List of Australian place names changed from German names

During World War I, many German or German-sounding place names in Australia were changed due to anti-German sentiment. The presence of German-derived place names was seen as an affront to the war effort at the time.[citation needed]

The names were often changed by being anglicised (such as Peterborough), or by being given new names of Aboriginal origin (Kobandilla, Karawirra) or in commemoration of notable soldiers (Kitchener and Holbrook) or World War I battlefields (Verdun, The Somme).

New South Wales

Old name New name Date of name change Notes
Bismarck Street (Canterbury) Cressy Street December 1914
Bismarck Street (Kogarah) Kitchener Street 10 November 1914
Deutschland Street (Canterbury) Onslow Street December 1914
Germanton Holbrook 20 September 1915
German's Hill Lidster 1 February 1916
German Creek Empire Vale 1 May 1915
Hamburger Street (Punchbowl) Victoria Road December 1914
Kaiser Street (Canterbury) Mons Street December 1914
Reuss Street (Merewether) Kilgour Avenue 14 January 1918 Newcastle section renamed 1918. Merewether Municipality section Reuss Street until 1938.
Schlinkers Lane (Ultimo, Sydney) Bullecourt Lane 1917 No longer exists. Development on 428–466 Harris Street, Ultimo is named "Bullecourt Place".
Webber's Road (Kogarah) English Street 7 September 1915

Queensland

Old name New name Date of name change Coordinates Notes
Bergen Murra Murra October 1916 27°14′24″S 151°55′15″E / 27.24°S 151.9208°E / -27.24; 151.9208 (Bergen / Murra Murra) Bergen is a locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland. Murra Murra is a property within the locality (not to be confused with another property of the same name in the locality of Nebine)
Bergenside Neuve August 1916 27°15′37″S 151°53′26″E / 27.2603°S 151.8906°E / -27.2603; 151.8906 (Bergenside / Neuve) Neuve is a village within the locality of Bergen. It surrounds the former railway station.
Bismarck Maclagan March 1916 27°05′02″S 151°38′06″E / 27.0838°S 151.635°E / -27.0838; 151.635 (Bismarck / Maclagan)
Engelsburg Kalbar July 1916 27°56′31″S 152°37′24″E / 27.9419°S 152.6233°E / -27.9419; 152.6233 (Engelsburg / Kalbar)
Fahley Kilbirnie 27°13′56″S 151°49′26″E / 27.2322°S 151.8238°E / -27.2322; 151.8238 (Fahley / Kilbirnie)
Friezland Kuridala 21°06′10″S 140°22′57″E / 21.1027°S 140.3825°E / -21.1027; 140.3825 (Friezland / Kuridala)
Gehrkevale Mount Mort 27°47′08″S 152°26′16″E / 27.7855°S 152.4377°E / -27.7855; 152.4377 (Gehkevale / Mount Mort) The Post Office was renamed Mount Grace in about September 1916, then Mount Mort in about November 1916
German Gardens Belgian Gardens January 1915 19°14′57″S 146°47′31″E / 19.2491°S 146.7919°E / -19.2491; 146.7919 (German Gardens / Belgian Gardens)
Gramzow Carbrook 27°39′36″S 153°12′50″E / 27.6599°S 153.2138°E / -27.6599; 153.2138 (Gramzow / Carbrook)
Hapsburg Kowbi October 1916 25°10′43″S 152°13′47″E / 25.1786°S 152.2297°E / -25.1786; 152.2297 (Hapsburg / Kowbi) See Isis railway line
Hessenburg Ingoldsby September 1916 27°44′12″S 152°15′59″E / 27.7366°S 152.2663°E / -27.7366; 152.2663 (Hessenburg / Ingoldsby))
Kirchheim Haigslea October 1916 27°34′00″S 152°38′00″E / 27.5667°S 152.6333°E / -27.5667; 152.6333 (Kirchheim / Haigslea)
Marburg Townshend June 1917 27°34′02″S 152°35′41″E / 27.5672°S 152.5947°E / -27.5672; 152.5947 (Marburg / Townshend) reverted to Marburg in 1920
Minden Frenchton October 1916 27°33′25″S 152°32′44″E / 27.5570°S 152.5455°E / -27.5570; 152.5455 (Minden / Frenchton) reverted to Minden in 1930
Roessler Applethorpe 28°37′03″S 151°57′19″E / 28.6175°S 151.9552°E / -28.6175; 151.9552 (Roessler / Applethorpe)
Teutoburg Witta 1916 26°41′51″S 152°48′43″E / 26.6975°S 152.8119°E / -26.6975; 152.8119 (Teutoburg / Witta)

