Australian place names changed from German names
Encyclopedia
During World War I
, many German-sounding place names in Australia were changed because of Anti-German sentiment
. The new names were often Anglicized (Peterborough), given Aboriginal names (Kobandilla, Karawirra), names of famous people (Kitchener and Holbrook
), or battlefields (Verdun, The Somme). This was done through an Act of Parliament, as well as by petition. The presence of German derived place names was seen as an affront to the war efforts, and to the sensibilities of many in the Australian population at the time.
In South Australia, the Nomenclature Act of 1935 restored the former German names to a number of towns, the names of which had been changed in 1917.
New South Wales
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, many German-sounding place names in Australia were changed because of Anti-German sentiment
Anti-German sentiment
Anti-German sentiment is defined as an opposition to or fear of Germany, its inhabitants, and the German language. Its opposite is Germanophilia.-Russia:...
. The new names were often Anglicized (Peterborough), given Aboriginal names (Kobandilla, Karawirra), names of famous people (Kitchener and Holbrook
Holbrook, New South Wales
Holbrook is a small town in Southern New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Hume Highway, 356 km North-East of Melbourne and 491 km south-west of Sydney between Tarcutta and Albury. The town is in the Greater Hume Shire Council area which was established in May 2004 from the merger of...
), or battlefields (Verdun, The Somme). This was done through an Act of Parliament, as well as by petition. The presence of German derived place names was seen as an affront to the war efforts, and to the sensibilities of many in the Australian population at the time.
In South Australia, the Nomenclature Act of 1935 restored the former German names to a number of towns, the names of which had been changed in 1917.
New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
| Germanton changed to | Holbrook Holbrook, New South Wales Holbrook is a small town in Southern New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Hume Highway, 356 km North-East of Melbourne and 491 km south-west of Sydney between Tarcutta and Albury. The town is in the Greater Hume Shire Council area which was established in May 2004 from the merger of... , the Post Office being renamed on 20 September 1915 |
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| German's Hill changed to | Lidster, the Post Office being renamed on 1 February 1916 | |
| German Creek changed to | Empire Vale, the Post Office being renamed on 1 May 1915 | |
| Schlinkers Lane changed to | Bullecourt Lane | (in Ultimo, Sydney Ultimo, New South Wales Ultimo is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ultimo is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney.... ) |
QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
| Bergen changed to | Murra Murra, the Post Office being renamed around October 1916 |
| Bergenside changed to | Neuve, the Post Office being renamed around August 1916 |
| Bismarck changed to | Maclagan, the Post Office being renamed around March 1916 |
| Engelsburg changed to | Kalbar Kalbar, Queensland Kalbar is a small town in the Scenic Rim, South East Queensland, Australia. It is located near the Cunningham Highway and directly north of Mount French in the Fassifern Valley. The town is part of the Scenic Rim Region local government area. At the 2006 census, Kalbar had a population of... , the Post Office being renamed around July 1916 |
| Gehrkevale changed to | Mount Mort, the Post Office being renamed Mount Grace around September 1916 and Mount Mort around November 1916 |
| Gramzow changed to | Carbrook Carbrook, Queensland Carbrook is a suburb of Logan City, Queensland, Australia. Carbrook was previously called Gramzow, a name of German origin. The German name was Anglicised during the First World War.-Cable Ski Park:... |
| Hapsburg changed to | Kowbi, the Post Office being renamed around October 1916 |
| Hessenburg changed to | Ingoldsby, the Post Office being renamed around September 1916 |
| Kirchheim changed to | Haigslea Haigslea, Queensland Haigslea is a suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.The origin of the suburb name is from General Douglas Haig. Originally in service within India in 1887, he was appointed as the regiment's adjutant in 1888 later being appointed as Commander-in-chief of the British Army in France during 1915-1918... , the Post Office being renamed around October 1916 |
| Minden changed to | Frenchton, the Post Office being renamed around October 1916 and reverting to Minden in 1930 |
| Roessler changed to | Applethorpe Applethorpe, Queensland Applethorpe is a settlement in the Australian state of Queensland. Applethorpe is well-known for the production of apples.The town is positioned on the New England Highway just north of Stanthorpe in the Granite Belt region at an elevation of 872 m. There is a railway station on the Southern... , Applethorpe Post Office opening around 1916 |
| Stegelit changed to | Woongoolba, the Post Office being renamed on 6 June 1916 |
| Teutoburg changed to | Witta, the Post Office being renamed around 1916 |
| Fahley changed to | Kilbirnie, Kilbirnie Post Office opening around 1916 |
South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
| Bartsch's Creek changed to | Yedlakoo Creek | (reverted to Bartsch Creek 1986) |
| Berlin Rock changed to | Panpandie Rock | |
| Bethanien changed to | Bethany Bethany, South Australia Bethany is a small village located about 2 km south east of Tanunda in the Barossa Valley. It was originally named Bethanien, but was changed during World War I in an attempt to remove all German place names from Australia.... |
