Correspondence Between Sydney May And F.J Watson Concerning Aboriginal Place Names (ITM489477)

Union Street, Toowong, S.W.1. March, 1st, 1941.

Mr Sydney May, Hon. Sec. Place Names Committee, University of Queensland,

Dear Sir,

Your letter of 28th ultimo is to hand. Regarding the letter in last Tuesday's Telegraph, I have noted it and have replied thereto, but I think my letter has not yet been published.

Regarding Domville Taylor and Back Creek,- - according to H.S. Russell, "Genesis of Queensland", and Thos. Hall," History of the Warwick District", a Mr. Wingate took up land at what was known as the Broadwater on the Condamine River. He, shortly afterwards, handed it over to Dr. Rolland and Domville Taylor,

It was then named Tummavil. Hall states that the name originated by the liberty some of Taylor's friends took with his christian name. I do not know if Back Creek was included in this holding but it probably was, for Mount Domville, named after Taylor lies to the west of it. I lived for some months in 1906 at Milmerran near where I established a branch business of the Silverwood Dairy Company. While there, an early selector of the district informed me that Tummavil was an aboriginal pronunciation of Domville which had been adopted as the name of the Station. My informant also told me that the local township was to have been named from Mount Domville but it was finally decided to name it after the native's name for the Mount, i.e. Mil merran, the meaning of which I have already given you.

The accentis on the first syllable of the second word and the r's are slightly stressed. By the places named after him, I think that Taylor must have popularly known by his christian name. My informant---I much regret that I cannot recall his name--- spoke of him as Captain Domville, but I do not know whether he bore this title. Rolland and Taylor did not long hold Tummaville--- as it is spelled--- long before

[edited in pencil, some place names underlined]

before it, including Back Creek was merged witht he Gores' Yandilla holding. I may say that when I was at Milmerran the name was spelled with one 1 only. I have at hand a letter from the Under-Secretary for Agriculture, dated April, 1906, on which date is spelled as above. I was well acquainted with the late Mr. Walpole, mentioned in W. Gargett's letter, and I never heard him or any other resident of the locality pronounce the name of the township in any other way than as I have above mentioned. I might mention in passing, that notwithstanding Mr. Gargett's assertion that Mr. Walpole was a member of a Society of Friends, he was when I knew him, a prominent member of the Anglican community.

Re. The place Kuranda, I thinkI have given you the meaning of that word, taken from Bailey's "Queensland Flora."

Regarding Kosh, -- while journeying near this place about thirty eyars ago with a local native, I asked him what was its meaning. He replied "Name belongs blackfellow". He gave me the same reply to an enquiry re Mantaka, a railway station nearby. His definition of Myola, was, "Big camp. Where old fellow (presumably tribe elders) sit down).

While at Drynan's Crossing on the Lower Burnett, some years later, I took the opportunity of asking an intelligent aboriginal as to the meaning of some local place names.

I then casually and, under the circumstances, unreasonably, asked him if he knew the meaning of Myola. He did not know, and he asked me where it was. On my replying that it was near Cairns, he said he would ask his wife, as she was from the North.

She gave the information that it meant "the main or principal camp". As I had in no wise prompted these people, it was at least a curious coincidence of definition.

Trusting that this may be of some service, I am, yours faithfully, F. J. Watson

28th February, 1941.

Mr. F. J. Watson, Union Street, TOOWONG. S.W.1.

Dear Sir,

I wonder whether you noticed a letter in Tuesday's Telegraph (25th instant) with regard to Millmerran. Could you give me some further information about Domville Taylor and when he occupied Back Creek. I have your letter of April 15th but would like some more information about Taylor, especially the date of his occupation of the property.

Furthermore, do you know anything about Myela, Koah, and Kuranda. The Railway Department says Myola is a coined word. Dr. White's sister says that Koah was a blackfellow and Myola was his gin and A. Meston claims that Myola means the home of the bandicoot.

Yours faithfully,

Hon. Secretary.

SLM/PMc.

Queensland Place Names Committee, c/- The University, George Street, BRISBANE.

23rd January, 1941.

Mr. F.J. Watson, "Nylita", Union Street, TOOWONG. S.W.1.

Dear Sir,

In your letter of the 9th May, 1939, you have the following notes on "Goomeri" —

'A Railway station on the Nanango Railway. The words means a shield. The shielf was the narrow one used in hand to hand fighting with nulla or dhaberi. The word which is of Wakka origin was sometimes pronounced gudmeri. The Kabi word for this weapon is kunmarim.'

I was under the impression that you had said that "Goomburra" had the same meaning.

Yours faithfully,

HON. SECRETARY.

Union Street, [Toowong], January, 16th, 1941.

Dear [Mr. May],

I have your note of 14/1/41 to hand Re. the native word "burra", in the kabi and, probably, some other languages, burra means some, half,a number, a group or other word of analogous meaning.meaning. As an affix to a substantive it appears to have the meaning of a tribal ,locality group of people as in the name of such a group of Yugumbir aborigines near [Beaudesert], the Wangerri-burra or wallaby people.

This term may apply to [Darling Downs] tribes but I have no knowledge thereof. By the way, I have no recollection of comparing Goomeri and [Goomburra], nor do I think that they are in any way related. Goomerri, otherwise Goodmerri, means a shield. Dhu, in both Kabi and Wakki means tree. Dhilvine (second i as in wine) is a [South Burnett] name for the Ceratodus. Someone gave gave this name, under the form of [Theebine] to a Railway station in the [Mary River District],evidently in the belief that it was a local word.

The word Dhal or,as it more[mr?] often was pronounced, Jal, (long a) means in the Wakka ([South Burnett] ) an adult male person. It seems strange that the meanings of [Goomburra] and [Toolburra],Two of the first established stations on the [D.Downs] should be lost. Perhaps [Mr. Gunn] may know, or failing that, may know of someone who possibly may know.

Yours faithfully [FJWatson] ([F.J.Watson])