German Place Names in South Australia
 

The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA)

Saturday 18 February 1928


GERMAN PLACE NAMES.


From the Rev. O. NICHTERLEIN, Glen

Osmond:—Mr. Byard expresses the fear that

restoration to the map of the old historical

name of Hahndorf and others would be ac-

companied by a revival of bitterness which

has happily been forgotten here and in the

old country. He seems to overlook the fact

that his correspondence is doing much

towards the revival of the lamentable bit-  

terness that was shown towards people of  

German descent in Australia during the    

war. He also forgets that much of the

bitterness of the war period was brought

about by the action of those who, contrary

to the wishes of the inhabitants, replaced

the names of villages of peace loving    

communities by such as are reminiscent of    

military glory. I have always understood

that in a democracy the wishes of the

people are consulted, even in local matters

and that they, therefore, should have first  

say in the naming of their town. If this

was overlooked under the bias of those  

days which Mr. Byard so preferentially    

recalls to memory, but which most of us  

are anxious to forget, why should it not be  

applied now? The expense of changing the  

names wan not considered at that time

why should it be considered now    


The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA)

Wednesday 20 November 1929


GERMAN PLACE NAMES

VIEWS OF THE PREMIER


In the Assembly yesterday the

Premier (Hon. E. L. Butler) told

Mr. Carter that he was taking up with

Mr. A. Grenfell Price the matter of

restoring certain German names of his-

toric value.

The Hon. W. J. Denny—The great

bulk of them ought to be changed.

The Premier —No. I think five or six

should be.

Mr. Collins asked that a poll of the

residents living in the towns should

be taken before any change was made.

Tlie Premier said the Govern-

ment would not do anything in the

matter until they knew that the ma-

jority of the residents in the towns de-

sired a change.

Names to Receive Attention

It is understood that the five names  

which will first receive attention are  

Tweedvale, Ambleside, Gaza, Marree,  

and Loos. These were formerly Lobe-  

thal. Hanndorf, Klemzig, Hergot

Springs, and Buchfelde respectively.  

Whereas the present names are merely  

substitutes of no historical significance  

to South Australia, the original names

commemorate the work of German  

settlers who hold a definite place in

the records of pioneering effort and  

the development of the State. As

well there are at present in South

Australia two places with the name

of Ambleside. In the case of these

five places also it is anticipated that  

there will not be any considerable cost  

to the State in changing the names.


The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA)

Thursday 3 March 1932


GERMAN PLACE

NAMES


Original And Substituted

Titles


It is considered possible that the

suggestion of Professor Lodewyckx,

Associate Professor of Languages at

the Melbourne University, for the re-

storation of German place names will

be discussed by Cabinet. The follow

ing is a complete list of the original

German names, together with the

changes made by the Nomenclature

Act:—

Bartsch's Creek, now Yedlakoo Creek.

Hundred of Basedow, Hundred of

French.

Cape Bauer, Cape Wondoma.

Berlin Rock, Panpandie Rock.

Bethanien, Bethany.

Bismarck, Weeroopa.

Blumberg, Birdwood.

Blumentbal. Lakkari.

Buchfelde, Loos.

Carlsruhe (or Karlsruhe), Kunden.

Ehrenbreitstein, Mount Yerila.  

Ferdinand Creek, Ernabella Creek.

Mount Ferdinand, Mount Warrabil-

inna.  

Friedrichstadt, Tongari.

Fnedrischswalde, Tarnma.

Gebhardt's Hills, Polygon Ridge.

German Creek, Benare Creek.

German Pass, Tappa Pass.

Germantown Hill, Vimy Ridge.

Gottliebs's Well, Paruggi Well.

Grunbcrg, Karalta.

Grunthal, Verdun.

Hahndorf, Ambleside.

Hasse's Mound, Larelar Mound

Heidelberg, Kobandilla.

Hergott Springs, Marree.

Hildesheim, Punthari.

Hoffnungsthal, Karawirra.

Hundred of Homburg, Hundred of

Haig.

Jaenschtown, Kerkanya.

Kaiserstuhl, Mount Kitchener.

Klaebes, Kilto.