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| Bismarck changed to | Weeroopa | |
| Blumberg changed to | Birdwood Birdwood, South Australia Birdwood is a town near Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the Adelaide Hills Council local government area.- Origin of the name :Formerly known as Blumberg, the German town name was anglicized during World War I, along with many others in the region in 1917... , the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 |
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| Blumental changed to | Lakkari | |
| Buchfelde changed to | Loos | |
| Cape Bauer changed to | Cape of Wondoma | (reverted to Cape Bauer 1948) |
| Carlsruhe changed to | Kunden (changed in 1918) | |
| Ehrenbreitstein changed to | Mount Yerila | |
| Ferdinand Creek changed to | Ernabella Creek | |
| Friedensthal changed to | Black Hill | |
| Friedrichstadt changed to | Tangari | |
| Friedrichswalde changed to | Tarnma, the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 | |
| Gebhardt's Hills changed to | Polygon Ridge | (reverted to Gebhardt Hills 1986) |
| German Creek changed to | Benara Creek | (reverted 1986) |
| German Pass changed to | Tappa Pass | |
| Germantown Hill changed to | Vimy Ridge | (road name only reverted to Germantown Hill Road) |
| Gottlieb's Well changed to | Parnggi Well | |
| Grunberg changed to | Karalta | (reverted to Grunberg in 1975) |
| Grunthal changed to | Verdun Verdun, South Australia Verdun is a small town in the Adelaide Hills, Australia, on the road from Hahndorf to Balhannah.Verdun is approximately 4 km from Hahndorf and 5 km from Bridgewater. There is one school, one pub and a general store.... , the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 |
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| Hahndorf changed to | Ambleside | , the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918, and reverting to Hahndorf Hahndorf, South Australia Hahndorf is a small town about 30 minutes drive out of Adelaide, South Australia along the South Eastern Freeway . The town was settled by Lutheran migrants largely from in and around a small village then named "Kay" in Prussia, many of whom were aboard the Zebra... in 1935 |
| Hasse's Mound changed to | Larelar Mound | |
| Heidelberg changed to | Kobandilla | |
| Herrgott Springs changed to | Marree Marree, South Australia Marree is a small town located in the north of South Australia. It lies North of Adelaide at the junction of the Oodnadatta Track and the Birdsville Track, above sea level. The area is the home of the Dieri people. At the 2006 census, Marree had a population of 70.The town was home to Australia's... , the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 |
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| Hildesheim changed to | Punthari, the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 | |
| Hoffnungsthal changed to | Karawirra | (reverted to Hoffnungsthal Hoffnungsthal, South Australia Hoffnungsthal is the location of a former German pioneer settlement, located in South Australia's Barossa Valley. Founded in 1847, it was located in an ephemeral lagoon which was dry for the first years of settlement. Local Peramangk people warned the settlers that the area was prone to... in 1975) |
| Hundred of Basedow changed to | Hundred of French | (“Hundred of” = “District of”) |
| Hundred of Homburg changed to | Hundred of Haig | |
| Hundred of Krichauff changed to | Hundred of Beatty | |
| Hundred of Paech changed to | Hundred of Cannawigra | |
| Hundred of Pflaum changed to | Hundred of Geegeela | |
| Hundred of Rhine (North) changed to | Hundred of Jellicoe | |
| Hundred of Rhine (South) changed to | Hundred of Jutland | |
| Hundred of Scherk changed to | Hundred of Sturdee | |
| Hundred of Schomburgk changed to | Hundred of Maude | |
| Hundred of Von Doussa changed to | Hundred of Allenby | |
| Jaenschtown changed to | Kerkanya | |
| Kaiserstuhl changed to | Mount Kitchener (changed in 1918) | (renamed Kaiser’s Seat in 1975, now Kaiserstuhl Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park The Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park is a small 403 ha park about 12 km southeast of Tanunda in South Australia. It lies in the range overlooking the Barossa Valley, and is named after the 600 metre high Kaiserstuhl in an immediately adjacent section of the Mount Crawford Forest.The mountain itself... again) |
| Klaebes changed to | Kilto | |
| Klemzig changed to | Gaza Third Battle of Gaza The Third Battle of Gaza was fought in 1917 in southern Palestine during the First World War. The British Empire forces under the command of General Edmund Allenby successfully broke the Ottoman defensive Gaza-Beersheba line... |
, the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 and reverting to Klemzig Klemzig, South Australia Klemzig is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is the location of the first settlement of German emigrants to Australia in the 19th century and is named after a village near the city of Zuellichau in southeastern Brandenburg in the German state of Prussia, where they... in 1935, but the football club retains the name Gaza |
| Krause Rock changed to | Marti Rock | |
| Krichauff changed to | Beatty | (changed to Mount Mary 1940) |
| Kronsdorf changed to | Kabminye | (reverted to Kronsdorf in 1975) |
| Langdorf changed to | Kaldukee | |
| Langmeil changed to | Bilyara (near Tanunda Tanunda, South Australia Tanunda is a town situated in the Barossa Valley region of South Australia, 70 kilometres north east of the state capital, Adelaide. The town derives its name from an Aboriginal word meaning water hole. Town population is approximately 3500.-Settlement:... ) |
