Talk:List of Australian place names of Aboriginal origin

Latest comment: 1 year ago by 203.40.72.179 in topic Aboriginal place names

Untitled edit

Look some of these place names are, or are purported to be, based on an Aboriginal name for the place being refered to.

Others of these places names, are places which have been given ( by non-aboriginals), a name which is an Aboriginal word but that name is not a name used by Aboriginals for that place.


This is a list of all current official place names in Australia -Yes, many of the names currently used were not used by Aborigines in the way they are today. Europeans were often quick to name a place using an Aboriginal language without looking into the meaning or etymology too much. Explorers and surveyors were often in a rush to name places as they made their way through an area. Mostly they named stuff after white dignitaries, with the occasional Aboriginal name thrown in.

White Australians were keen to use Aboriginal words in the same way Canadians and Americans had done earlier - it was fashionable. Often, however, that's where their understanding of - or concern for - Indigenous culture stopped.

The naming of the Yarra River is a good case in point.

Links need cleaning up edit

Many of the links on this page need to be changed to the correct article. For instance links should take this form [[Berri, South Australia|Berri]] and not [[Berri]]SauliH 07:47, 20 October 2006 (UTC)Reply

Requested move edit

There's a new poll here that would (hopefully) end all this "Indigenous" vs. "Aborigine" controversy. Feel free to vote. Zarbat 09:24, 13 November 2006 (UTC)Reply

Verification edit

Whilst it is good to see that editors are adding to the history of Australia with this page, it suffers quite a lot with verification problems. It is simply not good enough to add names of locations where the name only sounds of Aboriginal origin - from that perspective places like Nullabor will be considered in the group and the list will be allowed to grow as multiples of error. I propose that editors (I will be doing this also) check and where verification is given at the article space related to the name the names should stay - where none is given then I (and any other editor so interested) should and will be removing the detail.--VS talk 05:06, 6 July 2007 (UTC)Reply

Vandalism edit

Vandalism at b article "some random place" was what was written has been changed addyg203.59.164.123 (talk) 08:11, 12 March 2008 (UTC)Reply

Traralagon edit

Traralgon is usually considered to be from the Gunai language. —Preceding unsigned comment added by DrDisco (talkcontribs) 04:13, 31 July 2008 (UTC)Reply

|}i have a fealing judy is a loser from: anne in 6GH

Some place names that I would never think were aboriginal! edit

We all just think that people make up some weird names for places really just cos they want to or because it's names after somebody famous. Like Ballarat for example. THAT PLACE NAME IS ABORIGINAL! TRUE! Even look it up here on the article page. Yikes theres also more like Mount Buller and Werribee. Also there is Canberra! I thought Bondi was aboriginal so yah for once I'm right!

<3 you M.R

Artarmon edit

The name Artarmon is based on the name of an estate in Ireland, so it is not aboriginal. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.210.17.14 (talk) 21:39, 31 March 2010 (UTC)Reply

Bellinger River edit

"Bellinger" is an English surname dating back to the Norman conquest (1066). Hardly Aboriginal!! Gaz (talk) 13:15, 16 April 2012 (UTC)Reply

origin name Bullumwaal edit

 Im trying to find out what " Bullumwall " means, it is a part of the Bairnsdale vic area and is apparently a indigenous word, does anyone know thanks  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 120.144.7.2 (talk) 00:12, 6 October 2012 (UTC)Reply 

origin name Bullumwaal edit

 Im trying to find out what " Bullumwall " means, it is a part of the Bairnsdale vic area and is apparently a indigenous word, does anyone know thanks 06/10/2012  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lesley hall (talkcontribs) 00:20, 6 October 2012 (UTC)Reply 

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External links modified edit

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Aboriginal place names edit

I have been learning Gaelic , the language of my ancestors . There is two words that we have thought to be Aboriginal , but in the Gaelic language , their Origen and meaning is clear . Uluru , or Ayers Rock the explorers language just means “ all red “. Bunya Mountain - the word bunya in Gaelic means “milk “ , and no doubt that Mr. Petrie was aware that the fruit of the bunya nut is the same colour as milk . I’m betting that Mr Petrie came up with the word bunya Rex McIntosh 203.40.72.179 (talk) 09:17, 1 November 2022 (UTC)Reply