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List of Australian place names of Aboriginal origin facts for kids

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"Aboriginal place names" redirects here. For other uses, see Aboriginal place names (disambiguation).
Canberra SPOT 1088
Satellite view of Australia's capital city, Canberra, whose name comes from a Ngunawal language word meaning "meeting place".
Murwillumbah sign
Welcome sign from Murwillumbah, New South Wales. The name comes from a Bandjalang word meaning "camping place".
Aboriginal Names Listing 03
Aboriginal names of suburbs in Brisbane, from the Turrbal language.

Many places in Australia have names that come from Australian Aboriginal languages. This happened for a few main reasons:

  • When European explorers first arrived, they often asked local Aboriginal people what a place was called. They then used that name. Sometimes, they might have misheard or misunderstood the names because of language differences. For example, the name of the Yarra River might have been misunderstood. Some names that mean "pretty" or "resting place" might show that Europeans added their own ideas, and many names were probably mispronounced.
  • Australian governments have also officially named many places, especially suburbs, after Aboriginal people or language groups. Good examples are Aranda or Tullamarine.
  • Some places have always been called by their Aboriginal names, especially where Aboriginal people still live. This is common in places like Maningrida in the Northern Territory, especially in Central Australia and the Top End where fewer non-Indigenous people settled.

Watkin Tench, who arrived with the First Fleet in 1788, wrote about the Aboriginal languages around present-day Sydney. He noticed that while some sounds seemed difficult, many words had nice sounds. He gave examples of names like Colbee, Bereewan, and Baneelon for men, and Wereeweea and Matilba for women. He also mentioned place names like Parramatta and Cammeray. He explained that different Aboriginal groups often got their names from the places they lived. For instance, Cemeeragal meant "the men who live in the bay of Cameera."

Towns and Suburbs with Aboriginal Names

Many towns and suburbs across Australia have names that come from Aboriginal languages. Here are just a few examples:

Regions and Shires with Aboriginal Names

Some larger areas, like regions or local government areas called shires, also have names from Aboriginal languages. These names often reflect the traditional lands or language groups of the area.

  • Banyule City Council (Victoria)
  • Eurobodalla Shire (New South Wales)
  • Illawarra (New South Wales)
  • Ku-ring-gai Municipality (New South Wales)
  • Pilbara (Western Australia)

Natural Features with Aboriginal Names

Many of Australia's natural landmarks, like beaches, rivers, and mountains, have names that come from Aboriginal languages. These names often describe the feature or tell a story about the area.

Beaches

  • Belongil (New South Wales)
  • Elouera (New South Wales)
  • Tamarama Beach (New South Wales)
  • Wanda (New South Wales)

Bays

  • Akuna (New South Wales)
  • Gunamatta (New South Wales)
  • Malua (New South Wales)
  • Yowie (New South Wales)

Lakes

Rivers

Creeks

Islands

  • Kooragang Island (New South Wales)
  • K'gari Island (Queensland)

Mountains, Ranges, and Peaks

Deserts

Caves

  • Jenolan (New South Wales)
  • Yarrongobilly (New South Wales)

Dams with Aboriginal Names

Dams are important for water supply and power. Many of them also carry Aboriginal names.

  • Blowering (New South Wales)
  • Burrendong (New South Wales)
  • Burrinjuck (New South Wales)
  • Eucumbene (New South Wales)
  • Googong (New South Wales)

Parks and Forests with Aboriginal Names

Australia has many beautiful national parks and forests. Many of these protected areas are named using Aboriginal words, often reflecting the local environment or traditional owners.

National Parks

Nature Reserves

State Forests

  • Bago (New South Wales)
  • Belanglo (New South Wales)
  • Pilliga (New South Wales)
  • Wombat (Victoria)

State Conservation Areas

Highways and Main Roads with Aboriginal Names

Even some major roads and highways in Australia have names that come from Aboriginal languages.

  • Kamilaroi Highway (New South Wales)
  • Monaro Highway (New South Wales/ACT)
  • Oodnadatta Track (South Australia)
  • Warrego Highway (Queensland)

Names Often Mistaken for Aboriginal Origin

Some place names in Australia sound like they might be Aboriginal, but they actually come from other languages or have different origins.

  • Aramac: This name is a changed version of Robert Ramsey Mackenzie, who was a Premier of Queensland.
  • Bellingen: This name is also found in Germany.
  • Wangara: This name was created by combining parts of two other names: Wan(neroo) and (Gnan)gara.

Place Names with Uncertain Origins

For some place names, it's not completely clear where they came from. They might have Aboriginal roots, or they might be from other languages or even a misunderstanding.

  • Bodalla: Some think this is a changed version of "boat alley."
  • Narrabeen: This might be a changed version of "narrow bean."
  • Ulladulla: This name could be a changed version of "holey dollar," an old Australian coin.
  • Watanobbi: This name could be from a Japanese surname, Watanabe, or it might describe a hill.

See also

  • List of reduplicated Australian place names
  • -up, a Noongar-based suffix, common to many south western Western Australia place names
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List of Australian place names of Aboriginal origin Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.