Australian Place Names that Need no Explanation
There is no doubt that here in Australia we like to simplify things. We either name our towns, waterways, mountains and headlands with aboriginal names, famous people names, after names of places in England or we just name them as we see them.
So I have put a list together of other places in Australia that really need no explanation. Their names say it all:
1. Broken Head
Yes it is a headland located on the Northern New South Wales coast just south of Byron Bay that does in fact have a ‘broken head’.
2. Red Rock
This rocky outcrop on the coast at the little town of Red Rock in Northern New South Wales is distinctly red in colour.
3. Seven Mile Beach
It’s true this remote beach which is located between Broken Head and Lennox Head is exactly seven miles in length.
4. Great Ocean Road
The 234 kilometre drive along this most scenic winding road along the south eastern coast of Victoria really exemplifies the name of the Great Ocean Road.
5. Crescent Head
As the name denotes, the headland at this favourite surfing spot on the northern New South Wales coast, is crescent shaped.
6. The Pinnacles Desert
Just 245km or three hours drive from the centre of Perth in West Australia is The Pinnacles Desert in the Nambung National Park. The moonscape scenery is made by the pillars (or pinnacles) rising out of the stark desert landscape of yellow quartz sand.
7. Whitehaven Beach
This magnificent 7 km long beach amongst the islands of The Whitsundays in Queensland has some of the whitest sand you will ever see and is a safe haven for yachts and boats alike.
8. Lakes Entrance
This artificial channel connecting the Gippsland Lakes to the Bass Strait in Victoria is just that – Lakes Entrance.
9. Redhead
Redhead is a coastal suburb of the city of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales. As you can see it was named for the appearance of its red coloured headland when viewed from the sea.
10. Salt Creek
Salt Creek is a small settlement in South Australia, located along the Coorong, which has a salt creek flowing through the middle of town. The saltwater comes from the huge expanses of salt pans on the Coorong.
11. Whaler’s Way
Located on a promontory 32km to the south west of the town of Port Lincoln, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, Whaler’s Way is a series of unsealed tracks which pass through private property along its 14km length, giving access to one of the most dramatic sections of coastline on the Australian mainland. It is named after the area’s whaling past at a remote spot called Fishery Bay and it was on this natural ramp that they’d haul up the Southern Rights and carve them up for their blubber.
12. Granite Island
Granite Island is a small island next to Victor Harbor, South Australia, not far from South Australia’s capital city, Adelaide. It is characterised by its huge granite boulders tinged with orange lichen and is home to a colony of little penguins.
13. Swansea
Yes there is an inland sea that is famous for its large population of black swans. Swansea is a suburb located at the entrance to Lake Macquarie in New South Wales.
14. Black Head
Just like Red Rock and Redhead, is Black Head situated on the coast of Gerroa, near Kiama on the South Coast of New South Wales. A great place to partake in some rock fishing.
15. Sandy Cape
Sandy Cape is about 250km north of Perth, West Australia and is named because of its vast stretches of snow white sand dunes, but it also has a spectacular beach.
I would be interested to know of any other place names in Australia that require no explanation. I’m sure there are many more. We really do live in a fascinating country!
Linking up with Wanderlust Wednesday
What a wonderful pictorial journey of places and obvious names, love it! I would love to go to Whitehaven Beach and Wine Glass Bay while Palm Cove I love. Aussie names are so cool, and often so down to earth. In WA we have “Sue’s Road” and I often wonder who Sue is/was! We also have Snotty Gobble Loop near Pemberton! Lol.
As an Aussie traveller I love this post – I hadn’t actually thought how obvious we Aussies were when it comes to place names. Even farmers have a “one tree hill” paddock or “home block” paddock – i guess it is obvious and says it all – so why think up a different name! And yes Johanna – did you know that Snotty Gobble is a name of a tree? now whoever thought that one up?
Thank you Jill and welcome to my blog. After I photographed Seven Mile Beach, many people told me that there are several Seven Mile Beaches in Australia. And you are right, there is a One Tree Hill near Bendigo in Vic (my hometown). So the mystery of Snotty Gobble is solved – a tree! Well I’ll be damned.
