List of Australian place names of Aboriginal origin

Satellite view of Australia's capital city, Canberra, whose name comes from a Ngunawal language word meaning "meeting place".

Welcome sign from Murwillumbah, New South Wales. The name derives from the Bandjalang word meaning "camping place".

Aboriginal names of suburbs of Brisbane, derived from the Turrbal language.

Place names in Australia have names originating in the Australian Aboriginal languages for three main reasons:^{[citation needed]}

Historically, European explorers and surveyors may have asked local Aboriginal people the name of a place, and named it accordingly. Where they did not ask, they may have heard the place was so-named. Due to language difficulties, the results were often misheard and misunderstood names, such as the name of the Yarra River. There are a suspicious number of place names which translate as pretty and resting place, which may imply European romanticism, and no doubt a good deal of mispronunciation and corruption in general.
Australian governments have officially named many places, particularly suburbs, after Aboriginal people or language groups, such as Aranda or Tullamarine.
The place name has always been called thus by Aboriginal people, and Aboriginal people still live in the area. This is particularly so for Aboriginal communities, such as Maningrida in the Northern Territory. This is more frequent where non-indigenous settlement has been less dense, particularly in Central Australia and the Top End.

Watkin Tench, who arrived on the First Fleet in 1788, observed of the Aboriginal languages of the present-day Sydney area:

"We were at first inclined to stigmatise this language as harsh and barbarous in its sounds. Their combinations of words in the manner they utter them, frequently convey such an effect. But if not only their proper names of men and places, but many of their phrases and a majority of their words, be simply and unconnectedly considered, they will be found to abound with vowels and to produce sounds sometimes mellifluous and sometimes sonorous. What ear can object to the names of Colbee (pronounced exactly as Colby is with us), Bereewan, Bondel, Imeerawanyee, Deedora, Wolarawaree, or Baneelon, among the men; or to Wereeweea, Gooreedeeana, Milba,^[1] or Matilba, among the women? Parramatta, Gweea, Cameera, Cadi, and Memel, are names of places. The tribes derive their appellations from the places they inhabit. Thus Cemeeragal, means the men who reside in the bay of Cameera; Cadigal, those who reside in the bay of Cadi; and so of the others.^[2]"

Towns and suburbs

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Regions and shires not named after town, river, etc.

Natural features

Beaches (not named after town or suburb)

Bays

Lakes

Rivers

Barcoo
Barwon
Bega
Belubula River
Belyando
Bemboka River
Bogan
Bokhara River
Bombala
Boorowa River
Brogo River
Bulloo
Bungala
Capertee River
Colo
Coolaburragundy
Crackenback River
Cudgegong
Culgoa
Eucumbene River
Goobarragandra River
Goolwa
Gudgenby River
Kalang River
Kalgan
Kedumba River
Kolan
Kowmung River
Maranoa River
Maribyrnong
Maroochy
Mehi
Minnamurra
Mitta Mitta
Molonglo
Mooki
Moonie
Muleurundi (supplanted by use of name MacDonald River, Bendemeer)
Munyang River
Murrumbidgee
Myponga
Nambucca
Namoi
Narram
Nattai River
Nerang River
Nogoa
Noosa River
Nowendoc River
Nymboida

Onkaparinga
Orara
Pallinup
Paroo
Parramatta
Queanbeyan
Ringarooma
Talbragar
Tamar
Tambo
Tooma River
Tumut River
Wallagaraugh River
Warragamba River
Warrego
Willochra
Wingecarribee River
Wolgan River
Wollondilly River
Woronora
Yankalilla
Yappar
Yarra
Yass (corruption of Ngunnawal word Yarh)

Creeks

Islands

Mountains, ranges etc

Deserts

Caves

Borenore

Dams

Parks and forests

National parks

Nature reserves

Muogamarra

State forests

State Conservation Areas

Whian Whian

Highways and main roads

Non-Aboriginal place names that are assumed to be Aboriginal

Aramac (a corruption of the name Robert Ramsey Mackenzie, Premier of Queensland)
Bellingen (three towns in Germany carry this name)
Wangara ((Wan(neroo)) + (Gnan)gara)

Place names over which uncertainty exists

Bruthen – a Celtic place name used in Britain (now named Breidden), between Shropshire, England and Powys, Wales; also a Scott's Gaelic word meaning striped or checked; and in Cornish the word means freckled or speckled.
Bodalla – a corruption of "boat alley".
Narrabeen – a corruption of "narrow bean".
Traralgon
Ulladulla – a corruption of "holey dollar".
Warracknabeal
Watanobbi – could be from Watanabe, Japanese surname, or a description of the hill to which the word refers.

