Forgotten place names of Lake Macquarie A-I
Place Names A-I Place Names J-Q Place Names R-Z
| Place Name | Suburb | Origin and Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Aitchison Reserve, Pelican | Pelican | Named in 1994 after old resident Robert Aitchison who worked to improve the town. A trustee of the reserve, he promoted vigoro, soccer, cricket and bowls being played there. He was a member of the Progress Association who voted that the name be given to the reserve showing the esteem he had earned in the community. Submitted by Councillor Shields at Council Meeting 11 April 1994. |
| Albert Reserve, Boolaroo | Boolaroo | Named after Boolaroo businessman Albert G Hawkins, 1968. |
| Allambee Creek, Valentine | Valentine | This unnamed creek flows through Allambee Gardens Reserve, Valentine. The name was suggested by Allambee Gardens Reserve Landcare Group in 2005. An Aboriginal word meaning ‘wait awhile, recline’ (Source: “Aboriginal Words of Australia” by A.H. & A.W. Reed). |
| Allambee Gardens Reserve, Valentine | Valentine | This was part of Henry F. Hallorans ‘gardens city’ type subdivision of curved roads and parks at Valentine in 1916. Allambee is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘wait a while, recline’ (Source: “Aboriginal Words of Australia” by A.H. & A.W. Reed). Allambee Gardens Reserve is owned by Lake Macquarie City Council. There is a Landcare group here. Volunteers are welcome- phone Lake Macquarie Landcare on 4959 5080. |
| Allambee Park, Valentine | Valentine | An Aboriginal word meaning ‘to remain a while’ (Source: “Aboriginal Words of Australia” by A.H. & A.W. Reed). Major improvements were carried out by the Lions Club in 1988. |
| Allan Davies Field, Gateshead | Gateshead | Allan ‘Dubber’ Davies formed the Gateshead Football Club in 1969; he was made a life member of the club. |
| Allen Park, Warners Bay | Warners Bay | Named after Richard ‘Sheriff’ Allen, and old identity. He worked to get the first Warners Bay jetty built and was involved with the Progress Association for many years. It was gazetted in 1973. |
| Amaroo Lodge Nursing Home, Charlestown | Charlestown | An Aboriginal word meaning ‘beautiful place’ (Source: “Australian Women’s Weekly: Aboriginal Word List 20 December 1961). |
| Andersons Point, Belmont | Belmont | John Anderson was an early Belmont settler. He established the well-known 'Bellevue' boarding house. Andersons Hill is named after him. |
| Andy Bird Field, Kahibah South | Kahibah South | Named after Andrew Winship Bird for his involvement with the soccer club. He played on this field as a junior and about 1960 he worked on rebuilding the field and was president and coached for many years. |
| Anniversary Grove, Glendale | Glendale | Anniversary Grove is on the end of Irene Booth Park in Frederick Street. The grove of trees is believed to have been planted for a Bi-Centennial project in 1988. |
| Anzac Park, Teralba | Teralba | Anzac Park was named when the war memorial was moved there from its site near the entrance to the railway station in 1963. Earlier an old house with a shopfront, owned by Mrs Annie Cherry had been between the park and the hotel yard. After the house was demolished the land became part of the park. |
| Attunga Park, Charlestown | Charlestown | An Aboriginal word meaning ‘a high place’ (Source: “Australian Aboriginal Words and Place Names” by SJ Endacott). |
| Auston Learn to Swim Pool, Morisset | Morisset | Named in 2004 after the Auston family, David, Margaret and Warren for their fundraising, campaigning and involvement with the pool over a number of years. (LMH 15 December, 2004). |
| Auston Oval, Morisset | Morisset | This land was notified for public recreation in 1915. Named after Felix Auston, through his efforts the oval was established in 1964-65 with the help of his sons. They built the fencing and levelled the ground to build a soccer field. |
| Awaba Bay Recreation Area, Bolton Point | Bolton Point | It is 43.2 ha and is part of the Lake Macquarie State Recreation Area, gazetted in 1996. It was previously managed by the Department of Housing with the foreshore managed by the Department of Land and Water Conservation. |
