| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | State / Territory | Place Name | Name in original language | English translation of name / etymology | Explanation behind etymology | Source 1 | Source 2 |
2 | Australian Capital Territory | Canberra | "Kamberra" or "Canberry," | Meeting place | The name "Canberra" is derived from the word "Kamberra" or "Canberry," which means 'meeting place' in the local Ngunnawal language. The name was chosen when the city was selected as the capital of Australia in 1913. | https://www.nca.gov.au/education/canberras-history/siting-and-naming-canberra# http://www.ngambri.org/identity.html | https://study.anu.edu.au/stories/8-things-you-didnt-know-about-canberra https://www.planning.act.gov.au/community/place-names/place-name-processes |
3 | New South Wales | Albury | N/A | old fort | In Old English eald means ‘old’ and byrig, or burh means ‘stronghold’ – so the word Al-bury means ‘old fort’. | https://alburyhistory.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Naming-of-Albury.pdf | https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Albury |
4 | New South Wales | Ballina | Bullenah | place where oysters are plentiful | The origin of the name Ballina is somewhat uncertain. However, many believe it is derived from the Aboriginal place-name Bullenah, meaning “place where oysters are plentiful.” | https://www.britannica.com/place/Ballina-New-South-Wales | https://ballinamaritimemuseum.org/about-us/ |
5 | New South Wales | Blacktown | N/A | Blacks town | It was called Blacks Town,” Darug man and university lecturer Shane Smithers explains. “It was where people who had been dispossessed from their land, people who had survived smallpox epidemics and all that sort of stuff ended up being corralled into a small area. | https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/oct/14/the-settlers-gave-this-place-the-name-blacktown-now-should-they-take-it-away | |
6 | New South Wales | Camden | N/A | dry land | There is little doubt that the Camden area was used extensively by the aborigines as a hunting area. They called the area Benkennie meaning the dry land. | https://camdenhistory.org.au/chhistoryofcamden.html | |
7 | New South Wales | Campbelltown | N/A | crooked mouth town | "It was Governor Lachlan Macquarie who had founded and named Campbelltown on the afternoon of December 1, 1820. A crowd of fifty or sixty curious farmers watched as he marked out the site. "This ceremony having gone through, I named the township Campbell-Town in honour of Mrs Macquarie's maiden name." "Campbell is a family name of Scottish origin, from Gaelic caimbeul "wry or crooked mouth," from cam "crooked, deformed, one-eyed, cross-eyed." | https://www.campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/About-Campbelltown/History/History-of-Our-Suburbs/History-of-Campbelltown | https://www.etymonline.com/word/Campbell |
8 | New South Wales | Canada Bay | N/A | village bay | Exile Bay, France Bay and Canada Bay were duly named in recognition of these French Canadians occupying our shores. Concord Oval now resides on the land where Longbottom Stockade originally housed those people banished from Canadian shores. The name “Canada” likely comes from the Huron-Iroquois word (Indigenous people from Canada) “kanata,” meaning “village” or “settlement.” | https://canadabayclub.com.au/blog/how-did-canada-bay-get-its-name/ | https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/origin-name-canada.html |
9 | New South Wales | Canterbury-Bankstown | N/A | fortified town of the Kentish people natural earthen incline bordering a body of water | "The area's first land grant was to the Rev. Richard Johnson, Chaplain of the First Fleet, who named it as a tribute to Canterbury in England." "Old English Cantware-buruh "fortified town of the Kentish people," from Cant-ware "the people of Kent"" "The former Bankstown City was named in honour of Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist." | https://dictionaryofsydney.org/place/canterbury https://www.etymonline.com/word/Canterbury | https://profile.id.com.au/canterbury-bankstown/about https://www.etymonline.com/word/bank |
10 | New South Wales | Cessnock | N/A | the place of reeds | "The name of Cessnock comes from John Campbell, an early settler who was granted 1560 acres along Black Creek in 1826. He named his property after Cessnock Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland, which belonged to his baronial grandfather." "Cessnock is a Gaelic name in origin, from An Seasganach ‘the place of reeds’ from seasgan ‘reed’." | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/cessnock-nsw | https://www.ainmean-aite.scot/glasgows-gaelic-underground/ |
11 | New South Wales | Dubbo | Thubbo | red earth head covering | Thought to come from a Wiradjuri word, Thubbo, which is in conjecture of two possible meanings; either 'red earth' or 'head covering' | https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/indigenous-meanings-of-australian-town-names/ttvhkw3sf | https://www.qantas.com/travelinsider/en/lifestyle/people/dancer-ella-havelka-shares-her-memories-of-dubbo-and-wagga-wagga.html |
12 | New South Wales | Hawkesbury | N/A | fortified place | Governor Phillip named the Hawkesbury River, and then the reigion was named after the river. Hawkesbury is a hamlet and civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England. The etymology is "'Hafoc's fortified place'" | https://hawkesburyriver.com/the-history-of-the-hawkesbury-river/ | https://epns.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/id/53285ad5b47fc40ab3001b1d |
13 | New South Wales | Maitland | N/A | anger | "When the Hunter Valley was first explored by Lieutenant-Colonel Paterson in 1801 he named the future site of Maitland, Schanck's Forest Plains. Somehow the original name was lost. By 1833, when the government town was proclaimed, it has become known as Maitland." Etymology: "Scottish and English (of Norman origin): nickname for an ungracious individual from Old French maltalant mautalent 'anger vexation spite'" | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/maitland-nsw | https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=maitland |
14 | New South Wales | Newcastle | N/A | new castle' or fortress | "In 1804 a convict settlement was established on the Hunter River to exploit the coal deposits in the Hunter Valley. It was originally known as Coal River then Kingstown and then, in an act of imitation, Newcastle after the famous coal port in the north of England. The first official reference to Newcastle was made by Governor King in 1804." | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/newcastle-nsw | |
