-up facts for kids

Have you ever noticed how many places in south-western Western Australia end with " -up"? This special ending is called a suffix. It comes from a dialect of Noongar, which is an Indigenous Australian language. In Noongar, "-up" means "place of". Another similar ending, "-in" or "-ing", has the same meaning in a related Noongar dialect.
Indigenous Australians used these place names to create a "mental map" of their land. The names often described important features of the area. This helped them know where to find fresh water, food, and other useful materials. Because many of these places were near water, some people mistakenly thought that "-up" and "-in" meant "near water". Over time, the exact meanings and pronunciations of many of these names have been lost.
The Story Behind the Names
For a while, some of these places were spelled with "-upp" instead of "-up". This happened because the Western Australian Lands and Surveys Department used a special spelling system. This system tried to make Indigenous Australian names easier to pronounce for English speakers. However, it made the "u" sound longer than it should have been. To fix this, they decided to double the next letter, like "upp", to make the "u" sound shorter. But by 1915, they realized that in Australia, the "u" sound was almost always short anyway. So, they changed the spelling back to "-up" for towns in south-west Western Australia.
Sometimes, these terms were used for both Noongar groups and places. For example, Pinjarup is one name for a Noongar group. This name was later changed and used for the town of Pinjarra.
Places Ending in "-up"
Here is a list of places in Western Australia that end with the "-up" suffix. Many of these names tell us something special about the place.
Name | Location | Place name meaning (where known) |
---|---|---|
Amelup | 34°14′18″S 118°13′16″E / 34.23833°S 118.22111°E | |
Badgebup | 33°36′07″S 117°53′02″E / 33.602°S 117.884°E | "place of wild rushes" |
Bailup | 31°44′24″S 116°18′40″E / 31.740°S 116.311°E | Aboriginal unknown origin. |
Balgarup | "place of the black boy trees" (Xanthorrhoea preissii). | |
Balingup | 33°47′13″S 115°58′55″E / 33.787°S 115.982°E | Derived from the name of an Aboriginal warrior, Balingan. |
Banjup | 32°07′26″S 115°52′34″E / 32.124°S 115.876°E | Named for Banjupp Lake. |
Barragup | 32°32′38″S 115°47′38″E / 32.544°S 115.794°E | Not known. |
Beenup | 32°13′19″S 116°00′04″E / 32.222°S 116.001°E | A corruption of the Aboriginal name of nearby Beenyup Brook. Now known as Byford. |
Binningup | 33°08′56″S 115°41′20″E / 33.149°S 115.689°E | Apparently an Aboriginal name, but not necessarily traditional. |
Boranup | 34°08′42″S 115°03′29″E / 34.145°S 115.058°E | |
Boyanup | 33°29′10″S 115°43′48″E / 33.486°S 115.73°E | "a place of quartz" |
Boyup Brook | 33°50′02″S 116°23′17″E / 33.834°S 116.388°E | "place of smoke" |
Burekup | 33°19′0″S 115°48′0″E / 33.31667°S 115.80000°E | The Aboriginal name of a wildflower that grows profusely in the locality. |
Carbunup River | 33°42′0″S 115°11′0″E / 33.70000°S 115.18333°E | " Variously "place of a kindly stream", "place of cormorants", and "place of the stinkwood thicket. |
Cardup | 32°15′25″S 115°59′46″E / 32.257°S 115.996°E | "place of the racehorse goanna". |
Chinocup | 33°32′0″S 118°23′0″E / 33.53333°S 118.38333°E | an Aboriginal word of unknown meaning. |
Condingup | 33°45′S 122°32′E / 33.750°S 122.533°E | an Aboriginal word of unknown meaning. |
Coodanup | 32°33′14″S 115°44′38″E / 32.554°S 115.744°E | Unknown. |
Cookernup | 32°59′38″S 115°53′35″E / 32.994°S 115.893°E | "the place of the swamp hen". |
Coolbellup | 32°04′55″S 115°49′05″E / 32.082°S 115.818°E | The Aboriginal name of a lake in the area. |
Cooloongup | 32°17′46″S 115°46′48″E / 32.296°S 115.780°E | "place of children". |
