The Micro-Toponomy of Mount Arapiles

September, 2004

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The Micro-toponomy of Mount Arapiles

his article follows previous work on squatters, taking up a large sheep run Mount Arapiles, which is located that included Mount Arapiles within in the Wimmera region of Victoria its boundary. Several local histories say Tnear the town of Natimuk. The first that Firebrace named this run Vectis; article, published in the March 2004 this was the ancient Roman name for issue of Placenames Australia, covered the Isle of Wight (England), where the names from Aboriginal Australian he was supposed to have been born. I languages applied to the mountain, have been able to trace this proposed and the names considered by Major origin of the station name back to an Mitchell before he finally settled on entry in Pioneer Station Owners of the Arapiles. In these articles I am trying Wimmera published by Dennys Lascelles to demonstrate how the toponymy of in 1926, which states that, “Major a particular geographic feature can be Firebrace named Vectis after his native much more complex than a short entry place in the Isle of Wight”. However, I in an explorer’s journal. Many names have recently come across a manuscript have been attached to Mount Arapiles written in 1958 by high school principal and its surrounds over time; each tells a I.T. Maddern, entitled The Early Days story that allows us to better understand of Horsham, which states that the the mountain’s cultural significance. Firebrace family came from Duffield in Derbyshire. This of course opens The pastoral frontier reached Mount up the question once again of how the Arapiles in the early 1840s, less than Mount Arapiles. Photo: Chris Richards. Vectis name came to the Wimmera? In a decade after Mitchell had passed Latin, the word “vectis” means “lever”. through the area. Major William Firebrace was amongst the early Reaney, in his book The Origin of English Placenames, suggests ❑ CONTINUED PAGE 10

�� assumed that Cradle Mountain was a French, Indian, Spanish, Chinese etc. In this issue descriptive name as it resembles a miner’s Tasmanian placenames also refl ect our or baby’s cradle. Weindorfers Tower heritage and many names derive from our The Micro-toponymy of Mount Arapiles ...... 1 (on Cradle Mountain) was of Austrian early European navigators, convict/soldier origin. It is named after Austrian Gustav past, bushranger activity, whaling activity, FeedBACK ...... 2 Weindorfer who was the catalyst for shipwrecks, religious background, mining Chris Richards ...... 3 preserving Cradle Mountain as a National ventures, British heritage, war-time heroes, Park (in 1922). Weindorfer climbed early governors, Greek/Roman mythology German Placenames in Victoria ...... 4 Cradle Mountain in 1909, and he loved it etc. so much that he decided to settle here. He Photo gallery: Aboriginal Placenames purchased land on the mountain and built Wayne Smith Workshops … ...... 6 his home here. He called his dwelling Lauderdale, Tas Walgett: High Hills, Cracks in Ground ‘Waldheim’ after an Austrian connection. or Meeting of the Water ...... 8 He used his extensive home in the wilderness as a guesthouse for visitors I Quote ...... 11 to the mountain. He died here and was FeedBACK American Name Society Annual buried on the mountain in 1932. Each Meeting … ...... 11 year a memorial service is conducted on any thanks to those who Quiz No.11 Placenames and the mountain at his grave site. Kathleens contacted ANPS regarding a Occupations ...... 12 Pool, a small tarn on Cradle Plateau was question I posed in the June issue named after Weindorfer’s wife Kate Cowle Mof . I had asked, Placenames Australia Mailing List and Volunteer who lived with him at ‘Waldheim’. Dale ‘Where, in Tasmania, are the placenames of Research ...... 12 incorrectly suggested that Queenstown Aboriginal origin?’ I had kept an eye open was probably named after a place in for likely names during a recent visit but England. It isn’t, it was given this name as noted only Moonah, a Hobart suburb. I the town was sited on the Queen River. was amazed that there were so few. FeedBACK Dale makes a correct assumption that Gowrie Park was connected to a place Wayne Smith, John Cannon and Betty Dear ANPS, in Scotland. It is, but only indirectly, as Murrell all pointed out that Tasmania has the town name was taken from a local many placenames inspired by Aboriginal always avidly read the contents of your property of that name. The property was languages. They cited far too many newsletters as I have been obsessed named after the landowner’s birthplace examples to repeat here, including ‘Hydro’ with placenames since 1990. I am a in Scotland. Mole Creek was not named power stations in the Central Highlands Imonthly guest on ABC talk-back radio after a local animal, it was named by a and settlements on Bruny Island. in Tasmania on nomenclature and the mystifi ed surveyor who found that the segment is immensely popular. I have an creek was running through a limestone This sent me back to the road map I argument with your correspondent Dale area and the river kept disappearing had used on the journey from Hobart Lehner who (in Placenames Australia underground and reappearing elsewhere to Cradle Mountain via the Midlands June 2004) suggested that there are few (like the English mole). Dale also refers Highway and Sheffi eld. Afterwards Aboriginal placenames in Tasmania. to some Biblical names as Tasmania has there was a short trip to Devonport as On the contrary, possibly a quarter to many names of this kind, refl ecting the well. Surely I could not have been so a third of our names are of Aboriginal pious nature of many of the pioneers. For entirely mistaken! A careful study of origin. Some examples are Ringarooma, example there are towns named Goshen the route I followed has revealed only a Warrentinna, Triabunna, Raminea, (land of plenty), Priory, Beulah, Paradise, few possibilities and all, I think, are tiny Corinna, Karoola, Lunawanna, Allonah, Garden of Eden, Walls of Jerusalem, places: Conara, Powranna, Moltema and Natone, Pateena and Premaydena that are Abyssinia, Lake Tiberius, Jordan River, Moina. Pateena and Paloona were nearby all named after the native name for their Bagdad, Jericho and many more. but I couldn’t have seen them. respective areas. In addition, there are a plethora of town names that preserve Despite the above minor criticisms, I With so many Aboriginal inspired Tasmanian Aboriginal words such as heartily agree with the central thrust of placenames in Tasmania, I have wondered Taroona, Nubeena, Liawenee, Tarraleah, the Lehner article that suggests that a why there seemed to be fewer along the Wayatinah, Emita, Errriba, Eugenana, study of placenames reveals the intriguing Midlands Highway. A plausible reason Kamona, Kaoota, Karoola, Kayena, history of an area. Tasmania is blessed can no doubt be found in Tasmania’s early Kellatier, Koonya etc. with a virtual potpourri of placenames history. derived from many languages including In the same article, Dale correctly Aboriginal languages, English, Dutch, Dale Lehner

