During World War I, many German or German-sounding place names in Australia were changed due to anti-German sentiment. [1] The presence of German-derived place names was seen as an affront to the war effort at the time.[ citation needed]
The names were often changed by being anglicised (such as Peterborough), or by being given new names of Aboriginal origin (Kobandilla, Karawirra) or in commemoration of notable soldiers ( Kitchener and Holbrook) or World War I battlefields ( Verdun, The Somme).
Old name | New name | Date of name change | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Bismarck Street ( Canterbury) | Cressy Street | December 1914 [2] [3] [4] | |
Bismarck Street ( Kogarah) | Kitchener Street | 10 November 1914 [5] | |
Deutschland Street ( Canterbury) | Onslow Street | December 1914 [2] [3] [4] | |
Germanton | Holbrook | 20 September 1915 [6] | |
German's Hill | Lidster | 1 February 1916 [6] | |
German Creek | Empire Vale | 1 May 1915 [6] | |
Hamburger Street ( Punchbowl) | Victoria Road | December 1914 [2] | |
Kaiser Street ( Canterbury) | Mons Street | December 1914 [2] [3] [4] | |
Reuss Street ( Merewether) | Kilgour Avenue | 14 January 1918 [7] | Newcastle section renamed 1918. Merewether Municipality section Reuss Street until 1938. [8] |
Schlinkers Lane ( Ultimo, Sydney) | Bullecourt Lane | 1917 | No longer exists. Development on 428-466 Harris Street, Ultimo is named "Bullecourt Place". |
Webber's Road ( Kogarah) | English Street | 7 September 1915 [9] |
The South Australian Nomenclature Act 1917 authorised the compilation and gazetting of a list of place-names contained in a report of the previous October prepared by a parliamentary "nomenclature committee", and authorised the Governor of South Australia, by proclamation, to "alter any place-name which he deems to be of enemy origin to some other name specified in the proclamation". [13] The table below includes the 69 changes gazetted on 10 January 1918. [14]
The Nomenclature Act 1935 restored the former names of the towns of Hahndorf and Lobethal, and the Adelaide suburb of Klemzig. [15] About 20 other names were reverted in the 1970s and 1980s; some of them were assigned to larger localities rather than reverting to the original place name, as also shown in the table.
Old name | New name | Date of name change | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Bartsch's Creek | Yedlakoo Creek | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Bartsch Creek 1986 |
Berlin Rock | Panpandie Rock | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Bethanien | Bethany | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Bismarck | Weeroopa | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Blumberg | Birdwood | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Blumenthal | Lakkari | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Buchfelde [16] | Loos | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Buchfelde |
Cape Bauer | Cape Wondoma | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Cape Bauer in 1948 |
Carlsruhe | Kunden | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Ehrenbreistein | Mount Yerila | 10 January 1918 [17] | |
Ferdinand Creek [18] | Ernabella Creek | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Mount Ferdinand [18] | Mount Warrabillinna | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Friedrichstadt | Tangari | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Friedrichswalde | Tarnma | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Gebhardt's Hills | Polygon Ridge | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Gebhardt Hills in 1986 |
German Creek | Benara Creek | 10 January 1918 [17] | Reverted in 1986 |
German Pass | Tappa Pass | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Germantown Hill | Vimy Ridge | 10 January 1918 [14] | Became part of Bridgewater; road name (only) reverted to Germantown Hill Road |
Gottlieb's Well | Parnggi Well | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Grunberg | Karalta | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Gruenberg in 1975 |
Grunthal | Verdun | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hahndorf | Ambleside | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Hahndorf in 1935 [15] |
Hasse's Mound | Larelar Mound | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Heidelberg | Kobandilla | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hergott Springs | Marree | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hildesheim | Punthari | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hoffnungsthal | Karawirra | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Hoffnungsthal in 1975 |
