First Nations Language Collection

Nyleta, Grosvenor Street, Toowong, S.W.1. 9th February, 1940.

Dear Mr. May,

I think you for Place Names Bulletin No. 8.

On one place name therein, the meaning of which appears to be doubtful, I may be able to show some light. A local resident once informed me that the name was supposed to mean, not "Where is the water" as given in the bulletin, but "Place from where water can be seen". In such case I have little doubt that the name should be Koonginya, from koong, water, and nya, to see; the letter i, as in English in, being merely a liquifying agent between consonants, as is common to abo. languages. These words are common to S.E. Queensland languages and could indicate "A view of water" and probably was applied to some place in the vicinity, certainly not the township, from where a general view of the local swamps, which, I believe, were much more extensive at one time than now, could be obtained. If I remember rightly, my informant as to the meaning given above was Mr. Heers, a local storekeeper.

Yours sincerely, F.J.Watson

11th January, 1940.

F. J. Watson, Esq., "Nylita", Grosvenor Street, TOOWONG. S.W.1.

Dear Sir,

In reply to your letter of the 20th December last, I appreciate the compliments of the season you wished me and extend the same to yourself.

I am sorry you had to wait so long for the explanation of "Bunda". Edwards, the Assistant Surveyor to Surveyor Thompson, associated freely with the blacks and actually became a blood brother. They called him "Bunda", the "Boss", which corresponds exactly to the meaning you gave of the word, and I appreciate your interest in the Bulletin and hope it will long continue.

Yours faithfully,

Hon. Secretary.

Nyleta, Grosvenor Street, Toowong, S.W.1. 20th, December, 1939.

Dear Mr. May,

I thank you for sending me Bulletin No.7 of Place names and their derivations which is of great interest to me, especially one item which has, incidentally, some bearing on the derivation of the place name Bundaberg. I was stationed for some years in the said town without definitely ascertaining the derivation of the name. Someone has said that it was named after a tribe of blacks of the name Bunda, but the fact that Bunda is a class name relative to the marital law of the Kabi tribe puts that out of court. The information that I gathered from various sources shows that although J.C.Thompson was the District Surveyor at the time that the first survey of the town was made, the actual survey was made by a surveyor named Gwynne asssited by an unlicensed surveyor named Edwards. Edwards, who was called Bunda by the blacks and who had a knowledge of their language, gave the names to the streets. Of the subsequent movements of Edwards I can only find that he went north and that he died at the Barron River near Cairns. The fact that Bunda Street, Cairns (as per Bulletin) was named Bunda after a surveyor named Edwards fits in with the story that Bundaberg was named from Edward's sobriquet. I would mention that the name, Bunda,

seems to have been bestowed by the aborigines on some white persons who had knowledge of their lore and who stood high in their estimation.

I believe that Mr. E. Armitage was, at on time, known to the blacks by this name.

While on the subject I might mention that during some newspaper discussion at Bundaberg on place names, some Old Resident informed that the name of Targo Street (Bundaberg) should be Durigo. The meaning of this word, more properly spelled Dhuri-go, is, the way to the (Wongarra) scrub. The reason for this name and meading is quite reasonable but would require a diagramatical explanation. This I could give if it is deemed worth while.

Wishing the P.N.C. and your self The Compliments of the Season, I am, Dear Mr. May, Yours sincerely, FJWatson F.J.Watson

Dear Mr. May,

I am sorry that I have not time today to comment on Mr. Bull's correspondence as I only got your letter this morning and had a prior exgagement that occupied nearly all day. I will go through it an reply as early as possible. With this are comments on Indooroopilly, Toowong, Moongalba etc.

Yours F.J.Watson.

Grosvenor Street Toowong, S.W.1. 11th Nov. 1939.

Dear Mr. May,

I have your letter of 9th inst. to hand and am pleased to note that the name Dalburaba has been adopted.

I regret that I can give you no information regarding Murphy's Creek and Fingal although I sojourned at the former place for some three weeks in 1893. Regarding D'Aguilar, although I have taken but little interest in the origin of place names other than aboriginal, I have from time to time inquired as to its origin but without results. You may or may not have noted that there is an individual mountain of this name. It is situated on, or very close to, the range of that name, a short distance to the west of Mount Samson and equidistant North of Mt. Glorious. In the same grop are MTs. Reilly and Lawson, each named after some individual person.