15 | New South Wales | Parramatta | Barramada | place where the eels lie down | The name of the city, Parramatta, is derived from the Dharug word Barramada meaning ‘where eels lie down.’ | https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/visiting/public-art/where-eels-lie-down | https://historyandheritage.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/blog/2020/02/05/parramatta-a-brief-history |
16 | New South Wales | Penrith | N/A | head ford chief ford | The area was named by Governor Lachlan Macquarie after the town of Penrith in Cumbria, England. The word 'penrith' actually means 'head ford' or 'chief ford' | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/penrith-nsw | |
17 | New South Wales | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Quinbean | clear waters | Queanbeyan is named from an Aboriginal word meaning “clear waters”, while Palerang is named after Mount Palerang. | https://profile.id.com.au/queanbeyan-palerang/about | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/queanbeyan-nsw |
18 | New South Wales | Randwick | N/A | divided street | "Named after the home town of Simeon Pearce in Gloucestershire, England" "Randwick is believed to derive its name from two Saxon words, the joint significance of which is a street, hamlet or small village, divided from its mother parish" | https://dictionaryofsydney.org/place/randwick | https://www.randwickhistoricalassociation.org.uk/history-2/time-line/ |
19 | New South Wales | Ryde | N/A | clearing | "By 1841 the new name, Ryde, was emerging for the district. It derived from Ryde on the Isle of Wight and first appeared on a subdivision plan for the proposed village to be created around St. Anne's Church." Etymology: from Middle English ride rede rude (Old English *rīed *rēod *rȳd) 'clearing'. | https://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/Library/Local-and-Family-History/Historic-Ryde/History-of-Ryde | https://www.ancestry.com.au/name-origin?surname=ryde#:~:text=from%20Middle%20English%20ride%20rede,*r%C8%B3d)%20'clearing'. |
20 | New South Wales | Sutherland | N/A | land to the south | There's conjecture about how Sutherland came to be named. Many believe that it was named after Forby Sutherland, who died on Captain Cook’s Endeavour voyage. Sutherland Point at Kurnell is named after him, but there's no direct recorded connection of him to the Sutherland Shire district. Etymology: The place name and clan name of "Sutherland" came from it being the 'land to the south' of the Norse Earldom of Orkney and Caithness. | https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/24592/2020-Sutherland-Shire-Origin-of-suburbs-place-names.pdf | https://www.ancestry.com.au/name-origin?surname=sutherland |
21 | New South Wales | Sydney | N/A | Dweller by the well-watered land | "The family name (also Sidney) is literally "dweller by the well-watered land," from Old English sid "side" + ieg "island." "Although many will not have heard of this man, the city of Sydney is named after Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney. (A ‘Viscount’ is a British nobleman ranking above a baron and below an earl). Townshend was elevated to the peerage with the title of ‘Baron Sydney’ in 1783. As Home Secretary in the British Parliament, he was responsible for devising a plan to settle convicts at Botany Bay in Australia. Baron Sydney chose Captain Arthur Phillip to lead the First Fleet and as Governor, Phillip named Sydney Cove in his honour. The city of Sydney in Nova Scotia, Canada, was also named in his honour." | https://www.etymonline.com/word/Sydney#etymonline_v_38885 | https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/collection-items/thomas-townshend-1st-viscount-sydney |
22 | New South Wales | Tweed Heads | N/A | woolen fabric | "The explorer and surveyor John Oxley reached the estuary in 1823. His exploration party took shelter during a storm in the lee of a small island off Fingal Head which Oxley named Turtle Island and which is now known as Cook Island. He named the river after the Tweed River which separates northern England from Scotland. Self-evidently it was named Tweed Heads because it is at the entrance to the Tweed River." Etymology: a trade name for a type of woolen fabric. | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/tweed-heads-nsw | https://www.etymonline.com/word/tweed |
23 | New South Wales | Wagga Wagga | Wagga Wagga | the place of many crows | The name 'Wagga' is derived from the local Wiradjuri Aboriginal language on whose land the City of Wagga Wagga now grows. It is widely accepted that 'Wagga' means 'crow' and to create the plural, the Wiradjuri people repeat the word. Thus Wagga Wagga translates as 'the place of many crows'. | https://www.waggawaggaaustralia.com.au/visitor-information/the-name/#:~:text=Wagga%20Wagga%20%2D%20The%20Name&text=Thus%20Wagga%20Wagga%20translates%20as,staggering%20like%20a%20drunken%20man%E2%80%9D. | https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-27/wagga-wagga-officially-adopts-citys-aboriginal-meaning/11452096 |
24 | New South Wales | Willoughby | N/A | willow village | "Lower north shore residential suburb, possibly named by Surveyor-General Sir Thomas Mitchell after Sir James Wiloughby Gordon, under whom he had served in the Peninsular War." Etymology: Old English +wilig 'willow' + Old Norse bȳ 'farmstead village'. | https://abc17603.wordpress.com/history/short-history/ | https://www.ancestry.com.au/name-origin?surname=willoughby |
25 | New South Wales | Wingecarribee | Winge Karrabee | a flight of birds waters to rest beside | Wingecarribee Shire is named after the Wingecarribee River, which is thought to be named from an Aboriginal word meaning "a flight of birds" or "waters to rest beside". | https://profile.id.com.au/wingecarribee/about | https://www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/Council/About-Council/Wingecarribee-Shire-History |
26 | New South Wales | Wollondilly | Worron dilly | a place where spirits dwell water tricklink over rocks | The word Wollondilly is attributed to having three meanings including; “A place where spirits dwell” and “Water trickling over rocks”. The third meaning is connected to a legend about the burning black coal that was carried inside the skull of a bunyip, within a basket woven of waratah stems. “Worron” means black coal and “dilly” means carry basket. | https://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/council/about-us/acknowledgement-of-country-our-aboriginal-history/ | https://profile.id.com.au/wollondilly/about |