Hundred of Basedow [19] | Hundred of French | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hundred of Homburg [20] | Hundred of Haig | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hundred of Krichauff | Hundred of Beatty | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hundred of Paech [21] | Hundred of Cannawigara | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hundred of Pflaum [22] | Hundred of Geegeela | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hundred of Rhine (North) | Hundred of Jellicoe | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hundred of Rhine (South) | Hundred of Jutland | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hundred of Scherk [23] | Hundred of Sturdee | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hundred of Schomburgk [24] | Hundred of Maude | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Hundred of Von Doussa [25] | Hundred of Allenby | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Jaenschtown | Kerkanya | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Kaiserstuhl | Mount Kitchener | 10 January 1918 [14] | Renamed Kaiser's Seat in 1975; subsequently changed to Kaiserstuhl |
Klaebes | Kilto | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Klemzig | Gaza | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Klemzig in 1935; [15] football club retained the name Gaza |
Krause Rock | Marti Rock | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Krichauff [26] | Beatty | 10 January 1918 [14] | Changed to Mount Mary 1940 |
Kronsdorf | Kabminye | 10 January 1918 [14] | Changed to Krondorf in 1975 |
Langdorf | Kaldukee | 10 January 1918 [14] | Incorporated in the bounded locality of Tanunda |
Langmeil | Bilyara (near Tanunda) | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Langmeil in 1975 |
Lobethal | Tweedvale | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Lobethal in 1935 [15] |
Mount Meyer | Mount Kauto | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Muller's Hill | Yandina Hill | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Neudorf | Mamburdi | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted 1986, became part of Lobethal |
Neukirch | Dimchurch | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Neukirch in 1975 |
New Hamburg | Willyaroo | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
New Mecklenburg | Gomersal | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Oliventhal | Olivedale | 10 January 1918 [14] | Became part of Birdwood |
Petersburg | Peterborough | 10 January 1918 [14] | The Petersburg Times protested against the change until 1919. [27] |
Rhine Park | Kongolia | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Rhine Hill | Mons Hill | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Rhine River North | The Somme | 10 January 1918 [14] | Changed to Somme Creek 1971 |
Rhine River South | The Marne | 10 January 1918 [14] | Changed to Marne River 1971 |
Rhine Villa | Cambrai | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Rosenthal | Rosedale | 10 January 1918 [14] | |
Schoenthal | Boongala | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted 1986; incorporated in the bounded locality of Charleston |
Seppelts [28] | Dorrien | 10 January 1918 [14] | Incorporated into the bounded locality of Nuriootpa |
Schreiberhau | Warre | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted 1975 |
Siegersdorf | Bultawilta | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted in 1975; incorporated into the bounded locality of Tanunda |
Steinfeld | Stonefield | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted 1986 |
Summerfeldt | Summerfield | 10 January 1918 [14] | Incorporated into the bounded locality of Palmer |
Vogelsang's Corner | Teerkoore | 10 January 1918 [14] | Reverted to Vogelsang Corner 1986; incorporated into the bounded locality of Geranium Plains |
Wusser's Nob | Karun Nob | 10 January 1918 [14] | Changed to Wusser Nob in 1983 |
Old name | New name | Date of name change | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Bismarck | Collinsvale | 1 July 1915 [29] | |
Germantown | Lilydale | [30] |
Old name | New name | Date of name change | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Germantown | Grovedale | 1 March 1916 [31] | |
Hochkirch | Tarrington | 1 March 1918 [31] | |
Mount Bismarck | Mount Kitchener | ||
Reinholtz's PO | Reynold's PO | 5 November 1920 [31] | |
Waldkirch | Freshwater Creek (Anglesea Road, south-west of Grovedale)[ citation needed] | ||
Weinberg Road, Hawthorn | Wattle Road | ||
West Prussia Road, Wantirna | Wantirna Road | ||
Grünwald | Arkona | ||
Bismarck Avenue, Surrey Hills | Warwick Avenue | December 1918 [32] | |
Bismarck Street (off Doncaster Road), Doncaster | Victoria Street | circa 1914 [33] |
Old name | New name | Date of name change | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Heidelberg | Bickley | [34] | |
Mueller Park | Kitchener Park | reverted to Mueller Park 1981 |