It is wonderful how little seems to be generally of the origin of names of places quite close at hand. I have been living close to the Taylor Range for about 11 years and although I have occasionally asked old Brisbane residents as to the origin of the name none of them could give me any information thereon. Although I am sorry that I can give you no help this time I shall always be pleased to assist you when I can.

With kindest regards, I am yours sincerely, FJWatson.

Toowong, June 3rd, 1939.

Dear Mr. May,

I note that the Parks Committee of Brisbane has turned down the suggestion that the name Mt Coottha, which, I think, was also once spelled Coother, should be given its proper name, Kuta, as given to the authorities by the pioneer, Tom Petrie, for the reason that it is known by its present designation all over Australia.

"What's in a name" anyhow. If tourists ask the meaning of the name it can be explained that it was a native bee (kuta) but it was knocked in the head with a club or nulla (coothar or kuthar). In fact, I would suggest taht the Parks Committee erect a plate at the lookout on the Mountain inscribed to that effect for the benefit of visitors.

Yours faithfully, FJWatson

Grosvenor Street, Toowong, S.W.1. 27th May, 1939.

Dear Mr. May,

Under separate cover I am sending to you a packet of completed forms of place names of the Wide Bay and Burnett Districts, some 28 in number.

Relative to the name, Howah, and what I mentioned about the absence of the aspirate in aborginal languages, I find that there is a Wakka word, Kowa, meaning scrub.

The word, however, have no reference to bunya scrubs, only unless qualified by the word bunyi, which name is used by the blacks throughout S.E. Queensland.

Probably some mistake has been made in transciption of the name in the Lands Office at some time, the letter K being mistaken for an H.

Having no map of the district covered by the places which I have described, I am sorry that I could not write in the latitude and longitude of the places in my list.

The forms only cover the same ground that I mentioned in my last letter to you. If I happen to recall any others I shall br pleased to send them to you.

By the way, I suppose you have already obtained the names of place in the Logan and Albert districts.

Trusting that my contribution will assist you, I am, Dear Mr. May, Yours faithfully_ FJWatson (F.J.Watson).

By the way, I have come across some mention of a Dr. Howit who, long ago, wrote on the Kabi tribe under the name of Gaiabora. Do know anything of his work?

Grosvenor Street, Toowong, S.W.1. May, 19th, 1939.

Dear Mr. May,

Herewith as per your request of last Tuesday I am inclosing a few interpretations of native Place Names which I trust may be of use to you. These are such as I can recall at present. If I can recall or trace out any others north of Brisbane I will send them along.

Yours faithfully, FJWaston

I will fill in the forms you sent when I can confeniently do so.

Origin of place names. By FJWatson

Wolvi. (i as in wine)

A mountain range and a farming centre.

From the Kabi word wolvai, or wolbai, a young kangaroo at the stage of growth when it can gent out and in its mother's pouch.

This name is, no doubt, the origin of wallaby the white man's name for the lesser kangaroos.

Kin Kin. A dairying and Banana growing centre about 10 miles north east of Cooran railway station.

The origin of this place name has been the subject of much discussion. It is probably derived from the native words ka-uin kauin (ka-ooin ka-ooin), a variant or abbreviation of kutchin kutchin, meaning red, Kin Kin is in redsoil country which is drained by Kin Kin, otherwise Kutchin, Creek.

Mount Kanagin, otherwise the Black Gin Mountain, situated near Theebine Railway Station. The name is derived from kanigan, meaning a young aboriginal woman, literally it meanins a daughter, feminine of the Kabi word kani, a son.

Kanyan. A railway station, named from the mountain nearby, Mount Kanaghan.

Kanighan. A farming centre near to and East of Mount Kanaghan, from which the same is derived.

Gootchie. A Railway Station on the N.C.Railway. Named from the grazing holding nearby, Gutchy, which was named from the Kabi word gutchi, the ground iguana.

Bauple. (sometimes spelled Bopple). A mountain near Tiaro. The name is derived from the Kabi word bopval (as near as a white man can pronounce it). Bopval is the native name of the frilled lizard. A legend of this mountain is that it was once inhabited by a spirit in the form of a frightful old woman who prevented anyone one from going to the top of the mountain.

(If her appearance was anything like the Frilled lizard with open mouth, frill expanded and on its hind legs she must indeed have been frightful. Perhaps that is how the mount got its name).