27 | New South Wales | Wollongong | woolyungah | Five islands | The name Wollongong is said to originate from the Aboriginal word woolyungah, meaning five islands. | https://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/about/history-heritage#:~:text=The%20name%20Wollongong%20is%20said,the%20story%20of%20our%20area. | |
28 | New South Wales | Woollahra | woo la ra | the look out | In 1788 the First Fleet officer Daniel Southwell translated the Aboriginal word 'Woo-la-ra' as meaning 'The Look-out'. | https://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/Library/local-history/a-brief-history-of-woollahra | |
29 | Northern Territory | Alice Springs | N/A | of noble kind | "Alice Springs was named after Lady Alice Todd, the wife of South Australia's Postmaster-General, Sir Charles Todd, who was the driving force behind the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line between Adelaide and Darwin." | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/alice-springs | https://www.etymonline.com/word/Alice |
30 | Northern Territory | Barkly | N/A | birch tree pasture | "Barkly Regional Council is named after the Barkly Tableland, which was named after Sir Henry Barkly, Governor of Victoria 1856-1863." Etymology: The origins of the Barkly name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the parish of Berkeley in the county of Gloucestershire. "This place, according to Sir Robert Atkyns, the historian of Gloucestershire, derives its name from the Saxon Beorc, a birch-tree, and Leas, a pasture. | https://profile.id.com.au/rda-northern-territory/about?WebID=110 | https://www.houseofnames.com/barkly-family-crest |
31 | Northern Territory | Belyuen | Belyuen | sacred water hole | Belyuen Community Government Council is thought to be named from an Aboriginal word meaning “sacred water hole”. It was previously known as Delissaville. | https://profile.id.com.au/rda-northern-territory/about?WebID=120 | https://bushtel.nt.gov.au/profile/294 https://www.abc.net.au/listen/radionational/archived/intothemusic/the-ghost--songs/4694532 |
32 | Northern Territory | Darwin | N/A | Dear Friend | From Middle English Darwin, Derwin, from Old English Dēorwine (“a given name”), composed of dēore (“dear”) + wine (“friend”). The city in Australia is named after Charles Darwin. | https://www.etymonline.com/word/Darwin#etymonline_v_29251 | https://www.darwin.nt.gov.au/community/about-darwin/history |
33 | Northern Territory | Katherine | N/A | pure | The name Katherine is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "pure" | https://nameberry.com/b/girl-baby-name-katherine | |
34 | Northern Territory | Litchfield | N/A | gray wood | "The park was named after Frederick Henry Litchfield who was a member of the 1865 Finnis expedition who had been sent to the Territory to find areas suitable for settlement." Etymology: Lichfield city in central England, Old English Licitfelda (c. 710) "Open Land near Letocetum" (Celtic place name meaning "gray wood"), with Old English feld. | https://www.litchfieldtouristpark.com.au/litchfield-national-park | https://www.etymonline.com/word/Lichfield |
35 | Northern Territory | MacDonnell | N/A | world rule | "Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell (1814-1881) was Governor of South Australia from 9/6/1855 to 4/3/1862." Etymology: It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic patronymic Mac Dhòmhnaill, meaning "son of Dòmhnall". The Gaelic personal name Dòmhnall is a Gaelicised form of the name Donald, which is composed of the elements domno, meaning "world", and val, meaning "might" or "rule". The name is considered a variation of MacDonald. | https://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=14672 | https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=macdonnell |
36 | Northern Territory | Palmerston | N/A | pilgrim | "Palmerston a satelite town of Darwin is located some 21km east of the city." "The Town of Palmerston was officially named in May 1981, with construction commencing in 1984." "In the 1870s, the name Palmerston was given to the early settlement at Port Darwin to honour the Prime Minister of Britian ,Lord Palmerston, Henry Temple." Etymology: Palmerston as a boy's name is related to the Old English name Palmer. The meaning of Palmerston is "pilgrim". | https://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=17470 | https://www.thebump.com/b/palmerston-baby-name |
37 | Northern Territory | Victoria Daly | N/A | victory in war / one who is present at assemblies | "Victoria Daly Regional Council is named after the Victoria and Daly Rivers which are located in the area." Etymology: Victoria: proper name, Latin, literally "victory in war," also the name of the Roman goddess of victory (see victory). Daly: Anglicisation of the Irish surname Ó Dálaigh, meaning “one who is present at assemblies”. Compare dáil. | https://profile.id.com.au/rda-northern-territory/about?WebID=230 | https://www.etymonline.com/word/Victoria https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Daly |
38 | Northern Territory | Wagait | Wagait / Waugite | beach / salt water country | The name “Wagait” comes from the Wadjiginy saltwater people who describe themselves as “Wagatj” or beach dwellers and comes from the Batjamalh word wagatj meaning beach. ""Wagait" (also spelled "Waugite") is a local Aboriginal language word meaning beach or salt water country. It also refers to the people from that country: i.e., salt water people." | https://www.wagaitbeachretreats.com/explore-wagait-beach/ | https://localista.com.au/listing/au/wagait-beach/towns-and-visitor-centres/wagait-beach |
39 | Queensland | Balonne | balun or balonn or balonne | water or running stream | Balonne Shire is named after the Balonne River, which is thought to be named from an Aboriginal word meaning "water or running stream". "An unverified interpretation of the word is 'pelican'." | https://economy.id.com.au/balonne/about | https://profile.id.com.au/rda-dd-sw/about?WebID=100 https://www.queenslandplaces.com.au/balonne-shire |
