting our coastlines, and recalled how To date, over 30 historical societies in material. The historical societies are then some of his charts were used until quite Victoria have signed up to be participants encouraged to pass on the collated material recently by our Defence Forces. “In his in the pilot study. It is expected that the to their coordinator, and discuss any charts and particularly in his naming of pilot study will continue for 12 months, research problems with them directly. The to ensure that all aspects of the data forms our continent on this 1804 map, Flinders coordinator will then bring the information are tested. has left us a permanent record of his to the next committee meeting, where the achievement.” whole committee can go over the data, and The Victorian Committee members have each been assigned coordination areas of try to resolve any problems. The Governor-General praised the Victoria. As such, the committee members enthusiasm and determination of Bill will be directly responsible