2 AUSTRALEX 2004 Chris Richards

t is with sadness that we report the sudden and unexpected passing away of Christopher Richards. Chris has given his time freely and generously to the ANPS in numerous ways over the past few years. He has been a regular Icontributor to Placenames Australia, providing well-researched articles, based on archival maps and records and ﬁeld trips to the sites he was writing about. This issue contains a second article by Chris on Mount Arapiles. His articles stimulated discussion amongst ANPS Research Friends and he was often behind the scenes, putting enthusiastic researchers in touch with the ANPS and with each other. For example Chris introduced the ANPS to David Nutting’s research on German Clair Hill & Jan Tent placenames (see article this issue). Chris was also deputy chair of the Victorian State Committee of the ANPS and did much to promote the ANPS in Victoria, FeedBACK n line with this year’s theme of with regular speaking engagements in many local historical societies, genealogical “Lexicon and Culture”, the ANPS societies and other cultural organisations. The photo below was taken on 5 May presented a special session at the 2003 during a ﬁeld trip to the western end of the Ibiennial AUSTRALEX (Australasian Black-Allan Line [the Victorian-NSW border]. Association for Lexicography) conference. The conference was held on Monday ANPS Directorate, 12 July, hosted by the Department of Macquarie University Linguistics, University of Sydney and the Department of Linguistics and Dictionary Research Centre, Macquarie University. The ANPS session was a panel chaired by David Blair (ANPS, Director) and included presentations by Clair Hill (ANPS, Research Associate), Dr Jan Tent (ANPS, Research Associate) and Flavia Hodges (ANPS, Research Fellow).

Clair’s and Jan’s presentations outlined their current research projects and preliminary data, providing case studies of placenames in the indigenous network and names in the introduced system. Clair gave an overview of the ways in which placenames are formed and their range of meanings in two closely related indigenous languages from the east coast of Cape York Peninsula – Umpila and Kuuku Ya’u. Jan provided data and analysis on Dutch and Dutch-related Greg Windsor (Secretary of the Geographical Names Board of NSW), Paul Harcombe names throughout Australia. (Deputy Chair of the GNB NSW), Scott Jukes (Surveyor, Ofﬁce of the Surveyor Flavia reported on the current program of General Victoria), Chris Richards. workshops, encouraging the investigation of placenames of indigenous origin in t is with much regret that we were informed of the death of the Vice-chair of regional NSW by Aboriginal community the Victorian State Committee of the ANPS, Mr Christopher Richards. Chris members and linguists. David Blair was a founding member of the committee and a tireless researcher of placenames talked about development of, and issues Iin Victoria. His passion was attested to by his numerous articles in this newsletter surrounding, the ANPS national database, and others. Chris had recently begun to prepare for postgraduate studies at Monash facilitating the gathering of standardised University where he intended to pursue his interest in toponymy. The committee information about the history, origin wishes to acknowledge its debt and gratitude to Chris and offer their greatest and meaning of both indigenous and sympathy to his family and loved ones in this time of loss. introduced placenames. Dr Ian D Clark & Ms Laura Kostanski To ﬁnd out more details about this and Chair & Secretary, previous AUSTRALEX conferences, see ANPS Victorian State Committee http://australex.anu.edu.au/