| Awabakal Nature Reserve | Dudley Redhead | The Awabakal Field Studies Centre was established here in 1976 (Source: NMH 10 November 1976) and the Awabakal Nature Reserve was declared in 1978. It is approximately 120 ha of coastal land between Dudley and Redhead. |
| Awabakal, Lake Macquarie | Lake Macquarie | The name Awabakal is the masculine gender word to describe ‘man and his tribe’. Awabakarleen is the female gender word. Similarly treated they are two spirit parts of the trinity associated with the ‘main sky’. In addition to defining a tribe the word Awabakal also defines the language of that people. Rev Threlkeld was the first European to realise the Aborigines had a spiritual language as well as their ordinary language. (Sourced from Aborigines of the Hunter Region) In 1892 J. Fraser condensed and edited Threlkeld’s works of 1834 and 1850. Fraser gave the language a name: “A considerable proportion of this volume consists of Mr Threlkeld’s acquisitions in the dialect which I have called Awabakal, from Awaba, the native name for Lake Macquarie”, Note – ‘kal’ is a “belonging” suffix (Source: Condensed from “The Language of the Hunter River & Lake Macquarie” by Amanda Lissarrague). |
| Bahloo Reserve | Windale | An Aboriginal word meaning 'moon, god of the moon and guardian of girls and women'. (Source: Aboriginal Words of Australia by A.H. & A.W. Reed). |
| Baileys Bluff, Morisset Park | Morisset Park | Named after early landowner Bert Bailey, of stage, screen and radio fame, now usually called Bluff Point. There is also Baileys Lagoon. |
| Balcomb Field, Dudley | Dudley | Named on 16 October 1982 in memory of John Balcomb for his dedication and support for Junior Rugby League in the Dudley-Redhead area. |
| Bangalay Reserve, Jewells | Jewells | Bangalay is a NSW Aboriginal word meaning “timber of the eucalypts”. (Source: Aboriginal Words of Australia by A.H. & A.W. Reed). |
| Bareena Bay, Coal Point | Coal Point | Named on Captain Deed’s map of Lake Macquarie, 1907-8, Bareena Bay is on the Eastern side of Coal Point. Bareena is an Aboriginal word reputed by various internet sources to mean ‘view on the side of a hill’ or ‘summit’, further clarification is needed. |
| Barnett Field, Windale | Windale | Named after Clarrie Barnett who worked hard for the Junior Rugby League Club, a life member. |
| Barton Field, Belmont | Belmont | Named after Searle Barton of Belmont Cricket Club. He was a foundation member of the Belmont Sportsman’s Club in 1956. This club sponsors many sporting bodies. |
| Bax Park, Fassifern | Fassifern | This small park at the end of the Greenway at Fassifern railway station is named after Robert Bax, a former stationmaster of Fassifern. |
| Baxter Field, Marks Point | Marks Point | Named after Dick Baxter who was a foundation member of the Marks Point Bowling Club. |
| Bennett Park, Valentine | Valentine | A reserve at Hartley’s Point, Valentine, was named Bennett Park by Lake Macquarie Shire Council after George Henry Bennett, Shire Clerk, for his service to the community over the years (Newcastle Star 1 March 1977). |
| Bennetts Green | Bennetts Green | John Bennett was an early landowner in the vicinity the name would have come from him. There was an open space giving the name ‘green’. |
| Bernice Whitson Netball Courts, Cardiff South | Cardiff South | These courts in Ulinga Sports Complex are named after Bernice Whitson, a foundation member of the youth centre. She worked to establish the netball courts where she coached, umpired and was a representative. She helped establish tennis courts and cricket and other activities there as well. |
| Bernie Goodwin Memorial Park, Morisset | Morisset | Named after Bernie John Goodwin who drowned after saving four children who were swept out in the surf at Moonee Beach in 1973. |
| Biddaba, Speers Point, Warners Bay | Speers Point Warners Bay | This was the Aboriginal for the Speers Point area meaning ‘silent resting place’. (Source: “Aborigines of the Hunter Region” by Hunter Region Dept of Education p.96). Jonathon Warner named his house Biddaba. The Speers Point East School was renamed Biddabah Public School. |
| Bird Island, south of Catherine Hill Bay | south of Catherine Hill Bay | Bird Island Nature Reserve is a small offshore island. The schooner Catherine Hill was wrecked at Bird Island Point (Sydney Morning Herald, 27/06/1867), giving its name to Catherine Hill Bay. |