40 | Queensland | Banana | N/A | name of a famous bullock from the 1860s | "A favourite of local stockmen in the 1860s, Banana the bullock, so named for his yellowish colouring, would help herd wild cattle into holding yards. When Banana died, the gully was given the name in honour of his feats." | https://www.outbackqueensland.com.au/town/banana/ | |
41 | Queensland | Barcaldine | N/A | the hazel summit | The name Barcaldine originates from the Oban region in Scotland. Donald Charles Cameron was one of the first settlers in the district and a direct descendant of the Campbells of Barcaldine Castle. He settled on a portion of land fronting the Alice River and immediately named his property “Barcaldine Downs”. Etymology: Barcaldine (Argyll), Am Barra Calltainn. "The hazel summit". Barcaldine House was known a Taigh Inbhir Dheargain, "the house at the mouth of the red stream". | https://www.outbackqueensland.com.au/town/barcaldine/ | https://archive2021.parliament.scot/Gaelic/placenamesA-B.pdf |
42 | Queensland | Brisbane | N/A | break bone | "The city was named after Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, who was a noted astronomer and sixth Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825." Etymology: Brisbane Name Meaning ... Scottish (of Anglo-Norman origin): nickname from Old French briser 'to break' + northern Middle English bane (Old English bān) 'bone'. | https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780191882913.001.0001/acref-9780191882913-e-1026?rskey=SJL9sY&result=1521 https://www.ancestry.com.au/name-origin?surname=brisbane | https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/council-information-and-rates/council-history |
43 | Queensland | Bundaberg | Bunda | town of the Bunda tribe | Bundaberg is an odd mixture of the local Aboriginal language and an ancient European term. 'Bunda' was the name of the local Aboriginal group and 'burg' is an ancient Saxon word meaning 'town'. Thus 'town of the Bunda tribe | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/bundaberg-qld#:~:text=Origin%20of%20Name,town%20of%20the%20Bunda%20tribe'. | |
44 | Queensland | Burdekin | N/A | young lady maiden | "Burdekin Shire is named after the Burdekin River, which was thought to be named after Mary Ann or Thomas Burdekin, who provided financial support for Ludwig Leichhardt’s 1844 expedition to northern Australia." Etymology: of uncertain origin; perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English *burdekin a diminutive of burde 'young lady maiden' | https://profile.id.com.au/burdekin/about | https://www.ancestry.com.au/name-origin?surname=burdekin |
45 | Queensland | Cairns | N/A | large, conical heap of stone | "Cairns was officially founded in 1876 and named after the State Governor of the day, Sir William Wellington Cairns." 'Cairns' is a word that refers to conical heaps of stone. | https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=Cairns | https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/experience-cairns/facts-figures-history/history |
46 | Queensland | Cassowary Coast | N/A | horned head coast | "The Cassowary Coast is named after the distinctive and endangered flightless bird which inhabits the region, and it covers an area of approximately 4,700 square kilometres." Etymology of cassowary: ‘Cassowary’ originates from two Papuan words: ‘kasu’ (meaning horned) and ‘wari’ (meaning head). The name refers to the cassowary’s casque, a hollow structure made of keratin (similar to that making our hair and nails), found on the bird’s head. | https://www.cassowarycoast.qld.gov.au/regional-profile | |
47 | Queensland | Douglas | N/A | the dark water | "Although one authority asserts that the suburb was named after Queensland premier, John Douglas (1877-79), the more likely explanation is that it was named after Robert Johnstone Douglas (1883-72). Robert Douglas was a judge of the Queensland Supreme Court (1923-53), and practised in Townsville from 1907." Etymology: family name (late 12c.), later masc. personal name, from Gaelic Dubh ghlais "the dark water," name of a place in Lanarkshire. | https://queenslandplaces.com.au/douglas | https://www.etymonline.com/word/Douglas |
48 | Queensland | Gladstone | N/A | kite stone | "It was named in 1853 after the English Chancellor of the Exchequer and future prime minister, William Ewart Gladstone (1809-98)." Etymology: Gladstone Name Meaning. Scottish: habitational name from Gledstanes in Lanarkshire apparently named from Old English gleoda 'kite' + stān 'stone'. | https://www.queenslandplaces.com.au/gladstone | https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=gladstone |
49 | Queensland | Goondiwindi | Gundawinda / goona winnah | resting place for birds | It was proclaimed a town in 1888, its name coming from an Aboriginal word meaning “resting place for birds.” | https://www.britannica.com/place/Goondiwindi | https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/traveller/inspiration/goondiwindi-culture-and-history-20081119-6b8n.html |
50 | Queensland | Gympie | gimpi gimpi | stinging tree | It is now widely accepted that Gympie, officially named in 1868, is a local Aboriginal word - "gimpi gimpi" - for a stinging tree. There was a time prior to 1868 when the town was known as Nashville after James Nash who discovered gold and "saved Queensland". Etymology: Gympie was the Kabi Kabi name for a stinging tree which grew prolifically around the Mary River, and the name was given to one of the river’s tributaries, Gympie Creek. The mulberry leaved Dendrocnide moroides has tiny stinging hairs on leaves and narrow stems. | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/gympie-qld | https://heritage.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/museums-and-places/place-name-origins |
51 | Queensland | Ipswich | N/A | dwelling place | "When convicts arrived in the district they named it 'Limestone Hills' because they were employed quarrying limestone. This name remained until 1842 when the first town plan was drawn up. The plan is titled 'Proposed Plan of the Town of Limestone' but Governor Gipps over-ruled this and named it Ipswich. No one knows why he chose Ipswich although Henry Rous, the second son of Viscount Dunwich, the Earl of Stradbroke, reputedly said that the area reminded him of Ipswich in England." Etymology of Ipswich, England: The port of 'Gippeswic' (old-English form of Ipswich) is founded with a small trading settlement during the Anglo-Saxon times, after the collapse of the Roman Empire. The name 'Gippeswic' comes from the name of the river, Gipping, and the Anglo-Saxon word wic meaning 'dwelling-place'. | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/ipswich-qld | https://allaboutipswich.com/blog/2020/timeline |