3 the north-eastern region of Germany from which many of them had come), German Placenames and also as Germantown, which caused some confusion with the township near in Victoria Geelong. The gold rush brought a large infl ux of German-speaking immigrants to Victoria; the Germans were the largest national erman-speaking immigrants played Australia and sought to get a piece group on the gold fi elds after the British a considerable role in the devel- of the action. William Westgarth, and the Chinese. Gullies were often opment of Victoria. In 1891 the a prominent Melbourne merchant, named after the non-British nationality GGerman-born in Victoria were the largest played the leading role in facilitating of either the diggers who worked in non-British ethnic group. According to the fi rst group migrations direct to the them, or of the fi rst discoverer of gold the census of that year 10,764 people of Port Phillip District from Germany. there. James Flett’s book The History German birth lived in Victoria, 60% of Five ships arrived at Port Phillip with of Gold Discovery in Victoria lists 16 them in rural areas. This is refl ected in Germans between 1849-50. Of these places known as German Gully around the variety of placenames past and present Germans, eight families of vinedressers the gold-mining regions of the colony, of German origin in the state. Although and wine-coopers had been contracted particularly in Central Victoria. Most of many Victorians might fi nd it harder by Dr Alexander Thomson of Geelong these are not marked now. The village of than South Australians to name off-the- to work at his vineyard. Their settlement Sebastian just north of Bendigo owes its cuff a German placename in their state, just south of Geelong became known as name to Sebastian Schmidt who found there are in fact several names that have Germantown, where German customs gold there. Germantown, German Creek interesting origins and issues associated and language survived for many decades. and Freeburgh near Bright in the High with them. Here are the origins of a few Other immigrants on these “Westgarth” Country acknowledge two Germans who of them. ships received help in buying land 16 kms mined there. north of Melbourne. Their settlement was In the late 1840s some Melbourne commonly known as Westgarthtown by A substantial German-speaking entrepreneurs observed the success 1900, but prior to that it had been known community developed in the early 1850s of German immigration in South for a while as New Mecklenburg (after in the Western District. Germans and

4 Sorbs (also known in English as Wends, a was born at the Cape of Good Hope that restoring Hochkirch would right a Slavic-speaking minority who have lived to wealthy parents and educated in historical injustice and give a higher and in Lusatia in the southeast of Germany England and in Karlsruhe, Germany. He appropriate profi le to the German cultural for centuries) moved to the Hamilton emigrated to NSW and his stock were heritage of the area. They pointed out area from the Barossa Valley in search the fi rst to cross the Murray River. In that South Australia had restored some of more spacious and better land. Their 1837 he settled on the Campaspe River German placenames in 1935 to mark the settlement initially had the Sorbian name west of Mount Macedon and named pioneer work of the German settlers in Bukecy, the name of the town in Saxony the area Carlsruhe after the German that State’s centenary year of 1936. After near which many of them were born. This city. Later, in Melbourne, he was also receiving several written submissions both soon gave way to the German equivalent a member of Westgarth’s German for and against a return to the name of name Hochkirch. Close to Hochkirch Immigration Committee. The suburb Hochkirch, the Shire Council decided other Sorbs and Germans established name Elsternwick is likewise due to to take no action. Fortunately the shire’s Neukirch and Gnadenthal (Valley of him. He named his house ‘Elster’, the large welcome signs at each end of the vil- Grace), whose cemetery still carries that German word for magpie. The nearby lage acknowledge the former name. The gazetted name. creek became the Elster Creek and when sibling owners of two businesses in the a village grew up on the creek the Anglo- area, Hochkirch Wines and Tarrington In the early 1870s a large number of Saxon suffi x ‘wick’, meaning village, was Vineyards, supported opposing sides in Germans settled in the Wimmera, added. the name change debate. The owner of establishing settlements such as Hochkirch Wines, John Nagorcka, fa- Grünwald, Kirchheim, and Kornheim. The district centred on the present-day vours reinstatement of the original name. suburb of Heidelberg was named in 1839 He told this writer: “Among the objectors Apart from Victorian places being named by the fl amboyant land agent Richard to the proposal were residents of German after German settler families or after Henry ‘Continental’ Browne, after the descent who feel some unease about the places in the home country that were dear to them, there are the German names bestowed by British-Australians, due to personal connection/affection ... gold rush brought a large infl ux of German-speaking for Germany, or in recognition of a immigrants to Victoria; the Germans were the largest prominent German. This seems to have national group on the gold fi elds after the British and the happened almost exclusively in the Chinese... area of metropolitan Melbourne. The fi rst written reference to the present- day western bayside suburb of Altona occurred in 1843. Altona was the name beautiful town in Baden-Württemberg of area’s German heritage, an unease that of the property of Robert William which he was fond. has survived across generations since Wrede. His father Hermann was living in the First World War, when German- London at the time of Robert’s birth, but As elsewhere in Australia (particularly in SA) descended Australians in Hochkirch were there was probably still a strong family the atmosphere caused by World War treated badly. Fortunately that prejudice connection to the north German port of One forced name changes. Germantown in the wider community is no longer Altona (now a suburb of Hamburg – see near Geelong became Grovedale and present, however many locals of German photo). R.W. Wrede was a member of many villages in rural areas were renamed, descent continue to have an inferiority William Westgarth’s German Immigration eg Hochkirch near Hamilton became complex regarding their heritage and Committee. Tarrington. In 1914 the “Brunswick fail to comprehend the positive cultural, and Coburg Leader” reported that the historical and commercial aspects of The name of the inner suburb Brunswick North Brunswick Progress Association reinstatement of the original German is the English form of Braunschweig, a had passed a resolution requesting that name of our community.” city in northern Germany. The pioneer the names Brunswick and Coburg be Thomas Wilkinson named his property changed. In the end this didn’t occur, nor The case of Tarrington/Hochkirch is a Brunswick after Princess Caroline of was Heidelberg renamed. Germantown fascinating example of how important Braunschweig; she was the wife of the and Freeburgh in the High Country were placenames can be to people’s sense of British king George IV and had many not affected either. their cultural identity. Perhaps the story of fans among English commoners. In this placename is not yet fi nished! March 1870 another suburb gained a In late 2000 a group of Tarrington “royal” German name: the name Coburg residents made a detailed submission to You may view an extensive list of Ger- honoured the Duke of Edinburgh, a the local shire council requesting that the man placenames in Australia by visiting member of the German royal house of name be changed back to Hochkirch. www.germanaustralia.com and navigating Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. This caused strong differences of opinion your way via: Site Map > Names > Place in the local community, both within Names. Charles Hotson Ebden, pastoralist, the German-descended and the non- overlander, and later Treasurer of Victoria, German community. The petitioners felt David Nutting