| Biriban Reserve, Coal Point | Coal Point | Alternate spelling of Biraban, the Awabakal word for 'eagle hawk' (Source: LE Threlkeld). |
| Birralee Day Care Centre, Whitebridge | Whitebridge | An Aboriginal word meaning ‘baby’.(Source: Australian Aboriginal Words by H.M. Cooper) |
| Black Jacks Point, Belmont | Belmont | Rev. Threlkeld reported that 'Old Jacky's tribe lived near his mission station at Belmont in 1828. (Source: Lake Macquarie Past and Present p.16). |
| Black Neds Bay, Swansea | Swansea | Black Ned, his wife Margret and children had a reserve set aside for them in 1871. It is now known as Black Neds Bay. (Source: Lake Macquarie Past and Present p. 84) |
| Black Neds Point, Summerland Point | Summerland Point | Old Ned' and his family were reported as being the last Awabakal Aborigines in Lake Macquarie. |
| Boatrowers Reserve, Blacksmiths | Blacksmiths | This reserve on Ungala Road is a boat launching and picnic area at Lake Entrance, Swansea Channel. |
| Bolton Point Park, Bolton Point | Bolton Point | Mr R Pogoniski, President of the Progress Association opened the Bolton Point Park in 1938 (Source: “In These Desert Wilds” by Peter Murray). |
| Boughton Point, Bolton Point | Bolton Point | Named after John Herring Boughton, an early landowner of Bolton Point (Source: “Lake Macquarie Memories” by Dulcie Hartley). |
| Brooks Mountain, Boolaroo/Speers Point | Boolaroo/Speers Point | An early name for Munibung Hill it was named after William Brook, who received the original land grant (Source: “Lake Macquarie Memories” by D. Hartley). |
| Broughton Point, Bolton Point | Bolton Point | About 1836 it was named Broughton Point by Reverend LE Threlkeld after Rt Rev William Grant Broughton, first an only Bishop of Australia (Source: “Early History of Australia” by EW Clack). |
| Bulls Creek, Gateshead-Bennets Green-Jewells. | Gateshead-Bennets Green-Jewells. | A locally known name coming from Edmond Bull who purchased land in the 1800’s and established a large market garden there. The Bull name is also recorded in the name Bulls Garden Road. Bulls Creek was gazetted in 2005. |
| Bundara Ward, Morisset Hospital | Morisset Hospital | Bundara is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘clump of trees, edge of a swamp’ (Source “Aboriginal Words of Australia” by AH & AW Reed). |
| Bundee, Toronto | Toronto | Shown on early maps, Bundee is the waterfront at Toronto. Bundee means ‘a narrow place, any narrow point of land’. It is a corruption of the Awabakal word punte or puntei. |
| Bunyah Park – In Memory of Bert Bowerman, Eleebana | Eleebana | Originally this park had been known as Cherry Park after early settler Robert Cherry. Named Bunyah Park because of several large Bunya Bunya trees. A native pine tree, the nuts were an Aboriginal food. ‘In Memory of Bert Bowerman’ was added to the park name in 1988. He was involved with community affairs, serving on the Progress Association and the Park Committee, involved with reclamation of the foreshore and petitioned for the pedestrian underpass of the highway and other projects. |
| Burnage Reserve, Carey Bay | Carey Bay | Burnage Reserve is named after Lieut. Colonel John Granville Burnage CB and VD who commanded the 13th Battalion at Gallipoli. A resident of Carey Bay, he unveiled the Toronto Servicemen’s’ Memorial in 1922. |
| Byrnes Reserve, Little Pelican | Little Pelican | Byrnes Reserve, of approximately 5 hectares is on the southern side of the highway, on a Crown Reserve. It was named in 2002. The name commemorates the contributions made by Roy Byrnes who surveyed the Blacksmith area, provided early public services, including the building of the community hall and local sporting services. Kevin Byrnes was a foundation member of Belmont Golf Club, member of the Chamber of Commerce, Swansea-Belmont Surf Club and a foundation member of East Lake Historical Society & Museum. (Source: GNB NSW). |
| Cahill Oval, Belmont | Belmont | Named after Pat Cahill of Belmont Rugby League Club, he was a foundation member of the Belmont Sportsman Club in 1956; this club sponsors many sporting bodies. |