52 | Queensland | Isaac | N/A | he laughs | Name of a biblical patriarch, from Late Latin, from Greek Isaak, from Hebrew Yitzhaq, literally "he laughs," imperf. of tzahaq "he laughed." | https://www.etymonline.com/word/Isaac | |
53 | Queensland | Logan | N/A | hollow | "Logan City is named after the Logan River, which was named after Patrick Logan, Commandant of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, who explored the area in 1826." Etymology: The given name Logan is derived from the Scottish surname Logan, which is in turn derived from a place name. The likely origin of this surname is a place located near Auchinleck, in Ayrshire. The place name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic lagan, which is a diminutive of lag, which in turn means "hollow". | https://profile.id.com.au/logan/about | https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=logan |
54 | Queensland | Longreach | N/A | waterhole | "In 1860, explorers William Landsborough and Nat Buchanan came upon this area while searching for new grazing land and saw in it potential. Longreach was made official in 1887 and the name ‘Longreach’ derives from the ‘long reach’ or waterhole of the Thomson River used by drovers as a place to rest their cattle." | https://www.longreachairport.com.au/visit-longreach/our-region | |
55 | Queensland | Mackay | N/A | son of Hugh | "In 1860, an enterprising Irishman John McCrossin selected 20 year old Scot, John Mackay, to lead an expedition to seek pastoral opportunities and they came across the coastal ranges, now known as the Pioneer Valley. John Mackay adopted the name Mackay River in honour of John Mackay's father, George, an Uralla publican. They returned in January 1862, but in September of that year Commodore Burnett in HMS Pioneer noted that a Mackay River existed further north (now the Tully River) and renamed the river here the Pioneer River. Heritage Image 4Agitated by this name change, John Mackay petitioned Governor Bowen, who ordered the Surveyor General to rename the township Mackay, in honour of John Mackay." Etymology: The name MacKay takes its origins from the gaelic “Macaoidh” or “son of Hugh”. The identity of this Hugh is uncertain but the name probably derives from a member of the ancient Celtic royal house, whose branches disputed the throne in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. | https://www.mackay.qld.gov.au/about_council/your_council/history/history_of_the_mackay_region | https://www.scotclans.com/blogs/macg/mackay-clan-history |
56 | Queensland | Maranoa | mara ngoa | duck egg | The name 'Maranoa' is possibly a corruption of the Mandandanji words 'mara' for duck and 'ngoa' for egg. Maranoa Regional Council is named after the Maranoa River, which was thought to be named from an Aboriginal word meaning "duck egg". It was previously known as Roma Regional Council. | https://handbook.aph.gov.au/Electorate/Maranoa/State/Queensland | https://profile.id.com.au/maranoa/about |
57 | Queensland | Mareeba | Mareeba | meeting of the waters place to meet | Its present name is derived from an Aboriginal term meaning “meeting of the waters” or “place to meet.” | https://www.britannica.com/place/Mareeba | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/mareeba-qld |
58 | Queensland | Murweh | Murweh | waterhole | "Murweh Shire is named after a pastoral run in the area in the 1860s, which was thought to be named from an Aboriginal word for a waterhole." | https://profile.id.com.au/rda-dd-sw/about?WebID=140 | https://www.queenslandplaces.com.au/murweh-shire |
59 | Queensland | Noosa | nguthuru | shade shady place shadow ghost spirit | There have been several attempts to trace the origin of the name Noosa but the most likely origin is found in the records of early explorers and from Gubbi Gubbi elders who tell us that the name Noosa is an Anglicisation of the Indigenous word for this area nguthuru – meaning shade, shady place, shadow, ghost or spirit. | https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/downloads/file/1133/noosa-design-principles | https://holidaynoosa.com.au/noosa-history/ |
60 | Queensland | Rockhampton | N/A | place near the rocks in the river | Rockhampton was named as a simple combination of "rock" (it was located where there was a rock barrier across the Fitzroy River) and the English suffix "Hampton" which denotes a place near water (as in Northampton, Wolverhampton, and Southampton) to produce a name which means "place near the rocks in the river". | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/rockhampton-qld#:~:text=Rockhampton%20was%20named%20as%20a,the%20rocks%20in%20the%20river%22. | |
61 | Queensland | Somerset | N/A | summer settlement | "The settlement was named Somerset in acknowledgement of the readiness with which the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Duke of Somerset, had lent his aid to the undertaking." Etymology: 9c., Sumor sæton, from Old English sumorsæta, short for *sumorton sæte "the people who live at (or depend upon) Somerton," a settlement attested from 8c. (Sumertone), and meaning "summer settlement." In 12c. it begins to be unmistakably a place-name (Sumersetescir) not a collective name for a people. | https://navyhistory.au/early-history-of-somerset-and-thursday-island/ | https://www.etymonline.com/word/Somerset |
62 | Queensland | Burnett | N/A | dark brown | "South Burnett Regional Council is named for its location - to the south of the Burnett River, which was named after James Charles Burnett, who explored the area in 1847." Etymology: Burnett is a Scottish surname. It is derived from a nickname from the Old French burnete, brunette, which is a diminutive of brun meaning "brown", "dark brown". Another proposed origin of the name is from burnete, a high quality wool cloth originally dyed to a dark brown colour. | https://profile.id.com.au/rda-wide-bay-burnett/about?WebID=150 | https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=burnett |