(reverted to Langmeil in 1975) |
| Lobethal changed to | Tweedvale | , the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 and reverting to Lobethal Lobethal, South Australia Lobethal is a town in the Adelaide Hills area of South Australia. It is located in the Adelaide Hills Council local government area, and is nestled on the banks of a creek between the hills and up the sides of the valley. It was once the centre of the Adelaide Hills wool processing industry, which... in 1935 |
| Mount Ferdinand changed to | Mount Warrabillinna | |
| Mount Meyer changed to | Mount Kauto | |
| Muller's Hill changed to | Yandina Hill | |
| Neudorf changed to | Mamburdi | (reverted 1986) |
| Neukirch changed to | Dimchurch | (reverted to Neukirch in 1975) |
| New Hamburg changed to | Willyaroo | |
| New Mecklenburg changed to | Gomersal, the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 | |
| Olivethal changed to | Olivedale | |
| Petersburg changed to | Peterborough Peterborough, South Australia Peterborough is a town in the mid north of South Australia, in wheat country, just off the Barrier Highway. At the 2006 census, Peterborough had a population of 1,689.... , the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 |
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| Rhine Park changed to | Kongolia | |
| Rhine Hill changed to | Mons | |
| Rhine River (North) changed to | The Somme | (changed to Somme Creek 1971) |
| Rhine River (South) changed to | The Marne | (changed to Marne River Marne River (South Australia) The Marne River is the major tributary from the eastern Mount Lofty Ranges into the Murray River in South Australia. Before 1917, it was called the Rhine River South... 1971) |
| Rhine Villa changed to | Cambrai Cambrai, South Australia Cambrai is a small town located on the eastern side of the Mount Lofty Ranges, along the River Marne and at the northern end of the former Apamurra to Sedan railway line. Originally named Rhine Villa, it was one of many Australian towns re-named during World War I to remove any connection with... , the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 |
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| Rosenthal changed to | Rosedale, the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 | |
| Schoenthal changed to | Boongala | (reverted 1986) |
| Seppelts changed to | Dorrien | |
| Schreiberhau changed to | Warre | (reverted to Schreiberau in 1975) |
| Siegersdorf changed to | Bultawilta | (reverted to Siegersdorf in 1975) |
| Steinfeld changed to | Stonefield | , the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 (reverted 1986) |
| Summerfeldt changed to | Summerfield | |
| Vogelsang's Corner changed to | Teerkoore | , the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1918 (reverted to Vogelsang Corner 1986) |
| Wusser's Nob changed to | Karun Nob | (reverted to Wusser Nob 1983) |
TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
| Bismarck changed to | Collinsvale Collinsvale, Tasmania Collinsvale is a suburb of the City of Glenorchy, part of the greater Hobart area in Tasmania, Australia.The area was originally known called Sorell Creek, and was inhabited mostly by British settlers in the mid-nineteenth century... , the Post Office being renamed on 1 July 1915 |
| German Town changed to | Lilydale Lilydale, Tasmania Lilydale, originally known as Germantown, is a small town in northern Tasmania, Australia. The town is northeast of Launceston and is a part of the Launceston municipality. It is located near Mount Arthur. At the 2006 census, Lilydale had a population of 288... |
VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
| Germantown changed to | Grovedale Grovedale, Victoria Grovedale is a mainly residential southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia.The suburb is bounded by the Waurn Ponds Creek, Rossack Drive, Boundary Road and Barwarre Road.-Toponomy:... , the Post Office being renamed on 1 March 1916 |
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| Hochkirch changed to | Tarrington Tarrington, Victoria Tarrington is a village in the Southern Grampians Shire in South-west Victoria, Australia close to Hamilton. It has a large Lutheran Church, along with a school, church, hall, oval, cafe/restaurant, computer repair service, quarry, day-care centre and a fire station... , the Post Office being renamed on 1 March 1918 |
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| Mount Bismarck changed to | Mount Kitchener | |
| Reinholtz's PO changed to | Reynold's PO | , changing on 5 November 1920 |
Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
| Heidelburg changed to | Bickley, a Bickley Receiving Office opening on 1 January 1916 |
| Mueller Park changed to | Kitchener Park (reverted to Mueller Park 1981) |
See also
- German settlement in AustraliaGerman settlement in AustraliaGerman settlement in Australia began in large numbers in 1838, with the arrival of immigrants from Prussia to Adelaide, South Australia. German immigrants became prominent in settling South Australia and Queensland...
- Berlin to Kitchener name changeBerlin to Kitchener name changeThrough the latter half of the 19th century and into the first decade of the 20th, the City of Berlin, Ontario, Canada, was a bustling industrial centre celebrating its German heritage...
, similar phenomenon in Canada - Kitchener bunKitchener bunA Kitchener bun is a type of sweet pastry made and sold in South Australia. It consists of a bun sometimes baked, sometimes fried, made from a sweet yeasted dough similar to that used for making doughnuts, split and then filled with raspberry or strawberry jam and cream, most often with a dusting...