| Cameron Park | Cameron Park | This suburb name was gazetted in 2001, replacing Estelville. It is named after Ian Cameron, one of the founders of speedway and motorbike racing in Australia. |
| Camp Kanangra, Nords Wharf | Nords Wharf | In Nords Wharf this is a Scout’s camp reserve. Kanangra is an Aboriginal word meaning a ceremonial and meeting corroboree site of significance for the Awabakal and Darkinjung (Source: L.E. Threlkeld). |
| Canoe Point, Marks Point | Marks Point | Kahibah Point in the early years had been called Canoe Point (Proctor’s map). It was possibly named from the Aborigines racing bark canoes in the channel. |
| Cardiff Point, Valentine | Valentine | Named after the Cardiff Colliery that operated here. There was also a Cardiff Sawmill at Valentine. |
| Carolyn Milligan Netball Courts – ‘Millies Courts’, Warners Bay | Warners Bay | Name in recognition of her 21 years service for the club coaching (more than one team at a time), committee member and President. |
| Carpenters Estate & Thriftdale Estate – Mount Hutton | Mount Hutton | These were names given to the area that later became Mount Hutton. Thriftdale came from the name of an insurance company landowner. |
| Carramar Park, Kotara South | Kotara South | Carramar is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘shade of trees’ (Source: “Australian Aboriginal Words & Place Names” by SJ Endacott). |
| Centennial Park, Holmesville | Holmesville | Named to commemorate the Holmesville Centenary 1888-1988, when Joseph Holmes subdivided portion 49 and named Holmesville. The monument was unveiled by the honourable Bob Brown Federal Member for Charlton and the Hon. Jeff Hunter, State Member for Lake Macquarie, 18 April 1998. A time capsule is buried on the site. |
| Chain Valley Bay Recreation Area | Chain Valley Bay | It is 272 ha and is part of the Lake Macquarie State Recreation Area gazetted in 1996. It was previously owned by Pacific Power with the foreshore managed by the Dept. of Land & Water Conservation. |
| Chainbibber, Point Wolstoncroft | Point Wolstoncroft | Chainbibber was an early name for the Point Wolstoncroft area, John Moore’s property. There is possibly a name connection with Chain Valley. Bibber is believed to be an Aboriginal word meaning ‘hill’. |
| Chapman Oval Swansea | Swansea | Bill Chapman played in the first Swansea Rugby League team. He served on the Swansea Advisory Committee for a great many years. |
| Chaldene | Highfields | Chaldene was the name of a bus stop on the Pacific Highway "where the highway climbs from Adamstown South to Highfields" in the vicinity of the rifle range. |
| Cherrys Bridge, Barnsley | Barnsley | Thought to be named after Duncan Cherry, an early landowner. |
| Clacks Creek, Morisset | Morisset | Percy Clack was for 19 years the Morisset Station Master and was involved in the community and church organisations in the area. His house was near the creek, a tributary of Stockton Creek. It was declared on 27 December 2002. |
| Cobra Creek, Cobra Reserve, Wyee, Wyee Point | Wyee, Wyee Point | Cobra is an Aboriginal word for teredo, woodworm or shipworm, native to mangrove areas throughout Australia. Rotting logs were hacked with axes and worms eaten raw (Source: “The Worimi-Hunter-Gatherers’ by Borris Sokoloff). |
| Cocked Hat Creek, Edgeworth | Edgeworth | An early name for Edgeworth. Cocked Hat Creek flows into Cockle Creek. The name is thought to have come from the shape of Cocked Hat Hill, where it commences. |
| Cockle Bay | Speers Point | Cockle Bay is at the mouth of Cockle Creek. |
| Cockle Creek | Boolaroo | Col. William Paterson named Cockle Creek in 1801 because of the large amounts of molluscs he found there. (Source: “Cambridge Dictionary of Place Names” by R & B Appleton). |
| Cockle Creek Back Creek, Teralba | Teralba | Runs from near Borehole Colliery, along side Blair Street and under a 1933 bridge on York Street. |
| Coffee Pot Creek | Toronto | This name was preferred by the Lake Macquarie Historical Society, Toronto District Landcare Group and Coffee Pot Historical Society. This name was taken from a steam engine with a vertical boiler in a wooden box-like cabin used on the Toronto line after 1899. Known as the Coffee Pot, it achieved fame far and wide. Coffee Pot Creek was gazetted in 2005. |