Coolup | 32°44′0″S 115°52′0″E / 32.73333°S 115.86667°E | "place of the wild turkey". |
Coomalbidgup | 33°38′0″S 121°22′0″E / 33.63333°S 121.36667°E | "Possum scratches up a tree & there is water there". |
Cowaramup | 33°51′05″S 115°06′21″E / 33.8514°S 115.1059°E | believed to be derived from cowara, the Aboriginal name for the purple-crowned lorikeet (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala). |
Culeenup (Cooleenup) | 33°34′34″S 115°46′23″E / 33.576°S 115.773°E | |
Dalyellup | 33°24′07″S 115°37′30″E / 33.402°S 115.625°E | still, frothy water |
Dalyup | 33°43′0″S 121°36′0″E / 33.71667°S 121.60000°E | Possibly the Noongar word for the king parrot or Hookbill. |
Dandalup | 32°31′08″S 115°58′05″E / 32.519°S 115.968°E | Not known. |
Dardanup | 33°24′0″S 115°45′0″E / 33.40000°S 115.75000°E | Believed to be a variation of the Aboriginal word "Dudingup" the meaning of which is not known. |
Dinninup | 33°49′0″S 116°32′0″E / 33.81667°S 116.53333°E | An Aboriginal name of unknown meaning. |
Dwellingup | 32°42′54″S 116°03′50″E / 32.715°S 116.064°E | "place of nearby water". |
Gelorup | 33°24′36″S 115°38′28″E / 33.410°S 115.641°E | |
Gidgegannup | 31°47′31″S 116°11′53″E / 31.792°S 116.198°E | "place where spears are made". "Gidgie" is the word for spear. |
Gnowangerup | 33°56′17″S 118°00′29″E / 33.938°S 118.008°E | "place where the mallee hen nests" (Leipoa ocellata). |
Gwelup | 31°52′34″S 115°47′56″E / 31.8762°S 115.7989°E | "the lake that shifted position", derived from "Gwelgannow" which means to "shift the position" and "step aside". |
Gwindinup | 33°31′0″S 115°44′0″E / 33.51667°S 115.73333°E | May be a local spelling of the nearby Gynudup Brook. |
Jacup | 33°46′48″S 119°09′04″E / 33.78°S 119.151°E | |
Jandabup | 31°44′28″S 115°51′04″E / 31.741°S 115.851°E | "place of little eagle". |
Jerdacuttup | 33°43′0″S 120°28′0″E / 33.71667°S 120.46667°E | Named for the Jerdacuttup River. |
Jerramungup | 33°56′31″S 118°54′58″E / 33.942°S 118.916°E | "place of upstanding yate trees" (Eucalyptus cornuta). |
Jingalup | 33°58′0″S 117°02′0″E / 33.96667°S 117.03333°E | A contraction of nearby Kodjingalup Well. |
Joondalup | 31°44′42″S 115°45′58″E / 31.745°S 115.766°E | "place of whiteness or glistening". |
Joweelingup | 32°35′31″S 115°49′55″E / 32.592°S 115.832°E | |
Karnup | 32°22′05″S 115°49′37″E / 32.368°S 115.827°E | A local Aboriginal name, the meaning of the name is not known. |
Karrakup | 32°15′22″S 116°04′12″E / 32.256°S 116.07°E | From "Karrak", the Nyoongar word for the red-tailed black cockatoo which is prevalent in the area. |
Karrinyup | 31°52′12″S 115°46′41″E / 31.87°S 115.778°E | Originally Careniup, of unknown meaning. |
Kebaringup | 34°02′0″S 118°09′0″E / 34.03333°S 118.15000°E | A local Aboriginal name, the meaning of the name is not known. |
Kendenup | 34°29′10″S 117°37′44″E / 34.486°S 117.629°E | Of Aboriginal origin, of unknown meaning. |
Kirup | 33°42′25″S 115°53′31″E / 33.707°S 115.892°E | "the place of summer flies". |
Kojonup | 33°50′17″S 117°09′07″E / 33.838°S 117.152°E | "place of the stone axe". |
Kudardup | 34°15′47″S 115°07′26″E / 34.263°S 115.124°E | Named for Coodardup Mill. |
Kulikup | 33°50′0″S 116°41′0″E / 33.83333°S 116.68333°E | Not known. |
Kundip | 33°41′0″S 120°11′0″E / 33.68333°S 120.18333°E | Not known. |
Kuringup | 33°31′S 118°19′E / 33.51°S 118.31°E | "place of wattle gum". |
Kwobrup | 33°36′S 117°58′E / 33.600°S 117.967°E | "good place". |
Mandogalup | 32°12′18″S 115°48′54″E / 32.205°S 115.815°E | An Aboriginal name, the meaning of which is unknown. |
Manjimup | 34°14′17″S 116°08′31″E / 34.238°S 116.142°E | An Aboriginal name said to be derived from "Manjin", a broad leafed marsh flag with an edible root. |
Marbelup | 34°59′0″S 117°44′0″E / 34.98333°S 117.73333°E | Not known. |
Marrinup | 32°40′08″S 116°01′23″E / 32.669°S 116.023°E | |
