First Nations Language Collection

"Nylets", Union Street, Toowong, August 9th, 1941.

Mr. Sydney May, Hon. Secretary, Q.P.N. Committee University of Queensland,

Dear Sir,

With reference to your request of 8th inst. regarding the place names Toowong and Indooroopilly, I fancy my information thereon was given some ? forms and not by letter.

Re. Toówong. According to Tom Petrie, the place so named was the bend of the Brisbane River below the Indooropilly bridge, i.e. the point of the peninsular now called Long Pocket. Petrie also said that Toówong was the blacks name for the black goat-sucker, by which, there is little doubt, is meant the Koel cuckoo or Cooey bird (Eudynamys orientalis). The present site of Toowong was given it name by a Mr. Drew, who, in early days, owned a block a block of land which extended back from the Regatta Hotel to some distance on both sides of Sylvan Road. A daughter of Mr. Drew, Mrs Brennan, still has her home there.

Indooroopilly, which should Nyińdūrūpi'lly. According to late Mr. David M'Connel, who owned Witton Manor nearby, the place so-called was a small creek between his house and Toowong Railway Station, and the meaning of the name, leech creek.

This information was given by Mr. D. M'Connel to Mr. A. M'Connel of Clayfield some sixty years ago.

(Moongalba ) -

[right margin pencil] Toowong Perry Steering Wheel M[gath?] H Longman.

[right margin red ink] H.C.

Moońgalbā (oo as in English bull, not as in moon) is the Stradbroke Island natives' name for the site of the aboriginal station, near Dunwich, to which the authorities have given the name (foreign to the place) of Miora. This information was given to me by a native residing there. I did not, however, get the meaning of the name.

Site of Paterson`s sawmill at Toowong: - Tom Petrie gave the natives' name of this place as Bunaraba but did not give its meaning, The meaning is probably "Place of bloodwood trees".

A matter of interest in this place that I have discovered, is that, in the early days of Brisbane, there was a black's camp on the hill near by. This is possibly the camp from which Oxley, when exploring the river, heard the sounds of a great "coroboree", when he camped by the river side the night before he landed at North Quay looking for water.

According to Petrie the site of the Regatta Hotel, adjoining the land that Mr. Drew called Toowong, the blacks called Jo-ai Jo-ai, the meaning of which I cannot trace.

Yours faithfully, [signature] F.J. Watson.

[top right margin pencil] Museum

Longman

Union Street, Toowong, 9th October, 1941.

Mr. Sydney, Hon. Secretary, Q.P.N. Committee, University of Queensland.

Dear Sir,

Regarding the name of the new railway station at 79 miles, forty chains from Brisbane, in correspondence between Mr. David W. Bull and Mr. Davis, the meaning of which is given as "Man and wife", you will think that my critism is caustic.

The word Nandroya cannot be of the local or any other South Queensland language, for it is not spelled in philological accord therewith, for in these languages the letter r never immediately follows a consonant. Regarding the meaning given, the local words for man and wife are mallim and mallim-gan, sometimes with a slight interpolation after the first syllable. It would seem to me that the name was chosen from on[e] of those lists one sees in the southern domestic magizines.

Yours faithfully, [signature] (FJ. Watson).

Grosvenor Street, Toowong, S. W. 1. July 29th, 1940.

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

Dear Sir,

I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 18th instant advising me of my election as an Associate Member of the above-named Committee and inclosing a copy of its Constitution. Please convey to the Committee my thanks for the honour accorded me. I shall be pleased to continue my assistance in the objects of the Committee in any way possible.

Yours faithfully,

F J Watson.

"Nyleta", Union Street, Toowong, July 14th, 1941.

Mr. Sydney May, Hon. Secretary, Q'land Place Names Committee, University of Queensland.

Dear Sir,

In reply to your attached to a copy of Mr. D. Bull's letter asking for comment thereon, I think that with the exception of the name Worri the only names for comment are the names of the Lakes near Tewentin.

The name Worri is evidently meant for "warui (war-oo-ee)", the name of the laced monitor or tree iguana

The names of the four lakes in question are, as recorded by the Lands Dept., Cooloola, which is the native name of the cypress pine tree; Como, a fresh water lake flowing into Lake Cootharaba, ? which is connected with Lake Cooroibah,

The last named three are connected by the Noosa River.

I do not know the meaning of Como, but it is probably a native word that is mis-spelled. (It is of no use putting the suggested word into print, for it could only be recognised by sound). Cootharaba, as spelled, certainly means "Place of clubs or nullas", coothar being a kind of club used by the local natives.

The meaning of Cooribah is not known, but may possibly be derived from kurui-ba (Kor-oo-ee-ba) meaning place of forest opossums.

In all probability these names do not refer to the lakes theselves but to localities in their vicinities.

The names suggeed by Mr. Bull are translated correctly, namely Koong Ubbung, of which the more correct spelling would Koong Ngabang, meaning "Mother water; and Koong Winwah (Koong wingwur) meaning "Big water", but he gives no actual evidence that the latter is the name of Lake Cootharaba.