63 | Queensland | Toowoomba | tawampa / tchwampa Toowoom / Choowoom | place where water sits | "With at least eight theories about how our city came to be christened Toowoomba, it seems no one knows for sure." " The Jagera, Giabal and Jarowair people lived in the Darling Downs for at least 40,000 years before European settlement, and there are several theories about possible Aboriginal origins of the name Toowoomba. One story goes that Elizabeth Alford asked the local Indigenous people what they called the area. The answer she was given was Woomba Woomba, meaning ‘the springs and the water underneath’. The Alfords then changed that into Toowoomba (a version of ‘two woombas’) and used the name for their house and store. An early name for Toowoomba was the Drayton Swamp, or simply The Swamp. One theory has it that the name Toowoomba comes from ‘tawampa’ or ‘tchwampa’, which is reckoned to be either an Aboriginal word meaning ‘swamp’ or how white settlers interpreted the local Aboriginal people’s pronunciation of the English word ‘swamp’. Others believe that Toowoomba comes from the Aboriginal word ‘toowoom’ or ‘choowoom’, the name for a small native melon. This theory first came to light in 1895, when botanist Archibald Meston published it in his book ‘A Geographical History of Queensland’. To this day, the melon can be found growing in the Balonne and Warrego areas, as well as closer to Toowoomba, but there isn’t any evidence that it grew in or near the original Toowoomba swamps. The name may also come from the Aboriginal word ‘toogoom’, referring to the reeds that grew here. A man named Steele Rudd wrote to the Toowoomba City Council saying his father, who helped to lay out the town of Toowoomba in 1849, had told him this." | https://profile.id.com.au/toowoomba/about#:~:text=Name%20origin,%22%20or%20%22white%20man%22. | https://remaxsuccess.com.au/suburb-profile/how-did-toowoomba-get-its-name/ |
64 | Queensland | Torres Strait Island | N/A | towers | "Torres Strait is named after a Spanish captain, Torres, who sailed through Torres Strait in 1606 on his way to Manila in the Philippines. Although he wrote a letter to the King of Spain describing his voyage, it seems this was kept a secret from mapmakers until 1762 when the archives at Manila were opened to others." Etymology: Torres is a masculine name of Latin origin, found throughout Portuguese, Spanish, and Catalan-speaking communities. Meaning “towers". | https://straitexperience.com.au/about-the-torres-strait/history/ | https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=torres |
65 | Queensland | Weipa | Waypa (or Waypundun) | fighting ground | "Weipa township is situated on the traditional lands of the Alngith people, and a representative of the Alngith people is a member of the Weipa Town Authority Board. The place-name Weipa originates from the word Waypa (or Waypundun), meaning ‘fighting ground’ in the Anhathangayth language." | https://www.weipatownauthority.com.au/about-weipa/western-cape-history | |
66 | South Australia | Whitsunday Islands | N/A | the seventh day after Easter | "On the 3rd of June 1770, Captain James Cook sailed the Endeavour through what is now known as the Whitsunday Passage. They sailed through on ‘Whit Sunday,’ marking the Sunday of the feast for the Christian festival Pentecost. Captain Cook was inspired enough to name the passage as Whitsunday Passage, and the location as the Whitsunday Group of Islands. At that time, the international date line had not been established, so the day that the Whitsundays was discovered was actually a Monday. So really they should be called the “Whitmonday” islands!" | https://raywhitewhitsunday.com.au/our-area/the-history-of-the-whitsundays | |
67 | South Australia | Yarrabah | Jarrabah | the meeting place | Yarrabah was originally called Bellenden Ker Mission and later changed to Eyerreba and eventually called Yarrabah because of its meaning “the meeting place”. | https://www.yarrabah.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Yarrabah-ASC-Planning-Scheme-v1.1-2019.pdf | https://www.yarrabah.qld.gov.au/our-history-and-future/ https://www.qld.gov.au/firstnations/cultural-awareness-heritage-arts/community-histories/community-histories-u-y/community-histories-yarrabah |
68 | South Australia | Salisbury | N/A | willow sallow fortress | The Lancashire placename derives from Old English salh 'willow sallow' + burg 'fortress' | https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=salisbury#:~:text=Salisbury%20Name%20Meaning,-English%20(Lancashire)%3A&text=The%20Lancashire%20placename%20derives%20from,d%C5%ABno%2D%20'fort'). | |
69 | South Australia | Playford | N/A | Ford where sports were held | plega (Old English) Play, sport; used of a place for games, or a courtship or mating-place for animals. ford (Old English) A ford. | http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Suffolk/Playford | |
70 | South Australia | Mitcham | N/A | big settlement | The toponym "Mitcham" is Old English in origin and means big settlement. | https://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/Our-city-and-council/about-our-city/our-history | |
71 | South Australia | Campbelltown | N/A | crooked mouth | nickname from Gaelic cam 'crooked bent' + beul 'mouth'. | https://www.ancestry.com.au/name-origin?surname=campbell | |
72 | South Australia | Adelaide | Tarntanya (red kangaroo place) | Noble | "Adelaide" is of Germanic origin and means 'noble type' or 'of noble lineage'. Originally called Tarntanya (red kangaroo place) by the Kaurna people, the original custodians of the land | https://www.etymonline.com/word/Adelaide#etymonline_v_5104 | https://www.experienceadelaide.com.au/visit/history-of-adelaide/ https://www.kaurnaplacenames.com/primary.php?id=4625 |
73 | South Australia | Gawler | N/A | money lender | When Gawler was first settled by Europeans in 1839, some early settlers went out of their way to learn the Kaurna language and South Australia’s second Governor, George Gawler (who the town of Gawler is named after). Etymology: Recorded in the spellings of Gawler and Gowler, this name is of Old English pre-7th-century origins. It is occupational and possibly a nickname for a banker, although in the original sense of the word, it means a money-changer or money-lender. | https://www.gawler.sa.gov.au/about-gawler/gawler-heritage | https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=gawler |
74 | South Australia | Barossa Valley | N/A | reddish | The area was named Barossa Valley in 1837 by the Colonel William Light, one of South Australia’s first surveyors. Barossa was honours the memory of the Battle of Barrosa, a Spanish battleground where the British reached victory over the French. Etymology: this one is complicated, due to misspellings (detail is provided in the second source). Long story short: 'reddish' | https://barossawinetour.com.au/blog/what-does-barossa-mean/ | https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/14946697.pdf |
