Aboriginal Street and Place Names
Canterbury, like many local government areas, has a number of streets named with Aboriginal words. However, there is no evidence that these names were specifically related to the Canterbury area. The streets would have been named in the twentieth century when there were probably very few Aboriginal people remaining in Canterbury. It seems that Aboriginal street names were fashionable, and many of the same names are found in other areas across Australia, indicating they are possibly not local names. For example, Girrahween Park in Earlwood is an Aboriginal word meaning 'place of flowers'. There are four streets and two other parks in Sydney named Girraween, as well as Girraween parks in other states.
Bulanaming is the only recorded Aboriginal name definitely associated with part of the Canterbury area, and was a locality rather than a defined location. It was used until the 1820's for the area west of Sydney between Parramatta Road and the Cooks River, to a point just west of the present Canterbury Racecourse to Peace Park.
| Name | Location | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Alkoomie Street | Beverly Hills | Very nice |
| Allambee Crescent | Beverly Hills | To remain awhile |
| Arilla Avenue | Riverwood | Other possible spelling Arellah; dancing ground |
| Arinya Street | Kingsgrove | Kangaroo |
| Attunga Avenue | Earlwood | High Place |
| Bambra Avenue | Punchbowl | Mushroom |
| Baralga Crescent | Riverwood | Native companion |
| Baringa Road | Earlwood | Light |
| Barremma Road | Lakemba | White ironbark |
| Bellombi Street | Campsie | No |
| Benaroon Road | Lakemba | Blackbutt |
| Biara Avenue | Campsie | Banksia |
| Boomerang Avenue | Earlwood | |
| Booragul Street | Beverly Hills | Summer |
| Boorea Avenue | Lakemba | Turpentine tree |
| Burradoo Road | Beverly Hills | Many brigalow |
| Burrimul Street | Kingsgrove | Emu |
| Bykool Avenue | Kingsgrove | Blackfellow |
| Carbethon Crescent | Beverly Hills | Cheerful |
| Coolabah Street | Beverly Hills | Black box tree |
| Cooloongatta Road | Beverly Hills | Fine view |
| Coorabin Place | Riverwood | Spring constantly running |
| Coorilla Avenue | Canterbury | South |
| Doonkuna Street | Beverly Hills | Rising |
| Elouera Street | Beverly Hills | Pleasant place |
| Enoggera Road | Beverly Hills | From ynoggera, meaning not verified |
| Eulabah Street | Earlwood | Possibly Coolabah: black box tree |
| Eumina Street | Beverly Hills | Repose |
| Garema Circuit | Kingsgrove | Camp |
| Garrong Road | Lakemba | Species of wattle |
| Girraween Park | Earlwood | Place of flowers |
| Gungaroo Place | Beverly Hills | Crane |
| Gunyah Crescent | Lakemba | Place of shelter |
| Iluka Street | Riverwood | Near the sea |
| Jindalee Place | Punchbowl | Bare hill, or no skin on the bones |
| Junee Crescent | Kingsgrove | Chunnee: frog, or speak to me |
| Kangaroo St | Canterbury (now Phillips Avenue) | |
| Kardella Crescent | Kingsgrove | Possum |
| Karingal Street | Kingsgrove | Happy camp |
| Karool Avenue | Earlwood | Stone |
| Kiewarra Street | Lakemba | Dark |
| Kilkee Avenue | Kingsgrove | Water hen |
| Killara Avenue | Kingsgrove | Always there |
| Kirrang Street | Beverly Hills | Wattle |
| Koala Road | Lakemba | Native bear, man |
| Maramba Close | Kingsgrove | Better |
| Marana Road | Earlwood | Stars |
| Metella Crescent | Belfield | Camp Cove |
| Mildura Reserve | Campsie | From dura: a fly and mil, the eye, a place where sore eyes are prevalent, caused by flies which could not be driven off |
| Minnamorra Avenue | Earlwood | Plenty of fish |
| Moondani Road | Beverly Hills | Embrace |
| Mooral Avenue | Punchbowl | Plenty |
| Myall Street | Belmore | 1.wild untamed man 2.amateur nature of native born |
| Myee Street | Lakemba | Native born |
| Nanowie Street | Narwee | A corner |
| Narani Crescent | Earlwood | other possible spelling Narangy: small, little, few, or Narrami: net |
| Narwee Avenue | Beverly Hills | The sun |
| Nirimba Avenue | Beverly Hills | Pelican |
| Patonga Street | Kingsgrove | Small wallaby |
| Turrella Reserve | Earlwood | Water weeds |
| Urunga Parade | Punchbowl | A long beach |
| Wangee Road | Lakemba | Tallowwood gum |
| Waratah Street | Canterbury | Red flowering tree |
| Warrigal Street | Canterbury | Dingo or wild dog |
| Werona Avenue | Punchbowl | Quiet |
| Willeroo Street | Lakemba | Curlew |
| Willunga Avenue | Earlwood | Scrubby place |
| Wirega Avenue | Kingsgrove | Clear ground |
| Wolli Avenue | Earlwood | Woli: native camp, Wolli: camping place |
| Wonga Street | Campsie | 1.to speak 2.large pigeon 3.vine bearing clusters of yellow/white flowers |
| Woorail Avenue | Kingsgrove | Lyrebird |
| Yangoora Road | Belmore | Stringybark |
| Yatama Park | Clemton Park | Good |
References
- Endacott, Sydney J. (1973). Australian Aboriginal words and place names and their meanings. 10th ed. Blackburn, Victoria: Acacia Press.
- Reed, A.W. (1965). Aboriginal words of Australia: Sydney.
- Tyrrell, James, R. (1933). Australian Aboriginal place-names and their meanings. Sydney: Simmons.
- Troy, Jakelin (1994). The Sydney Language. Canberra.