References

^ Tench reports that: Mrs. Johnson, wife of the chaplain of the settlement, was so pleased with this name that she christened her little girl, born in Port Jackson, Milba Maria Johnson
^ Watkin Tench, The Settlement of Port Jackson, Chapter 17. Archived 26 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be ^bf ^bg ^bh ^bi ^bj ^bk ^bl ^bm ^bn ^bo ^bp ^bq ^br ^bs ^bt ^bu ^bv ^bw ^bx ^by ^bz ^ca ^cb ^cc ^cd ^ce ^cf ^cg ^ch ^ci ^cj ^ck ^cl ^cm ^cn ^co ^cp ^cq ^cr ^cs ^ct ^cu ^cv ^cw ^cx ^cy ^cz ^da ^db ^dc ^dd ^de ^df ^dg ^dh ^di ^dj ^dk ^dl ^dm ^dn ^do ^dp ^dq ^dr ^ds ^dt ^du ^dv ^dw ^dx ^dy ^dz ^ea ^eb ^ec ^ed ^ee ^ef ^eg ^eh ^ei ^ej ^ek ^el ^em ^en ^eo ^ep ^eq ^er ^es ^et ^eu ^ev ^ew ^ex ^ey ^ez ^fa ^fb ^fc ^fd ^fe ^ff ^fg ^fh ^fi ^fj ^fk ^fl ^fm ^fn ^fo ^fp ^fq ^fr ^fs ^ft ^fu ^fv ^fw ^fx ^fy ^fz ^ga ^gb ^gc ^gd ^ge ^gf ^gg ^gh ^gi ^gj ^gk ^gl ^gm ^gn ^go ^gp ^gq ^gr ^gs ^gt ^gu ^gv ^gw ^gx ^gy ^gz ^ha ^hb ^hc ^hd ^he ^hf ^hg ^hh ^hi ^hj ^hk ^hl ^hm ^hn ^ho ^hp ^hq ^hr ^hs ^ht ^hu ^hv ^hw ^hx ^hy ^hz ^ia ^ib ^ic ^id ^ie ^if ^ig ^ih ⁱⁱ ^ij ^ik ^il ^im ⁱⁿ ^io ^ip ^iq ^ir ^is ^it ^iu ^iv ^iw ^ix ^iy ^iz ^ja ^jb ^jc ^jd ^je ^jf ^jg ^jh ^ji ^jj ^jk ^jl ^jm ^jn ^jo ^jp ^jq ^jr ^js ^jt ^ju ^jv ^jw ^jx ^jy ^jz ^ka ^kb "History of country town names". Landgate. n.d. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be ^bf ^bg ^bh ^bi ^bj ^bk "History of metropolitan suburb names". Landgate. n.d. Archived from the original on 19 May 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
^ "Goornong, VIC – 31 March 2019". 31 December 2018.
^ "Wokalup". Shire of Harvey. n.d. Archived from the original on 6 December 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.

[1] Tench reports that: Mrs. Johnson, wife of the chaplain of the settlement, was so pleased with this name that she christened her little girl, born in Port Jackson, Milba Maria Johnson

[2] Watkin Tench, The Settlement of Port Jackson, Chapter 17. Archived 26 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine

[Landgate_Country-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be ^bf ^bg ^bh ^bi ^bj ^bk ^bl ^bm ^bn ^bo ^bp ^bq ^br ^bs ^bt ^bu ^bv ^bw ^bx ^by ^bz ^ca ^cb ^cc ^cd ^ce ^cf ^cg ^ch ^ci ^cj ^ck ^cl ^cm ^cn ^co ^cp ^cq ^cr ^cs ^ct ^cu ^cv ^cw ^cx ^cy ^cz ^da ^db ^dc ^dd ^de ^df ^dg ^dh ^di ^dj ^dk ^dl ^dm ^dn ^do ^dp ^dq ^dr ^ds ^dt ^du ^dv ^dw ^dx ^dy ^dz ^ea ^eb ^ec ^ed ^ee ^ef ^eg ^eh ^ei ^ej ^ek ^el ^em ^en ^eo ^ep ^eq ^er ^es ^et ^eu ^ev ^ew ^ex ^ey ^ez ^fa ^fb ^fc ^fd ^fe ^ff ^fg ^fh ^fi ^fj ^fk ^fl ^fm ^fn ^fo ^fp ^fq ^fr ^fs ^ft ^fu ^fv ^fw ^fx ^fy ^fz ^ga ^gb ^gc ^gd ^ge ^gf ^gg ^gh ^gi ^gj ^gk ^gl ^gm ^gn ^go ^gp ^gq ^gr ^gs ^gt ^gu ^gv ^gw ^gx ^gy ^gz ^ha ^hb ^hc ^hd ^he ^hf ^hg ^hh ^hi ^hj ^hk ^hl ^hm ^hn ^ho ^hp ^hq ^hr ^hs ^ht ^hu ^hv ^hw ^hx ^hy ^hz ^ia ^ib ^ic ^id ^ie ^if ^ig ^ih ⁱⁱ ^ij ^ik ^il ^im ⁱⁿ ^io ^ip ^iq ^ir ^is ^it ^iu ^iv ^iw ^ix ^iy ^iz ^ja ^jb ^jc ^jd ^je ^jf ^jg ^jh ^ji ^jj ^jk ^jl ^jm ^jn ^jo ^jp ^jq ^jr ^js ^jt ^ju ^jv ^jw ^jx ^jy ^jz ^ka ^kb "History of country town names". Landgate. n.d. Retrieved 31 December 2014.

[Landgate_Metro-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be ^bf ^bg ^bh ^bi ^bj ^bk "History of metropolitan suburb names". Landgate. n.d. Archived from the original on 19 May 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2014.

[5] "Goornong, VIC – 31 March 2019". 31 December 2018.

[6] "Wokalup". Shire of Harvey. n.d. Archived from the original on 6 December 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.

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