Towns with Aboriginal Names

[KieranR]

Hi Kieran
Which Onslow are you talking about, as the only one that I know of is closer to Geraldton or Carnarvon here in WA.
Regards
Tjupurula

The one just south of Karratha, ashburton river is on it's doorstep.

Cheers.

[Tjupurula]

The one just south of Karratha, ashburton river is on it's doorstep.

Cheers.

Hi Kieran
Quite familiar with most of the area there, especially around Cain River area.  I also know Ngarantjadu (nea Millstream National Park) quite well.  Got a bit confused with location there, sorry about that.  Napanangka (my wife) loves Wickham and Point Samson, which she spend a lot of her childhood.
Tjupurula

[Tjupurula]

Hi 03Hilux
Why the heck would I get upset with some research.  I am going to remember those names, so when I hear or read the term next, I can ask the individual which one they are referring to, and thank them for the compliment either way.  Only one thing upsets me, getting called late for a meal, hard to warm a meal up when the coals have gonelow.
Regards
Tjupurla

[03hilux]

Hi 03Hilux
Why the heck would I get upset with some research.  I am going to remember those names, so when I hear or read the term next, I can ask the individual which one they are referring to, and thank them for the compliment either way.  Only one thing upsets me, getting called late for a meal, hard to warm a meal up when the coals have gonelow.
Regards
Tjupurla

Glad to help. Could you take a picture of the persons face when you question them?  I'd love to see someones face when they realise that Aboringinals actually educated.

[Tjupurula]

Glad to help. Could you take a picture of the persons face when you question them?  I'd love to see someones face when they realise that Aboringinals actually educated.

I actually like your spelling of Aboriginals better than the correct one, as it has the black fella silent "n" in it.
Tjupurula

[Tjupurula]

The Melbourne suburb of Nunawading is ment to be an indigenous name for meeting place..or battleground. Nice part of the world..so can see why it could be a meeting place.

Hi Jimc1
Many places are named after the original names fo meeting places, which were also, a lot of the time, battlegrounds.  These areas were frequently selected because of reliable water nearby.
Regards
Tjupurula

[KieranR]

Hi Kieran
Quite familiar with most of the area there, especially around Cain River area.  I also know Ngarantjadu (nea Millstream National Park) quite well.  Got a bit confused with location there, sorry about that.  Napanangka (my wife) loves Wickham and Point Samson, which she spend a lot of her childhood.
Tjupurula

A good mate of mine is married to an aboriginal lady, she is from the Wickham/roebourne area also.  After spending quite a number of years living in karratha myself, my wife kids and i love the area and would dearly love to live there again, we genuinely love the whole area, one of my favourite camping spots is gregory's gorge, which you travel through millstream NP to get to, im not sure of its aboriginal name though, however there is a spot on the way that is sacred to aboriginals as a ceremonial place, its a big rock that is covered in talc. Its got barriers around it, but i always stopped and had a look and read the sign.  You may know where this is

[Squalo]

My eldest daughters name is Tathra, it means "beautiful country" although I have also sometime in the past found it defined as "sacred place". Perhaps this is because the area - NSW far south coast - seems to have been shared between a number of tribes, including Yuin and Thaua (there were/are many more).

There is also a Tathra National Park in Western Australia, and interestingly the meaning of it is also "beautiful place", although that is from the Nyoongar dialect... interesting that people on opposite sides of the country share this word.

[03hilux]

I actually like your spelling of Aboriginals better than the correct one, as it has the black fella silent "n" in it.
Tjupurula

OOPS. I didnt even notice the mistake. But on the upside, i can speak two languishes now.

[Tjupurula]

A good mate of mine is married to an aboriginal lady, she is from the Wickham/roebourne area also.  After spending quite a number of years living in karratha myself, my wife kids and i love the area and would dearly love to live there again, we genuinely love the whole area, one of my favourite camping spots is gregory's gorge, which you travel through millstream NP to get to, im not sure of its aboriginal name though, however there is a spot on the way that is sacred to aboriginals as a ceremonial place, its a big rock that is covered in talc. Its got barriers around it, but i always stopped and had a look and read the sign.  You may know where this is

Yes Kieran, I know exactly where you are talking about, and yes it is a ceremonial area, so thatis the end of that discussion.  There are some things I will not and cannot talk about.
Tjupurula

[Tjupurula]

My eldest daughters name is Tathra, it means "beautiful country" although I have also sometime in the past found it defined as "sacred place". Perhaps this is because the area - NSW far south coast - seems to have been shared between a number of tribes, including Yuin and Thaua (there were/are many more).