Wine Glass Bay looks like someplace I would rather be. xxx Rae
I have been to Whitehaven Beach and it is just as spectacular as captured in the photo. I have also been to Palm Cove twice – it reminds me very much of Noosa Heads on the Sunshine Coast, Qld. Wineglass Bay and the Freycinet National Park is on my bucket list and hope to visit there someday soon. As for Snotty Gobble Loop – I can’t help you out with that one! I might have to check that one out when I’m over in WA.
You and me both Rae. I can picture myself lounging on that beach with a glass of wine in hand! It is definitely on my bucket list.
What a fun post! We Aussies have some pretty obvious place names but we also have some pretty obscure ones, too. There’s also a Ninety Mile Beach in Victoria – not that I’ve walked the length to confirm the distance!!
Thank you Carolyn. It’s good to use some of my photos of my travels in a fun way! I have heard of Ninety Mile Beach. I think it is a fairly common method of naming the massive stretches of beaches we have here in Aus. I will check out your blog too – it sounds interesting.
White haven beach was my favourite I can see myself paddle boarding there. Fab photos x
Whitehaven Beach should be renamed Whiteheaven Beach. It is the most divine beach on earth!
It’s AMAZING that my similar post about 18 months ago has NONE of the same Place Names as yours!! I guess that proves our point!! Of course the ones with RED in the title are my favourites!
Here’s the link to mine if you’re interested: http://www.redzaustralia.com/2013/09/13-aussie-place-names-that-wont-keep-you-guessing/
I have seen your post about the very same subject. Great minds think alike! When we were travelling around Aus it became very obvious that some of place names are just that obvious.There are many ‘Red’ places!
We have a suburb in our town with a First, Second, Third… Eighteenth Street. Almost as unimaginative as Seven Mile Beach!
It’s no different in New York. We took the subway all the way from 1st to 125th Ave this morning to go to the Baseball. We also have streets the same in Burleigh Heads. I guess it makes it easier to navigate:)
Names are very interesting and while some are funny or obscure these ones leave nothing to the imagination. There are some lovely places here. It is a long time since I’ve been to Lakes Entrance!
Lakes Entrance is a top place in the Victorian Gippsland Lakes area. It is nice that some place names are very simple whereas others have almost unpronouncible names.
Once you start thinking about it there are so many, Shell Beach in Shark Bay.
There are so many obvious place names in Australia and probably in the rest of the world too. I have been to Shell Beach in Shark Bay – it’s a beautiful beach with millions of tiny little cockle shells instead of sand. :)
Haha where I live – Redcliffe. Red cliffs.
Redcliffe is a pretty obvious one. It’s a very Australian ‘thing’ I feel! :) Thank you for dropping by Vanessa.
Love your post Kathy. You’ve gotta love Australians for telling it like it is – even when naming places. Why use some fancy name when you can just call it what it is! :-)
Yep that’s what I think. The simpler the better!!
Gee we are nothing if not unique hey! Though I suppose we have just as many ambiguous hard to pronounce places too. Thanks for linking up with #wednesdaywanderlust
You are spot on there. There is also a lot of almost unpronouncable place names as well. :)
Haha – great list . I love it.
Thanks Lyn. I had fun putting it together :)
Wow….what a great list. I would also add Indian Head on Fraser Island and also Elephant Rock hear on the Gold Coast! We are so obvious aren’t we.
Of course Elephant Rock at Currumbin and also there was a place in WA near Denmark called Elephant Rocks and the rocks really did look like elephants. I think I might have the makings of a second post!
So many awesome places!! I would love to visit Australia one day! It’s been on my bucket list for ages now!!
Australia is a fascinating place with so much diversity. It would not disappoint any traveller. Thank you for dropping by my blog. :)
Haha.. What a hilarious post! Had a lot of fun going through the list. Indeed, keep it simple so that we tourists know exactly what to expect! #WednesdayWanderlust
Thank you.There are so many places in Australia which such obvious place names. I had fun putting this together. :)
Some great names there! Made me wonder why they named Swan Hill so- apparently, the explorer Thomas Mitchell was camping near a hill. There was a lagoon in between 2 rivers, and on this lagoon were swans and other wild birds that made so much noise at night that they kept him awake. So they called the town Swan Hill. Pretty obvious, hey? :) #wednesdaywanderlust
I never knew that about Swan Hill and I have wondered all these years about that name. Thanks for clearing that up for me!
Good one Kathy, I bet there are a million more!
Yes I can think of dozens more. We are so typically basic when it comes to naming places! :)