Klemzig. Gaza.

Krause Rock, Marti Rock

Hundred of Krichauff, Hundred of

Beatty.

Krichauff, Beatty.

Kronsdorf, Kabminye.

Langdorf, Kaldukee.

Langmeil, Bilyara.

Lobethal, Tweedvale.  

Mount Meyer, Mount Kanto

Mullers Hill, Yandina Hill.

Neudorf, Mamburdi.  

Neukirch, Dimchurch.  

New Hamburg, Willyaroo.  

New Mecklenburg, Gomersal.  

Oliventhal, Olivedale.

Hundred of Paech, Hundred of Can-

nawigra.

Petersburg, Peterborough.

Hundred of Pflaum, Hundred of Gee-

geela.

Rhine Park, Kongolia.

Rhine Hill, Mons.

Rhine River North, The Somme.

Rhine River South, The Marne.

Rhine Villa, Cambrai.

Hundred of Rhine (north), Hundred

of Jellicoe.  

Hundred of Rhine (south), Hundred  

of Jutland.

Rosenthal, Rosedale.  

Hundred of Scherk. Hundred of

Sturdee.

Schoenthal, Boongala.

Hundred of Schomburgk, Hundred

of Maude.

Seppelts, Dorrien.

Schreibeihau, Warre  

Siegersdorf, Bultawilta.

Steinfcld, Stonefield.

Summerfeld, Summerfield.

Vogelsangs Corner, Teerksare.

Hundred of Von Doussa, Hundred of    

of Allenby.    

Wusser's Nob, Karun Nob.



The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA)

Wednesday 4 December 1935


RESTORING GERMAN

PLACE NAMES


Nomenclature Bill Passed

By Council


Several members suggested that all

German place names altered during the

war should be restored during the sec-  

ond reading debate on the Nomencla-

ture Bill in the Legislative Council yes-

terday, but the majority of members

decided to adhere to the Bill, which

proposes to restore the names of Klem-

zig, Lobethal and Habndorf, and the

Bill was passed without amendment.

The Assembly had previously approved

of the measure.

Stating that the Bill had his whole

hearted support. Mr. Castine (L.C.L.)

said, that, as a Centenary act, they

should restore the whole of the changed

names, in addition to the three sug-

gested in the BilL

Mr. Cowan (L.CL.), in supporting the

Bill, said that the names of Klemzig,

Hanndorf and Lobethal were given as

a compliment to the wishes of deserv-

ing colonists. It would be difficult to

restore the names of certain places,

which had been called after distin-

guished British generals.

"Graceful Gesture"

Mr. Cudmore (L.C.L.), supporting the

Bill, said that he thought that there

were several other places that could

have been included, particularly Her-

gott Springs, now known as Marree.

Mr. Young (L.C.L.) said that it was

fitting that the names should be

changed. It would be a graceful ges-

ture to the memory of those men whom

the State recognised as first-class pion-

eers.

Mr. Condon (A.L.P.) said that he

could not understand why the provi-

sions of the Bill were limited to three

towns. It would be only proper to In-

clude the other places.

Mr. Mowbray (L.C.L.) said that while

he agreed with members that it was

wrong for the names to have been al-

tered, he intended to oppose the Bill

unless there was evidence to show that

the rechanging of the names would not

result in undue expense.

"I do not think that the Bill goes

tax enough," said Mr. Anderson (Ind.).

The names or the pioneers should be

preserved, and I hope that the Govern-

ment will consider restoring all the

place names changed during the war

Mr. Duncan (L.C.L.) said that the

passing of the Bill would show the

towEs which were not included in the

provisions of the measure, that they

could have the names altered if the

feeling of the citizens was nearly unani-

mous.    

The Chief Secretary (Sir George

Ritchie) said that officials had no

difficulty in the Lands Titles Office in

altering the names as suggested in the

Bill. He would ascertain for Mr Mow-

bray the cost of making the altera-

tions. If applications to change other

place names were received, they would

be considered by the Government

The Bill was passed without amend-

ment.

The following articles are transcriptions of a few of those that appeared in the Adelaide Advertiser during the period 1928-1935 on the topic of restoration German place names.