75 | South Australia | Whyalla | Kayalla | place with deep water | Comes from a Barngarla word meaning, 'place with deep water'. | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/whyalla-sa | https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/indigenous-meanings-of-australian-town-names/ttvhkw3sf https://www.whyalla.com/museums-and-history |
76 | South Australia | Victor Harbor | N/A | pear tree | From HMS Victor, which Captain Richard Crozier used to survey the area in 1837. Was known as Port Victor until 1921, when it reverted to Victor Harbor. Etymology: Pirie is a Scottish surname of French origin, meaning "pear tree". | https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/sa-lifestyle/the-az-of-the-meanings-of-south-australia8217s-town-names/news-story/eb38a61ae5809e40516b0b207a09a61b | |
77 | South Australia | Port Lincoln | N/A | town by the pool | Named by Flinders in honour of his home county of Lincolnshire, England Etymology of 'Lincoln': The surname originates from the city of Lincoln, England, whose name means "lake/pool colony", combining the Brythonic word lynn with the Latin word colonia. This translates to 'town by the pool' or 'settler by the lake'. | https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/sa-lifestyle/the-az-of-the-meanings-of-south-australia8217s-town-names/news-story/eb38a61ae5809e40516b0b207a09a61b | https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=lincoln |
78 | South Australia | Port Augusta | N/A | venerable | Named by A.L. Elder after the wife of Governor Young, Augusta Young. Etymology: Augusta fem. proper name, Latin fem. of Augustus (q.v.). Augustus masc. proper name, from Latin augustus "venerable" (see august (adj.)). The name originally was a cognomen applied to Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus as emperor, with a sense something like "his majesty." | https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/sa-lifestyle/the-az-of-the-meanings-of-south-australia8217s-town-names/news-story/eb38a61ae5809e40516b0b207a09a61b | https://www.etymonline.com/word/Augusta |
79 | South Australia | Waikerie | wei kari | Many wings | Waikerie' is said to mean 'many wings', after the giant swift moth "wei kari", the name given by the original indigenous community. Its an appropriate name, considering the teeming birds of the lagoons and wetlands that edge the river. | https://www.loxtonwaikerie.sa.gov.au/your-council/about-the-loxton-and-waikerie-council | https://www.visitriverland.com.au/waikerie |
80 | South Australia | Yorke Peninsula | N/A | yew tree | Named by Matthew Flinders on 30 March 1802. Right Honourable Charles Philip Yorke of the Admiralty. Etymology: Yorke is an English surname. It is locational from the ancient city and county of York. The word "york" derives from the Ancient Greek word "eburos" meaning "yew tree". The Romans adopted the word and Latinized it to "Eboracum", and this is the first known recording for York in circa 150 a.d. When the Vikings captured the city eight hundred years later in 962 a.d. they adapted the name to their variant of "Yorvik", which later became York. The "modern" spelling of the city first appears as "Yeorc" in 1205, not long before the first surname. | https://manning.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/pn/xyz/yorke.htm | https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Yorke |
81 | South Australia | Naracoorte Lucindale | Gnanga-kurt | waterhole | Naracoorte is named from an Aboriginal word for a waterhole in the area, while Lucindale is named after Lady Lucinda, wife of Anthony Musgrave, former Governor of South Australia. | https://profile.id.com.au/rda-limestone-coast/about?WebID=130 | https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/goodliving/posts/2019/05/sa-park-names |
82 | Tasmania | Burnie | N/A | stream spring | "When, in 1842, the town was surveyed and the surrounding land sold to settlers it was named Burnie after William Burnie who, at the time, was the Director of the Van Diemen's Land Company." Etymology: The name Burnie is derived from the Old English word "burna" or "burne," which both mean "stream" or "spring". | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/burnie-tas | https://www.igenea.com/en/surnames/b/burnie |
83 | Tasmania | Derwent Valley | N/A | clear water | In 1793 British Captain John Hayes entered the estuary and named it the River Derwent – which means ‘clear water’. | https://www.derwentestuary.org.au/history-of-the-derwent/ | |
84 | Tasmania | Devonport | N/A | deep valley dwellers | "The name Devonport was chosen when the towns of Torquay and Formby amalgamated in 1890. The reason the new town was called Devonport was nothing more pragmatic than it was a port in the north central part of the county of Devon, and Tasmania's County of Devon was named because of the County of Devon in southern England." Etymology: The name Devon derives from the name of the Brythons who inhabited the southwestern peninsula of Britain at the time of the Roman conquest of Britain known as the Dumnonii, thought to mean 'deep valley dwellers' from Proto-Celtic *dubnos 'deep'. | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/devonport-tas | |
85 | Tasmania | Glenorchy | N/A | glen of tumbling waters | Glenorchy means ‘glen of tumbling waters’ and the city is believed to have been named by Governor Lachlan Macquarie after his wife’s home in Scotland. | https://www.gcc.tas.gov.au/discover-glenorchy/about-our-city/our-history/ | |
86 | Tasmania | Hobart | N/A | bright intellect | "Originally called Hobart Town or Hobarton, Tasmania's capital was named after Robert Hobart. This map from around 1880 shows the English place names used by the colonists.(Wikimedia Commons: Public Domain) He was the fourth Earl of Buckinghamshire, also known as Lord Hobart. But he preferred the pronunciation of his last name as Hub-bart. No strong O sounds for the lord." Etymology: The name Hobart is of American and Old German origin, and the meaning of Hobart is "bright or shining intellect". Variant of Hubert. | https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-25/history-of-place-names-in-tasmania/9570242 | https://www.ancestry.com.au/name-origin?surname=hobart |