Regarding Lake Cootharaba the evidence regarding name and meaning is conflicting. One night, t Cooroy, I was, with and acquaintance, discussing this name, when an elderly man standing by, asserted that the name was Kunduraba, but he gave it no meaning, but, continuing, gave the names of a number of local places with a true aboriginal accent, and he was the only white man that I ever heard to pronounce the native name of the town of Tiaro. Unfortunately, He was very drunk and could keep up no connected discussion. I hoped that I might meet him when sober, but next morning he was gone and all that I could hear of him was that he was a local bush-worker.

At another time, a Frazers' Island native, of about 60 to 70 years of age, and whose language is the same as that spoken at Cootharaba, insisted that the name is Kutchi-a-ba, (or Cootchee-a-ba), meaning "the place of kutchi, the ground iguana.

There are, thus, three names, either of which may be correct. -

Cootharaba, meaning "Place of clubs or nullas".

Kunduraba, which if spelled kundu-a-ba, means "place of boats or canoes"; and

Kutchi-a-ba, "Place of ground iguanas".

The evidence is so confliciting that for me to make any decision regarding it would be too presumptious.

I am inclined to think, however, that the names which are now given to the lakes do not refer to them but only too localities in their vicinities. [written in pencil] and Mestonian.

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

P.S. I think that the name given for the spear wood (Dissilliaria Baloghiodes should be kauar, not hauer, for the aspirate was never u[s]ed by the blacks.

8th July, 1941.

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

Dear Sir,

Some considerable time ago you forwarded a letter in which you discussed the name "Toowong" as being situated near Indooroopilly Railway Bridge and Indooroopilly itself down towards St. Lucia. You gave the meaning of Toowong as the Flinders Cuckoo or black goat-sucker. At the same time you mentioned that Toowong near Patterson's sawmill was known to the blacks by a different name. I have been searching through your letter files but regret I cannot lay my hands on the letter. Would you mind letting me have this information again at the Annual Meeting tomorrow night.

Yours faithfully.

Hon. Secretary.

P.S. Would you also give me any information available regarding the word "Moongalba".

10th April, 1941.

Mr. F.J. Watson, "Nyleta", Union Street, Toowong. S.W.1.

Dear Sir,

I wish to thank you for your letter of the 7th instant and will forward the information to the Railway Department. I have received an enquiry regarding the following four words and would be pleased to know if you have heard of them or something like them: -

Tarralyn or Taralun or Taralind.

Your notes on Beechmere will be forwarded to the people concerned.

Yours faithfully,

Hon. Secretary.

Union Street, Toowong, S.W.1. April 7th, 1941.

Mr. Sydney May, Hon. Secretary, Q.P.N. Committee, University of Queensland,

Dear Sir,

On the matter of the place name Beachmere, the following is a copy of a letter which I have received from Mrs. Ethel Smith, of Caboolture.

"From information gathered I think the first settler to take up land, extending from Toorbul point to King Johnny Creek, was a man named Bonney. Toorbul point later belonged to a man named Hamilton. From the scrubs around Cabulture township that is now, were cut the cedar and pine logs which were rafted down the Caboolture River to what is now called Beachmere Flats. With a pitsaw the logs were cut, the planks hand-dressed, and, on the bank at the mouth of the Caboolture River, Bonney built his homestead, naming it Beachmere; "Beach" on account of the narrow strip of sandy beach in front of the house, and "mere" because of the marshy nature of the land. Bonney died and was buried on the place and a Mr. Geddes then took over, and it was to this very homestead that my father (the late Mr. D.E. Boustead) brought my mother as a bride in the year 1880, my father being manager for Mr. Geddes at the time. the original homestead stood until a few years ago when it was demolished and rebuilt at what is now known as Beachmere Beach, a mile away from the first building site, only to be pulled down again and rebuilt in the town of Caboolture, the present owner being Mr. Mat. Zanow.

I believe a Mr. Arty Bonney (90 years of age), a son of the first settler, is at present living at Sandgate, although I have not been able to locate his proper address. Probably you could accomplish this with the aid of the Postal Department and he, no doubt, could give you much more valuable and useful information knowledge of the place.

(From)

[pencil comments] 4 copies

Union Street, [Toowong], S.W.1. 7th April, 1941.

[Mr. Sydney May], Hon. Secretary, Q.P.N.Committee, University of Queensland,

Dear Sir,

I have your letter of 3rd April to hand. Regarding the list of place names therewith,-- I have no knowledge of the suggested names Mangool,Calebra, Pombel and Bubialo,they being foreign to any of the languages with which I am acquainted.

The name Cuppie, is, I presume, meant for the Brisbane River name of the grey opossum, but the name ,as spelled, gives a wrong impression as to pronunciation. Better spelling would be Kupi, or Koopi, as the first vowel should be sounded as in English coop (as in hen-coop) and the last vowel short as in English it, and not as ee. On objection to the use of this name is that a railway station on the Isis Railway has the same meaning although is wrongly spelled as Kowbi. In place of this name I might suggest Narambi, which has the same meaning.

Another sugestion for the name of a cross-over is Wangau which in the Kabi language means a "crossing"or"across."

Your sincerely [FJWatson] ([F.J.Watson])

3rd April, 1941.

[Mr. F. J. Watson], "Nyleta", Union Street, TOOWONG. S.W.1.

Dear Sir,

I am enclosing a list of five names which the Railway Department have just selected for new crossing loops and unattended staff stations. Your comments on such are always of value.

Yours faithfully,

Hon. Secretary.