5 Photo gallery: Aboriginal Placenames Workshops Peter Orlovich & Matthew Stewart he series of workshops on Aboriginal placenames, outlined in the June 2004 issue of Placenames Australia, is well underway. To date workshops have been held in Yarrawarra T(2-3 June), Canberra (12 June), Wellington (20-21 July), Armidale (28 July), Lightning Ridge (4 August). The workshops have been well-attended by Aboriginal community members, Elders, sites ofﬁ cers with the National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW, Local Aboriginal Land Councils and linguists. Each workshop involved discussions on researching placenames in various Aboriginal languages, archiving the information and proposing names for inclusion in the Geographical Names Register in NSW. Dr Jaky Troy (NSW Aboriginal Languages Research and Resource Centre) talked about placenames research in the context of language revitalisation. Greg Windsor (Geographical Names Board NSW) outlined the dual naming policy and Dr Michael Sharon Anderson & Paul McLeod, looking at digitised images of Walsh (Linguistics Department, Sydney University) described the manuscripts from the Royal Anthropological Society of Australasia. case study of dual names in Port Jackson. Flavia Hodges and David Blair described the work of the ANPS and how it can support community-based research projects. Dr Peter Orlovich gave a presentation at the Canberra workshop about various state and national archives.

Suellyn Tighe, Sidney Chatﬁ eld & Maureen Sulter

Aunt Phyllis Darcy & Daryn McKenny, Awarbukarl Cultural Resource Centre

Lesly Ryan, Nyngan LALC & Dulcie West, Wellington community member Violet Lousick, Wellington community member

6 Michelle Torrens & Nick Reid John Giacon, Don Lilliman & John Brown

Phillip Sullivan & Lawrence Clarke NPWS Uncle Roy & Auntie June Barker

James Mitchell, Lightning Ridge community member & Johanna Parker, Murriwarri Artworks & Darlene Proberts, ANPS. GregMcKellar, Muda Aboriginal Corporation, Bourke. Darlene has been the key co-ordinator of all of the workshops.

Many thanks to all of the local presenters at each of the workshops, including: • Dr Harold Koch – Australian National University – Linguistic Reconstruction of Placenames. • Br Steve Morelli and Gary Williams – Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Cooperative – Gumbaynggirr Placenames. • Suellyn Tighe, Sidney Chatﬁeld & Maureen Sulter – Coonabarabran Language Program – Gamilaraay-English Bilin- gual Signage Work with the NPWS. • Christopher Kirkbright – Alexandria Park Community School Aboriginal Languages Program – Wiradjuri Placenames and the Importance of Placenames to Local Communities. • MichelleTorrens – Ngulling-gah Wundardun – The Work of the Bundjalung Culture and Heritage Centre • Dr Nick Reid, Linguistics Department, University of New England – Creating Aboriginal Placenames in Armidale City. • Amanda Lissarrague – Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation and the NSW ALRRC (Handbook project) – Borrowing Aboriginal words into English: lost phonemes, morphemes and meanings. • John Giacon – Gamilaraay-Yuwaalaraay Language Program – Gamilaraay-Yuwaalaraay Placenames. • Uncle Roy Barker – Elder – Aboriginal Placenames in the Lightning Ridge Area. • Rohan Mason, Liz Smith, Rhonda Ashby – Goodooga & Lightning Ridge Central Schools – The Yuwaalaraay Lan- guage Program.

