We’re probably no different from any other country in the world, but we sure do have some funny place names across our wide brown land.
I’ve just had to go through a large document in which many of our suburbs were named. (Sorry about the mystery but can’t say much more at this stage as it is a confidential project.)
Not every suburb in Australia was named but there were enough there for a Top 5 of weird and wonderful place names.
If seeing names like Pottsville, Yakamia, Cornubia, Tomahawk and Scone doesn’t put a wry smile on your face nothing will.
You just can’t help wondering why these places were named what they were named in the first place.
Personally I’d like to visualise the early days of Scone up there in northern NSW as the place where the best scones in the world were made.
However I am pretty sure it was named after a place in Scotland.
None of these place names can be the equal of our very own Raby, which some years ago caused a storm in a teacup when a resident suggested it was a terrible name and it should be changed.
There was no social media in those days but I have no doubt the brouhaha the “Rabies” debate caused across Macarthur would go viral today.
Me, I just think it make the whole show a bit more interesting having such wacky, zany place names.
Here are [without any commentary – I will leave that to your imagination] my favourite Top 5 names places in our wonderful country:
Number 1. Indented Head
Number 2. Balaclava
Number 3. Gympie
Number 4. Koo Wee Rup
Number 5. Auchenflower