Mariginiup | 31°43′19″S 115°49′37″E / 31.722°S 115.827°E | "to pull out flag leaved flax". |
Mayanup | 33°56′0″S 116°27′0″E / 33.93333°S 116.45000°E | No meaning or source for the name given. |
Metricup | 33°46′41″S 115°07′59″E / 33.778°S 115.133°E | |
Moodiarrup | 33°37′0″S 116°48′0″E / 33.61667°S 116.80000°E | Not known. |
Morangup | 31°37′3″S 116°19′20″E / 31.61750°S 116.32222°E | |
Mullalyup | 33°44′42″S 115°56′53″E / 33.745°S 115.948°E | "the place where the young men had their noses pierced". |
Mumballup | 33°31′41″S 116°06′47″E / 33.528°S 116.113°E | |
Mungalup | 33°24′0″S 116°06′0″E / 33.40000°S 116.10000°E | Not known. |
Munglinup | 33°43′0″S 120°52′0″E / 33.71667°S 120.86667°E | A local Aboriginal word. |
Muradup | 33°51′0″S 116°59′0″E / 33.85000°S 116.98333°E | An Aboriginal name. |
Myalup | 33°06′07″S 115°41′38″E / 33.102°S 115.694°E | An Aboriginal name derived from a nearby swamp. |
Nambeelup | 32°31′55″S 115°49′55″E / 32.532°S 115.832°E | |
Nannup | 33°58′55″S 115°45′54″E / 33.982°S 115.765°E | "stopping place" or "place of parrots". |
Narrikup | 34°46′26″S 117°42′07″E / 34.774°S 117.702°E | "place of abundance" |
Needilup | 33°57′0″S 118°46′0″E / 33.95000°S 118.76667°E | Not known. |
Neerabup | 31°41′28″S 115°46′37″E / 31.691°S 115.777°E | Possibly "swampy place" or "small basin or lake". |
Noggerup | 33°35′0″S 116°10′0″E / 33.58333°S 116.16667°E | Not known. |
Nornalup | 34°59′28″S 116°49′19″E / 34.991°S 116.822°E | "place of black snake" (Norn, a name of a Pseudechis species). |
Nowergup | 31°38′13″S 115°44′46″E / 31.637°S 115.746°E | "place of sweet water". |
Ongerup | 33°57′58″S 118°29′10″E / 33.966°S 118.486°E | "place of the male kangaroo". |
Palgarup | 34°10′26″S 116°10′30″E / 34.174°S 116.175°E | |
Peringillup | 33°56′0″S 117°38′0″E / 33.93333°S 117.63333°E | Not known. |
Pingrup | 33°32′0″S 118°30′0″E / 33.53333°S 118.50000°E | Believed to mean "grassy place". |
Pootenup | 34°14′0″S 117°38′0″E / 34.23333°S 117.63333°E | "place of the native hybrid mallee tree". |
Porongurup | 34°39′50″S 117°52′26″E / 34.664°S 117.874°E | |
Qualeup | 33°50′0″S 116°48′0″E / 33.83333°S 116.80000°E | The Aboriginal name of a nearby lake. |
Quigup | 33°58′0″S 115°42′0″E / 33.96667°S 115.70000°E | Not known. |
Quindalup | 33°32′0″S 116°00′0″E / 33.53333°S 116.00000°E | "place of quendas" (Isoodon obesulus). |
Tambellup | 34°02′28″S 117°38′31″E / 34.041°S 117.642°E | possibly "place of thunder". |
Wadjemup | 31°59′53″S 115°32′46″E / 31.998°S 115.546°E | Noongar name for Rottnest Island, meaning "place across the water". |
Wagerup | 32°56′53″S 115°54′18″E / 32.948°S 115.905°E | "Place of emus". |
Wannanup | 32°35′53″S 115°38′38″E / 32.598°S 115.644°E | |
Warawarrup | 33°02′53″S 115°54′43″E / 33.048°S 115.912°E | |
Wattleup | 32°10′12″S 115°49′26″E / 32.170°S 115.824°E | Named for Wattleup Road. |
Wilyabrup | 33°47′0″S 115°2′0″E / 33.78333°S 115.03333°E | |
Wokalup | 33°06′36″S 115°52′52″E / 33.11°S 115.881°E | Not known. Humorously said to mean "the confusion experienced by nocturnal animals during an eclipse". |
Wonnerup | 33°37′26″S 115°25′12″E / 33.624°S 115.42°E | "place of the Aboriginal woman's digging or fighting stick". |
Yallingup | 33°38′24″S 115°01′41″E / 33.640°S 115.028°E | Place of caves |
Yalup Brook | 32°54′0″S 115°54′0″E / 32.90000°S 115.90000°E | |
Yangebup | 32°07′44″S 115°49′08″E / 32.129°S 115.819°E | Derived from the Aboriginal word "yanget", the name of a native flax or bullrush. |
Yoongarillup | 33°42′0″S 115°25′0″E / 33.70000°S 115.41667°E | |
Yornup | 34°03′22″S 116°10′12″E / 34.056°S 116.17°E | |
Yunderup | 32°34′34″S 115°47′28″E / 32.576°S 115.791°E | Derived from "Yoondooroop", the original spelling of one of the islands in the Murray River delta. |
See also
- Noongar for a map of the Noongar linguistic regions