7 Walgett: High Hills, Cracks in Ground or Meeting of the Waters n Australia there are two systems of placenames – the introduced set developed by Europeans, and the PRONUNCIATION OF GY WORDS Iunderlying network of names traditionally Mostly pronounced as in English, except for: used by Aboriginal people. This article a as in ‘but’, aa as in ‘cart’ is mainly concerned with placenames of i as in ‘bit’, ii as in ‘peel’ Aboriginal origin that have been borrowed into the introduced naming system in the u as in ‘book’, uu as in ‘pool’ Walgett region of north-western NSW, and ay as in ‘say’ aay as in ‘eye’ [sometimes as in ‘boy’] considers the process of investigating and dh is like ‘d’ but with the tongue between the teeth. reconstructing the original pronunciation n.g only occurs in English in compound words such as sunglasses; and meaning of a very small selection of it is an n sound followed by a g sound. these placenames. ngg is as in ‘finger’ Colonists, explorers, settlers and surveyors ng is like the ‘ng’ in ‘sing’; English speakers generally find it quite strange to make this often adopted Aboriginal placenames in sound at the beginning of a word. their renaming of the Australian landscape. nh is like ‘n’ but with the tongue between the teeth. Many of the names for towns and rr is trilled [as in Italian ‘r’] geographical features and many, if not most, of the names of agricultural properties in r as in English ‘carry’ the Walgett region are of Aboriginal origin. w is often not pronounce when it begins a word and is followed by ‘u’ While these names are familiar to most w is often not pronounced when it begins a word and is followed by ‘u’ residents and easily found on maps and signs, the placenames of the Indigenous network proper are not commonly known, (GY), but probably more closely related to For example, on the top north-west corner but mostly remain only in oral tradition or Wiradjuri (from wirra(a)y ‘no’). There is of the Walgett Shire map is a property in obscure documents and records. little recent documentation on Wayilwan, so called Tucki. It helps to know that it is it is difficult to make informed comments pronounced ‘tuck-eye’. It is also important The name Walgett is of Aboriginal origin, about Wayilwan placenames. Accordingly to know that in most Aboriginal languages and the main roads to Walgett are through most of the discussion below is about GY there is no distinction between ‘t’ and ‘d’ Burren Junction, Collarenebri, Brewarrina, placenames. (or between ‘p’ and ‘b’ or ‘k’ and ‘g’, i.e. no Coonamble and Lightning Ridge – all distinction between voiced and voiceless except the last are of Aboriginal origin. If Words in any language can change their consonants). The spelling system that has you take the minor roads you go through meaning and pronunciation over time, and been established for GY has chosen to uses Cumborah or Carinda or Pilliga and Come- when languages (in this case Aboriginal d, b, g, rather than p, t, k to represent this by-Chance – only ‘Come-by-Chance’ is languages and English) come into contact, set of sounds. All languages have particular definitely not of Aboriginal heritage. Along words are often borrowed. Because of rules about how sounds are used to form various roads you cross the Big Warrambool differences between the sound systems of words and in GY ‘d’ does not occur at the and the Namoi and Barwon River, and the languages concerned, borrowed words beginning of a word; the only ‘t/d’-like see roads to Gingie Mission - all these are typically include sounds, sound sequences sound which does is ‘dh’. So (skipping over placenames of Aboriginal origin. and stress patterns that are altered when some of the details) in reconstructing the used by speakers of the receiving language. original Aboriginal placename ‘tu’ becomes Walgett is at the junction of a number of Often Aboriginal placenames were not heard ‘dha’ (remembering that ‘u’ in the first traditional Aboriginal language territories. clearly by non-Aboriginal people, who had syllable is generally the ‘a’ as in ‘but’ sound), To the east is Gamilaraay and to the north is difficultly in capturing unfamiliar sounds, ‘ck’ becomes ‘g’, ‘i’ becomes ‘aay’ and the Yuwaalaraay (both language names include or poorly remembered when it came to original name is probably Dhagaay referring the word for ‘no’, gamil and waal). These writing them down. As a result Aboriginal to the ‘yellowbelly’ fish. are closely related languages and have been placenames adopted into the introduced well documented recently. To the south and system undergo a variety of changes, some It also often happened that the meanings west, along the Barwon River, is Ngiyambaa sufficient to render them unrecognisable to of Aboriginal words and names were country. The language there is known as a speaker of the source language. As a result, narrowly or incorrectly recorded, and any Wayilwan (from wayil ‘no’). This language linguistic expertise is vital in interpreting special significance or association with a is related to Gamilaraay-Yuwaalaraay placenames of Aboriginal origin. story not properly understood. In some

8 cases the knowledge of traditional stories, dreamtime events and meanings associated with placenames of Aboriginal origin has been lost. In other cases the meaning and origin of the name can be discovered through a combination of archival research and community-held knowledge.

