|
Because so many names in W.A. come from Aboriginal origins,
there can be some unintended misinterpretations. I.e.
Q. Where do you live?
A. In a loo (Innaloo is a suburb of Perth. The first
name proposed for the suburb was Njookenbooroo which not surprisingly was
rejected by locals. Innaloo is an Aboriginal word meaning woman.)
Following are a selection of some of the odd names that have been given to
places in W.A.
Youanmi 1909 to 1940. A gold mining area that once had
quite a large town. Mining stopped in 1942 ad re-commenced in 1986.
Woop Woop Yes there really was a Woop Woop. Named after the sound made by
local frogs.
Uduc Railway siding. 1913 to 1922.
Sore Foot Rush. 1892-1897.
Runnymeade 1900-1909.
Pettits Rail siding 1922.
Onteru Townsite 1913.
Nigger Hill Not surprisingly in these PC times renamed to Sheba Hill.
Mount Meharry. Mount me who??
Jigalong. 1949 1969
Jarring. 1918 1928
I.O.U. (Bulong) Mining centre. 1893.
Golden Pig Railway siding.
Ghooli Railway siding 1897 1971.
Cowcowing. Railway siding 1917.
Cockburn Sound. Strangely pronounced coh-burn.
Cockman Renamed to Banksia Grove. I wonder why?
Cheapside. 1897.
Benjabbering Renamed to Benjaberring (What was the point of that??)
White feather - became known as Kanowna.
Of all the names calculated to make school boys giggle and snigger it is
probably Intercourse Island that provokes the biggest reaction. That is of
course until someone looks it up in a dictionary and finds that without the
preface sexual, intercourse means nothing more than interaction.
|
