Odd Australian Town Names

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Unusual Names - What Do They Mean? Where Are They?

Some Australian place names come straight from England with the early settlers, so you have towns and cities like Melbourne, Windsor, Newcastle, and Sydney. Others were named after explorers like Darwin or the Simpson Desert. Places were given descriptive names such as the Ninety Mile Beach or the Snowy Mountains.

Many of the names that trip up the traveler to Australia are ones that came from the Aboriginals. Look at the map to see names like Mollymook, Goomboorian, Yaamba, Koombooloomba, Gwabegar, and Warracknabeal.
The repetitive names are fun to say like Wagga Wagga, Woy Woy, Millaa Millaa, and Cullen Bullen.

Road sign New South Wales, Australia by drjwtaylor


Sydney Australia Vintage Transit Scroll print
Sydney Australia Vintage Transit Scroll by AntiquePosters

Google Maps - Wagga Wagga and Other Repetitive Town Names

in Australia

I have a picture of the beautiful waterfall at Millaa Millaa. I need to hunt that up and post it here.

Paraburdoo, Western Australia

Example of an Aboriginal Town Name

The name comes from two Aboriginal words (piru and pardu) meaning meat and feather which applied to the large number of cockatoos which inhabit the area. (from the Western Australia Now and Then site)

Burger Bus button
Burger Bus by oddoutlet

I've Been Everywhere (the original, Australian version)

This could be a real tongue-twister to sing!

Lucky Starr ::: Ive Been Everywhere (with lyrics)
by Rikkyhardo | video info

106 ratings | 47,444 views
curated content from YouTube

Australian Road Atlas

will help you find all the unusual Australian town names

Australia Handy Atlas (Australian Road Atlases & Guides)

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More about Town and Place Names in Australia

List of Australian place names of Aboriginal origin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Adaminaby to Yuluma, a list of Australian place names that come from the Aboriginals.

The Bloggers Talk about Funny Australian Names

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Add the Name of an Australian Town That You Found Interesting or Odd

Vote up or down the ones you like or don't like

Wombat in New South Wales

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Nowhere Else, Tasmania & South Australia

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Koo Wee Rup has always been a favourite, so has Woolloomooloo and Yackandandah.

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I like Humpty Doo, Kissing Point, Wineglass Bay and Pimpinbudgie

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Kingoonya - south australian outback town

About 6 people live here at present. It means way of more...0 points

Wagga Wagga & Coffin Bay

Wagga Wagga reminds me of Fozzie from the Muppets0 points

COffin Bay,

well I guess there's alot of shark attacks there ( more...0 points

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Do You Know Any Unusual Australian Place Names to Add?

ayers rock kangaroo sign postcard
ayers rock kangaroo sign by sumners

  • scarlettohairy May 9, 2012 @ 9:55 pm | delete
    I've never visited Australia but this makes it even more appealing! Love funny and odd town names.
  • Markstuffnmore Mar 20, 2012 @ 6:02 pm | delete
    I would love to go to Australia!
  • ZodiacImmortal Mar 18, 2012 @ 12:54 pm | delete
    cool lens I've added it to the Travel section on my Favorite lenses lens
  • nephthys Jan 9, 2012 @ 11:00 am | delete
    not in australia, but same continent- Taumata­whakatangihanga­koauau­o­tamatea­turi­pukakapiki­maunga­horo­nuku­pokai­whenua­kitanatahu (the world's longest place name)
  • OutbackJack Jan 7, 2012 @ 7:36 am | delete
    interesting lens. I have a website on outback of australia and have visited places such as Toompine, Duck Creek, Kingoonya, Tarcoola, Quilpie, www.outbackjack.info
  • SidneyMorgan Dec 5, 2011 @ 3:46 am | delete
    You missed one of the Good One- Nowhere Else, Tasmania & SA :)
    Great Lens..Thumbs up :)
  • bluewren56 Dec 3, 2011 @ 5:36 am | delete
    There is a town in New South Wales called "Wombat"
  • seegreen Jul 31, 2011 @ 8:59 am | delete
    Koo Wee Rup has always been a favourite, so has Woolloomooloo and Yackandandah.
  • emerald125 Mar 26, 2011 @ 5:11 pm | delete
    I like Humpty Doo, Kissing Point, Wineglass Bay and Pimpinbudgie but there are sooo many others to choose from. I think it's pretty obvious that lots of our forefathers drank too much ;-)
  • Bus_Stop_Toy_Shop Jan 24, 2011 @ 5:31 am | delete
    Great fun lens - I reckon Wagga Wagga is my favourite.
  • Irenemaria Jan 24, 2011 @ 4:22 am | delete
    Amazing planet we live on! I hope to see these signs in real life once.

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by Virginia Allain

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The photo shows me boarding the plane for Australia in 1989.
I'm Virginia Allain, a retired librarian. Now I devote myself to writing, photography and...
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