As an example of the difficulties in attributing meanings to placenames of Aboriginal origin, consider the name of Walgett itself. It has been translated both as ‘high hills’ (Ridley 1875:26, RASA 2:13) and as ‘cracks in ground’ (RASA 1:66). The ‘high hills’ translation is unexpected, given the flatness of the country around Walgett. The meaning is now also often given as ‘meeting of the waters’, referring to the nearby junction of the Namoi and Barwon rivers, but this seems to be a recent interpretation. The original pronunciation of the word is also uncertain. Ridley transcribes it as Wolger, which seems to indicate a long final vowel. floods. The name is currently pronounced it is unrecognisable, or the word of origin In current GY orthography it is rendered Ginggi or Ginggii by some residents, is from a distant language brought to the Walgiirr. On a recently transcribed Wayilwan keeping something of the original, but Walgett region by a property owner. tape the name is pronounced Waalgiirr, but also clearly changed. no meaning is given. Much of the current information about GY Near to Gingie is an important waterhole names is summarised in the Gamilaraay Another example of uncertainty in meaning which is the start of a dreaming storyline Yuwaalaraay Yuwaalayaay Dictionary, which is a property near Walgett, Ulah. It was long that extends to the Cumborah spring, about lists over 100 placenames. Most of the assumed to represent Yuwaalaraay wuulaa 50 km northwest. The story is about the information is reliable but as the preceding ‘bearded dragon’ (the ‘w’ is generally not formation of an underground river that discussion has illustrated often apparently pronounced when at the beginning of a surfaces in a number of places. The name credible information is called into question word and followed by ‘u’). However, it has begins with Gamilaraay and Wayilwan gali during the process of research. For example, recently been discovered that the RASA ‘water’, but the second part was unclear – it Gundhimayan is the current orthographic manuscripts (1:373) give the meaning as was variously rendered gurrana, gurinha, rendering of what appears as ‘Gundamaine’ ‘ripple on the water’, thus introducing guruna. It was not until someone who knew in Ridley’s Kamilaroi and other Australian uncertainty about its etymology. Wangaaybuwan Ngiyambaa (closely related Languages (1875:26). He translates this to Wayilwan) was consulted that the name placename as meaning ‘house on the Looking at the names of some of the for the waterhole was confirmed as Gali stream’, and in preparing the dictionary other main towns in the region, Burren Gurunha ‘the water is going in’. it was assumed to refer to the Condamine Junction possibly derives from GY barran River. However, it has since been pointed ‘boomerang’; Collarenebri is from GY Another site associated with a story is out by Ian Sim that the river was named Galariinbaraay, composed of galariin ‘gum Murrgu Walaay (‘She-oak camp’) on the by explorer Allan Cunningham after tree blossom’ and the suffix -baraay ‘with, Castlereagh Highway a few kilometres north Thomas de la Condamine, aide de camp to having’. Brewarrina is from the Wayilwan of Lightning Ridge. The she-oaks there Governor Darling. So now begins the search language and is probably constructed from mark the end point of a storyline that comes for the location of ‘Gundamaine’. the name of a wattle tree (perhaps biri) and from the north, and the site where a group the verb waranha ‘is standing’. Coonamble of people were transformed into she-oaks. John Giacon, teacher-linguist is another Wayilwan placename Guna-m-bil, Gamilaraay-Yuwaalaraay Language Program ‘faeces-covered with’. Warrambool is from Along the road from Walgett towards the GY word warrambul, which describes Collarenebri, the first eight properties are References: the channels where the river overflows Winooka, Euminbah, Kalamos, Bairnkine, • RASA, Royal Anthropological Society of Australasia during floods. The name Namoi may come manuscripts. 1890s-1910s. Records held by the Woora, Tara, Dundalla and Kyeema. Of Mitchell Library. Digitised by the Geographical from ngamaay ‘a variety of acacia tree’, or these only Kalamos is definitely non- Names Board of NSW, 2004. perhaps from ngamu ‘breast’ because the Aboriginal. Of the rest the only one • Ash, Anna, John Giacon and Amanda Lissarrague. river is curved like a woman’s breast. whose meaning is fairly certain is Woora 2003. Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay Yuwaalayaay Dictionary. Alice Springs: IAD Press. (pronounced wura), translated as ‘battle’. • Ridley, Rev. W. 1875. Kamilaroi and other Australian Gingie Mission near Walgett derives from Perhaps the others were just ‘names’ with Languages I. Sydney: Government Printer. the Yuwaalaraay and Wayilwan language. no other meanings, or perhaps their • Sim, Ian (ed. John Giacon). 1999. Yuwaalayaay, The The original placename was Giin.gii, elements have not been recorded in any Language of the Narran River. Walgett: Walgett High which means ‘froth’ and refers to the foam School. of the existing language materials, or the • Walgett Shire, 2000. Rural Property Map. Walgett: that appears on the river there during current placename has altered so much that Walgett Shire.