| Cold Tea Creek, Belmont South | Belmont South | It was given this name because the water always had a brown colouring. Cold Tea Creek was dug by the army in 1942 as an anti-tank defence. It was believed that the Japanese would land at Blacksmiths during WW2 and head north to Newcastle, the industrial heart of Australia. (Source: NMH 7 November 2007). |
| Colliery Cottage Park, Redhead | Redhead | Gets this name because there were old miner’s cottages in this area. |
| Coon Island, Swansea | Swansea | Named after Herbert Greta Heaney whose nickname was ‘Coon’. He lived on the island in earlier times. |
| Cooranbong Park, Cooranbong | Cooranbong | Formerly known as the Town common, a large federal grant was received and Cooranbong Park was opened by Bob Brown MP on the 17th October 1993. For more information on see ‘Cooranbong’ by Michael Chamberlain. |
| Copper Point, Vales Point | Vales Point | Copper Point was an earlier name for Vales Point. |
| Crockers Creek, Jewells | Jewells | Incorrectly spelt, is named after William Croker an early landowner in the area. (From the History of Windale). |
| Croft Oval, Fassifern | Fassifern | Named after Frederick Oliver Croft, an earlier resident who donated the land for this oval. |
| Cross’s Beach, Dudley | Dudley | Near the caves at Dudley, Cross’s Beach is named after early farmer Mr Cross whose farm was one of the first on the east coast of Lake Macquarie. In later years there was an elderly lady called ‘Granny’ Cross who lived in Dudley She was of this family. |
| Cross’s Creek, Dudley | Dudley | This name was chosen by the Awabakal Environmental Education Centre at Dudley Public School. Cross’s Creek flows to the southern end of Dudley Beach in the Glenrock State Recreation Area. It was named after Mr. Cross who owned a property here in the 1800’s. Cross’s Creek was gazetted in 2005. |
| Croudace Bay Park – Eleebana | Eleebana | Named after early landowner Thomas Croudace. |
| Cullen Park, Belmont | Belmont | Cullen Park was named after Peter Joseph Cullen for his dedication and work for the community over many years. He was a foundation member and the first president of the Belmont Urban Committee, formed in 1931-32. |
| Dave Foreman Wing, Valentine-Eleebana Soccer Club, Valentine. | Valentine. | This wing of the soccer club building was named after Dave Foreman, a builder who had assisted greatly in enlarging the complex. He had been Vice-President and later President of the club. |
| Dick’s Creek, Charlestown | Charlestown | This creek was named after a prominent local family. It flows from east of Tirriki Street into Jewells Swamp. This name was approved by Council in 2005. |
| Diega Creek, Wakefield | Wakefield | Flows from the Awaba State Forest into Cockle Creek. An early land grant at Killingworth was called 'Deega' and an early name for Wakefield was 'Diegga Flat'. |
| Digary Creek | Wyee | Digary Creek was the early name for Mannering Creek, shown on a 1965 Council map. This is also mentioned in “Historical Tour of Wyong and District” by Brisbane Water and Wyong Shire Historical Societies. The meaning of this word has yet to be found. This creek flows into Wyee Dam at Vales Point Power Station. |
| Dillwynia Nature Reserve, Morisset | Morisset | In Mandalong Street it is named from the most common native species of flora found in the reserve, eggs and bacon plant. Named in 2002. |
| Dobell Memorial Park, Wangi Wangi | Wangi Wangi | Named after Sir William Dobell, Archibald Prize winning artist. A resident of Wangi. |
| Dobinson Reserve, Blacksmiths | Blacksmiths | Builder and landowner Thomas James Dobinson and wife Mary came to Swansea in 1911. He built the cinema, the main arcade and other buildings. He is remembered for his contribution to the Swansea/Blacksmiths area. Dobinson Reserce was named in 1972. |
| Drysdale Creek, West Wallsend | West Wallsend | Named after David Drysdale who lived near the creek in Withers Street, West Wallsend. David and Sandy Rees built the first footbridge over the creek following WW1, David died soon after during the ‘Spanish Flu’ epidemic of 1919. (Source: “Early West Wallsend” by T.G. Reynolds). |
This work by Lake Macquarie City Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License