There is also a Tathra National Park in Western Australia, and interestingly the meaning of it is also "beautiful place", although that is from the Nyoongar dialect... interesting that people on opposite sides of the country share this word.

It is quite common that some words are shared, and also frequently the same word with a completely different meaning.
Tjupuula

[KieranR]

Yes Kieran, I know exactly where you are talking about, and yes it is a ceremonial area, so thatis the end of that discussion.  There are some things I will not and cannot talk about.
Tjupurula

Understood 100%.

[di008]

I lived in a place called warra meaning water and yarraman meaning horse.  My family come from yuleba, not sure of the aboriginal meaning, but was always told it was old kiwi for you'll  baaaaa when I catch ya

[Tjupurula]

I did not know there were that many towns in Australia with Kiwi names, learned something new.
Tjupurula

[rescue1]

I grew up in Ku-ring-gai Council (Guringai people), went to school in Turramurra (High Hill or Tall Trees) and lived in Wahroonga (Our Home).

I too have lived in a suburb of Blacktown for the last 15 years and whilst I agree that history is history still do not like the name or how it came about. I was only talking with LB the other day about why they have not changed the name, I could imagine it would been seen by some as trying to erase history.

What a wonderful topic, now I am going to stay up late into the night and early morning reading and researching more about where I was born and the Aboriginal history of the area.

Bunyip

Off topic but Bunyip if you look at the area between 1st & 3rd Avenue in Blacktown not much has changed in 200 years, just the origins of a group of displaced people herded into an area....
 

[austastar]

Hi,
   Gregory has been mentioned here a few times.
His story is well worth reading, not famous like a lot of the 'establishment' explorers, perhaps because of his humble beginnings.









I got the book from the local library, and found it fascinating reading.


cheers

[Tjupurula]

Hi,
   Gregory has been mentioned here a few times.
His story is well worth reading, not famous like a lot of the 'establishment' explorers, perhaps because of his humble beginnings.









I got the book from the local library, and found it fascinating reading.


cheers

Hi Austastar
Have you realsied, from my profile, where I live.  Mulan community is on the edge of Lake Gregory, and have a basic guess where the name came from.  I hve already had the privilege of reading the book, and you are correct, it is a good read.  This area is now known by the proper tribal name, which is Paruku, but we still acknowledge the nae Lake Gregory as well.
Regards
Tjupurula

[Paul (SA)]

I did not know there were that many towns in Australia with Kiwi names, learned something new.
Tjupurula

Isn't Bondi Kiwi for something?

[Tjupurula]

Isn't Bondi Kiwi for something?

I don't know, I am an Australian black fella.

[CRW]

I don't know, I am an Australian black fella.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Squalo]

Isn't Bondi Kiwi for something?

Yeah, "promised land"

[Davepatrol]

I don't know, I am an Australian black fella.

    :cheers:

[Tjupurula]

Yeah, "promised land"

Many, many years ago, the then Government made a lot of promises regarding the land that owns my people.  Not one promise was kept, instead people were chained up and removed from the country that is a part of our very existence.  That "innocent" joke (and I am not blaming you Squalo) brought back some painful memories.  When I was about 5 years old, I saw my grandfathers father, with horrible scars all the way around his neck.  He told me that it was because he was neck chained for nearly half a year, he got upset when the Native Affairs Administrator broke a promise of letting him go back to the land he loved, the land where his spirit was at home.  He was punished for verball abusing the Administrator.
Sometimes what one sees as a funny comment can really be so painful to someone else.  In the case of Australian Aboriginals, the land means everything to us, more than most people could ever understand.  Please try to understand that what could be funny to some is painful to others, I undestand you had no intention of any offence, so no need to apologise, but please try to understand so that the same misunderstanding does not occur again.
Regards
Tjupurula

[fishfinder]

A town I used to visit quite often was Bidyadanga - believe it is " emu watering hole "

[Tjupurula]

A town I used to visit quite often was Bidyadanga - believe it is " emu watering hole "

That is correct.  Bidyedanga, also known as La Grange, where I have quite a few family members from my mothers side of the family.
Regards
Tjupurula