9 that this name might have something recreation, as long as the designation Park recognises the centenary of the to do with the island being raised above of the mountain as a timber reserve arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove. the sea. Vectis is mentioned in Ptolemy’s remained in place. At this time the locals Geography of the second century and in had a plaque made, and installed it in an Following the success in establishing the Ravenna Cosmology of the seventh area called The Bluff, commemorating Centenary Park (the word Arapiles century. the ‘discovery’ of the mountain by Major was soon dropped from popular usage Mitchell. in talking about the reserve), the local Major Firebrace was subsequently community wrote in 1937 to the Minister honoured in the naming of Horsham’s In 1936 a number of Victorian for Lands and Forests, Albert Lind, main street as Firebrace Street in the communities celebrated the centenary of requesting that a tourist road be built to original town survey of 1849. In the Mitchell’s journey of exploration through the summit of the mountain. 1860s Vectis was broken up into four “Australia Felix”. At Natimuk, persistent runs, including one called Arapiles. The endeavours by the locals resulted in the The Minister visited the mountain on name Vectis is still preserved in places Forest Commission granting formal April 21st of that year, and described such as the localities of Vectis, Vectis East approval for the creation of a recreation the view from the summit as “the most and Vectis South, the parish of Vectis reserve of 18 acres at Mount Arapiles beautiful panorama of fertile land in the and in the Vectis Station Road, which are (to be controlled by a committee of world”. This perception of the mountain all located in the general area between management), in which ornamental trees as an elevated point to survey the Horsham and Natimuk. could be planted and memorial gates agricultural bounty of the surrounding erected. The memorial gates were formally wheatlands, can be contrasted with the During the 1870s, the agricultural opened on 23rd July 1936, the actual subsequent perception of rockclimbers frontier (and along with it closer centenary of the day Mitchell climbed who look upwards at challenging rock- settlement) reached the Wimmera and to the highest point on Mount Arapiles. faces. Funding was promised, the road wheat-fi elds began to encircle Mount During this same year a number of pine constructed, and Lind returned on Arapiles. As the mountain was not fi t for trees were planted in the reserve, resulting October 30th to offi ciate at the formal opening. Lind was a long–serving member of the Victorian State Parliament ... The most romantic of the aforementioned names is Melville Cave. It is for Gippsland East; a national park in said that Captain Melville used the mountain in the 1850s to spy for gold that region honours his name. escorts to hold up; he would then withdraw to the cave to hide from the troopers. It is also said that a billy-can full of his golden loot is buried on During the 1950s there was renewed the mountain waiting for some lucky person to dig up.... local agitation to change Mount Arapiles from a timber reserve into a national park. The Forests Commission responded agricultural purposes it was designated in this particular area subsequently in 1956, by designating 16 hectares as a timber reserve (and subsequently a becoming known as “the Pines”. in the south-east corner as the Mount “rabbit reserve” when in the 1885 angry Arapiles Wildfl ower Reserve. In 1962, farmers petitioned for the mountain The public meeting called in 1936 another 2 hectares in the north of the to be fenced off from the surrounding to name the new reserve did not pass reserve were designated as the Mount farms!). Many of the selectors were of without a little controversy. Proposals Arapiles Picnic Ground. All of this rather German ancestry, coming from the were put forward to name the area piecemeal action did not satisfy many Hamilton area in Western Victoria and Lockwood Park (after Alfred Lockwood, of the locals who continued to push for South Australia. This German infl uence the owner and editor of the West land usage that would preserve the natural can be seen in some of the street names Wimmera Mail, and a strong advocate environment. But this change would at Natimuk – Schmidt, Schurmann and for the reserve) and Sudholz Park (after have to wait until the 1970s/80s. As part Sudholz Streets Anton Sudholz, a member of a pioneering of each change in land usage new names farming family). In order to resolve the were created and some names abandoned. From the earliest days of closer settlement, matter, it was decided to adopt the name Mount Arapiles became a popular Arapiles Centenary Park. This story is As the mountain was increasingly picnic destination with the locals, and outlined in the autobiography of Allan opened up for recreational purposes, subsequently with people from further Lockwood (Alfred’s son), which gives various features on and around the afi eld as rail and then motor transport readers some insight into the “local mountain were named. Apart from facilitated access to Natimuk - getting to politics” that can be associated with those features already mentioned, locally the mountain was another thing! In 1912 name selection; naming is rarely, if ever, applied names include The Basin and the Shire of Arapiles sought approval from a “neutral” process. The words centenary, Basin Creek (descriptive names), The the Conservator of Forests for 20 acres centennial and bicentennial have been Bluff (descriptive), Cathedral Rocks of the timber reserve to be designated incorporated into a number of Australian (descriptive), Flagstaff Hill (where as either a national park or a recreation placenames, although the actual Mitchell is supposed to have erected reserve. The Conservator subsequently anniversary being commemorated can a fl agpole - interestingly enough, this agreed in 1913 to an area being used for vary. For example, Sydney’s Centennial fl agpole is not mentioned in Mitchell’s

10 book), the Goat Track (a rough foot track to the summit), The Gorge On the WEB (descriptive), McClures Rocks (after a local family), Melville Cave (after oponymic research is relevant to many different the infamous bushranger), The Organ organisations, projects and fi elds of study and, Pipes (descriptive) and Taylors Rock as a result, interesting snippets on placenames (after a local family). I have not been can often be discovered on web sites devoted to able to ascertain when these names were Tother topics. Here are several such web pages featuring applied and by whom - senior members material on indigenous placenames from Canada, New of the local community just say that Zealand and Australia. they have long been in local usage – and to the locals Mount Arapiles has been http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/ynlc/ affectionately known as “the Mount’ YNLCinfo/PlaceNam.html for as long as anyone can remember. This page briefl y outlines the work the Yukon Native Language Centre is Similarly, Natimuk Creek is known to undertaking to research and document placenames in local aboriginal languages. locals as “the Creek”, and Lake Natimuk The Centre staff works closely with Yukon elders to record placenames and their as “the Lake”. cultural and historical signifi cance.