87 | Tasmania | Launceston | N/A | Church enclosure of St Stephen | The name Launceston is made up of Celtic and Saxon words. Lann meant church in Cornish. So it was the Lann of St Stephen. The ‘ton’ comes from the Saxon word ‘tun’ which meant farm, hamlet, or estate. By the time of the Norman conquest in 1066 Launceston was an important settlement. "Launceston was named after Launceston in Cornwall which is where Governor Philip Gidley King was born." | https://localhistories.org/a-history-of-launceston/ | https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/launceston-tas https://www.launcestonlife.com/post/lanson-or-launceston-which-do-you-say |
88 | Tasmania | Sorell | N/A | reddish brown | Ultimately it was named after the third Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen’s Land, William Sorell (who, among other landmarks, also has a mountain, a port and a lake named after him, all in different quadrants of the island). Etymology: English (Middlesex and Essex): nickname for someone with reddish-brown hair from Middle English and Old French sorel 'reddish-brown'. | https://www.fortysouth.com.au/towns-of-tasmania-sorell?amp=1 | https://www.ancestry.com.au/name-origin?surname=sorrell |
89 | Victoria | Waratah-Wynyard | warada | beautiful worker in the vineyard | Wynyard was named after General Edward Buckley Wynyard, who arrived in Sydney as Commanding Officer of the British troops and had visited Van Diemen’s Land in 1850 when the surveyor Peter Lette surveyed the town reserve. Etymology of 'Waratah': comes from the Eora Aboriginal word 'warada' meaning 'beautiful' or 'seen from afar'. Etymology of 'Wynyard': The name literally means "worker in the vineyard." [1] [2] [3] However, one should note the word "winnard" can also be derived from the Cornish "qwilkyn" meaning "redwing" as in the bird. | https://www.warwyn.tas.gov.au/our-place/history/ | https://www.houseofnames.com/wynyard-family-crest https://parksaustralia.gov.au/booderee/discover/nature/plants/waratah/ |
90 | Victoria | West Tamar | N/A | date palm | "The Tamar River is a 70 km estuarine in northern Tasmania formed by the merging of the North Esk River and South Esk Rivers at Launceston (the largest settlement) to its mouth at Low Head. It was named by Colonel William Paterson in December 1804 for the River Tamar in Great Britain which passes Launceston, Cornwall. Despite its name it is not actually a river as it is saline and tidal over its entire length." Etymology of 'Tamar': Means "date palm" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah and later his wife. | https://www.ourtasmania.com.au/tas-names-towns.html | https://www.behindthename.com/name/tamar |
91 | Victoria | Ballarat | balla + arat | resting place | Named after the city covered by the electoral division. The name of the city is believed to be derived from the Aboriginal word 'balaarat' meaning resting place or reclining on elbow. | https://handbook.aph.gov.au/Electorate/Ballarat/State/Victoria#:~:text=Name%20Origin%3A%20Named%20after%20the,Notes%3A%20Formerly%20named%20Ballaarat. | https://www.visitballarat.com.au/about/history/ |
92 | Victoria | Banyule | Banyool | hill | Banyule (the English translation of "Banyool") is Indigenous Australian (Wurundjeri tribe) word meaning "hill". | https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/273579 | |
93 | Victoria | Baw Baw | Baw Baw | echo | The area is reputedly named after a local Aboriginal word possibly meaning ‘echo’. | https://theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org/the-alps-partnership/the-parks/baw-baw-national-park/ | https://www.mountbawbaw.com.au/the-resort/our-history/ |
94 | Victoria | Boroondara | Boroondara | where the ground is thickly shaded | The City of Boroondara’s name comes from the Woi-wurrung language. It means ‘where the ground is thickly shaded’. | https://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/about-council/council-administration/policies-plans-and-strategies/boroondara-reconciliation-strategy-2022-26/traditional-owners-boroondara | https://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/community/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples |
95 | Victoria | Campaspe | N/A | The mistress of Alexander the Great | "The shire takes its name from the Campaspe River. Major Sir Thomas L Mitchell gave the river its title in 1836 on his way to Mount Macedon, naming it after Alexander the Great's concubine." | https://www.campaspe.vic.gov.au/Our-council/About-council/Proud-past | |
96 | Victoria | Cardinia | Kar-din-yarr | look to the rising sun sunrise | Cardinia Shire’s name is derived from the Kulin word ‘Kar-din-yarr’, meaning ‘look to the rising sun’ or ‘sunrise’. | https://www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/info/20021/supporting_our_community/295/our_aboriginal_and_torres_strait_islander_communities#section-1-about | |
97 | Victoria | Darebin | Darabin | swallows | The City of Darebin is named after Darebin Creek, which is thought to be named from an Aboriginal word for swallows (birds). | https://profile.id.com.au/darebin/about | https://conversations.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/renaming/names-melbourne |
98 | Victoria | East Gippsland | N/A | bright hostage | "Both Angus McMillan and Pawel Edmond Strzelecki are credited with the early exploration of the area but it was Strzelecki who coined the name Gippsland after the New South Wales Governor, George Gipps." Etymology: This name is derived from the Old English forenames Gislberht and Gislbeorht, which mean bright hostage. | https://www.oddhistory.com.au/gippsland/ | https://www.houseofnames.com/gipps-family-crest |
99 | Victoria | Greater Dandenong | Tanjenong | lofty mountain | "Dandenong takes its name from a creek flowing from the Dandenong Ranges into a wide shallow valley, which then merged with the swamps that fringed Port Phillip Bay. Dandenong is possibly a corruption of an Aboriginal Tanjenong, meaning lofty mountain." | https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00440b.htm | https://www.melbournewater.com.au/water-and-environment/water-management/rivers-and-creeks/dandenong-creek |
100 | Victoria | Greater Geelong | jillong | land, cliffs, or tongue of land or peninsula cliffs | Hume and Hovell, explorers, recorded the Aboriginal word 'jillong' in 1824, thought to mean land or cliffs, when they came to Corio Bay. The name 'Geelong' was derived from the Aboriginal word, and was given to the area by Governor Bourke in 1837 when he visited Port Phillip to also formally name Melbourne and Williamstown. | https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/geelong |