The most romantic of the aforementioned http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/english/resources_e/placenames.shtml names is Melville Cave. It is said that This page is part of some of the Maori resources which appear on the Maori Captain Melville used the mountain in Language Commission site. It features a lovely map of New Zealand with some the 1850s to spy for gold escorts to hold of the more commonly used Maori placenames, and also includes a link to a list up; he would then withdraw to the cave of more Maori placenames. to hide from the troopers. It is also said that a billy-can full of his golden loot is buried on the mountain waiting for some http://brisbane-stories.powerup.com.au/maggil/02mag_pages/mag_ab- lucky person to dig up. Even though origines21.htm Melville is known to have been active This page is part of site that publishes information on community projects in the area, these stories are probably a initiated and funded by the Brisbane City Council. It was constructed as part of a mixture of myth and fact. There is no project on the wildlife, history and people of Moggill Creek in the western suburbs reliable documentary evidence of Melville of Brisbane. It brieﬂ y discusses important Aboriginal sites in the region and living on Mount Arapiles, or holding up includes a map of some Aboriginal placenames in the land around Moggill Creek. the gold escort. However, in the memoirs of James Hamilton, Pioneering Days in Western Victoria, he recorded how Melville robbed a digger travelling from the American Name Society Annual Meeting goldﬁ elds of around 175 ozs of gold at Maryvale Station, south-west of Arapiles – no wonder people still snoop around he 2004 annual meeting of ANS panels, presentations, and discussion “the Mount” for the fabled billy-can! will be held in Philadelphia, groups on all onomastic topics and in all Pennsylvania, 27-30 December onomastic areas, (anthroponyms/personal T2004. It will again be concurrent with names, toponyms/placenames, literary The various caves, lookouts and rocks in Australia named after bushrangers, the Modern Language Association annual names, and commercial/corporate names). demonstrate that it has been possible to conference. The annual meeting will name features after convicted criminals. include the society’s business meeting For details see The romance of the bushranging era and banquet, as well as numerous papers, http://www.wtsn.binghamton.edu/ANS/ has sweetened the reality of their anti- social behaviour (this will be the subject of a future article). Melville died in the Melbourne Gaol under mysterious circumstances (a red spotted scarf I Quote around his neck) after serving four of the 32–year sentence brought down by judge To my mind, the immigrant who disgraces an Australian river, or mountain, or town- Redmond Barry (the same man who later site, or locality of any kind, with the name of his own insanitary European birthplace sentenced Ned Kelly to hang). is guilty of a presumption which amounts to unpardonable impudence. And there seems to be no limit to this effrontery.

Joseph Furphy. The Buln-buln and the Brolga, ﬁ rst published 1948. Page 57 of the 2001 Chris Richards edition.

11 Placenames Puzzle No. 11:11 Naming Fairmile Cove The following clues reveal placenames ou might not think that there were many which are also those of occupations parts of Sydney Harbour still unnamed. But (disregard spelling). For example, (TAS) last month the Minister for Lands, Tony Kelly They dig and weed beneath the rounded Y(pictured), offi cially named Fairmile Cove, near Mort- window …GARDENERS BAY lake, at an on-site ceremony with the blue waters of Sydney’s waterway as a backdrop. The cove was named 1. (NSW) Bearers of luggage at a hotel in honour of the Fairmile class of navy vessels which withdraw before the enemy were constructed there at a small shipyard during 2. (NSW) Handel’s were very harmonious World War 2. Many veterans, members of the Fairmile 3. (NSW) Rod and line in hand, it is his Association, were present at the ceremony. The ANPS Garden of Eden was represented by David Blair and by Bill Noble (an 4. (VIC) A private in the artillery ex-Navy man as well as an onomastics buff). 5. (VIC) They used to build canals in UK, now they are good at fi nding the way 6. (VIC) Vegetarians are unlikely to patronise these tradesmen on a long, narrow crest 7. (VIC) He was mad at the teaparty Mailing List and Volunteer Research 8. (NT) The Sagittarian winner of the fi rst two Melbourne Cups If you’d like to receive the ANPS newsletter and/or receive information 9. (ACT) Ordered by the Good Monarch about how to become a Research Friend of the ANPS, please complete the to stand at his side form below and send by post or fax; or email the details to: 10. (ACT/SA) Cries his wares in the streets 11. (ACT) Keats immortalised his transla- Susan Poetsch tion of Homer ANPS 12. (SA) He has Sir Robert Peel to thank Division of Humanities for his job at the sharp end Macquarie University 13. (SA) Once had a nightly job of patrol- North Ryde, Sydney ling the streets or guarding the sheep, NSW 2109 but now remains in overnight at a cricket match Fax: (02) 9850 8240 14. (SA) At this point is in charge of rig- Email: [email protected] ging, anchors and cables on a merchant vessel 15. (SA/QLD) Did the late boss of Sun- Name and/or organisation:……………………………………………. hill sell candles? 16. (SA) With the walrus in the historic ………………………………………………………………………… area on Sydney Cove 17. (SA/ACT) One is suffi cient. Too many ruin soup. ………………………………………………………………………… 18. (WA) They need a lot of dough where Jack and Jill went Address:……………………………………………………………...... 19. (TAS) If you pay up you may call the tune by their small stream ……………………………………………………………......

20. (TAS) An early banker, now a jeweller

19. Pipers Brook 20. Goldsmith 20. Brook Pipers 19. Phone: …………………………….Fax:……………………………....

17. Cook 18. Bakers Hill Hill Bakers 18. Cook 17.

15. Chandler 16. Carpenter Rocks Rocks Carpenter 16. Chandler 15. Email: ………………………………………………………………….

13. Watchman 14. Boatswains Point Point Boatswains 14. Watchman 13. 11. Chapman 12. Policemans Point Point Policemans 12. Chapman 11.

7. Hattah 8. Archer 9. Page 10. Hawker Hawker 10. Page 9. Archer 8. Hattah 7. ❑ Please add me to the newsletter mailing list 5. Navigators 6. Butchers Ridge Ridge Butchers 6. Navigators 5.

3. Fishermans Paradise 4. Gunner Gunner 4. Paradise Fishermans 3. ❑ Please send me information about becoming a Research Friend

1. Porters Retreat 2. Blacksmiths Blacksmiths 2. Retreat Porters 1. ❑ Please remove me from the newsletter mailing list ANSWERS: ❑ Please note my change of address (new address above).