South Australia

The South Australian Nomenclature Act 1917 authorised the compilation and gazetting of a list of place-names contained in a report of the previous October prepared by a parliamentary "nomenclature committee", and authorised the Governor of South Australia, by proclamation, to "alter any place-name which he deems to be of enemy origin to some other name specified in the proclamation". The table below includes the 69 changes gazetted on 10 January 1918.

The Nomenclature Act 1935 restored the former names of the towns of Hahndorf and Lobethal, and the Adelaide suburb of Klemzig. About 20 other names were reverted in the 1970s and 1980s; some of them were assigned to larger localities rather than reverting to the original place name, as also shown in the table.

Old name New name Date of name change Notes
Bartsch's Creek Yedlakoo Creek 10 January 1918 Reverted to Bartsch Creek 1986
Berlin Rock Panpandie Rock 10 January 1918
Bethanien Bethany 10 January 1918
Bismarck Weeroopa 10 January 1918
Blumberg Birdwood 10 January 1918
Blumenthal Lakkari 10 January 1918
Buchfelde Loos 10 January 1918 Reverted to Buchfelde
Cape Bauer Cape Wondoma 10 January 1918 Reverted to Cape Bauer in 1948
Carlsruhe Kunden 10 January 1918
Ehrenbreistein Mount Yerila 10 January 1918
Ferdinand Creek Ernabella Creek 10 January 1918
Mount Ferdinand Mount Warrabillinna 10 January 1918
Friedrichstadt Tangari 10 January 1918
Friedrichswalde Tarnma 10 January 1918
Gebhardt's Hills Polygon Ridge 10 January 1918 Reverted to Gebhardt Hills in 1986
German Creek Benara Creek 10 January 1918 Reverted in 1986
German Pass Tappa Pass 10 January 1918
Germantown Hill Vimy Ridge 10 January 1918 Became part of Bridgewater; road name (only) reverted to Germantown Hill Road
Gottlieb's Well Parnggi Well 10 January 1918
Grunberg Karalta 10 January 1918 Reverted to Gruenberg in 1975
Grunthal Verdun 10 January 1918
Hahndorf Ambleside 10 January 1918 Reverted to Hahndorf in 1935
Hasse's Mound Larelar Mound 10 January 1918
Heidelberg Kobandilla 10 January 1918
Hergott Springs Marree 10 January 1918
Hildesheim Punthari 10 January 1918
Hoffnungsthal Karawirra 10 January 1918 Reverted to Hoffnungsthal in 1975
Hundred of Basedow Hundred of French 10 January 1918
Hundred of Homburg Hundred of Haig 10 January 1918
Hundred of Krichauff Hundred of Beatty 10 January 1918
Hundred of Paech Hundred of Cannawigara 10 January 1918
Hundred of Pflaum Hundred of Geegeela 10 January 1918
Hundred of Rhine (North) Hundred of Jellicoe 10 January 1918
Hundred of Rhine (South) Hundred of Jutland 10 January 1918
Hundred of Scherk Hundred of Sturdee 10 January 1918
Hundred of Schomburgk Hundred of Maude 10 January 1918
Hundred of Von Doussa Hundred of Allenby 10 January 1918
Jaenschtown Kerkanya 10 January 1918
Kaiserstuhl Mount Kitchener 10 January 1918 Renamed Kaiser's Seat in 1975; subsequently changed to Kaiserstuhl
Klaebes Kilto 10 January 1918
Klemzig Gaza 10 January 1918 Reverted to Klemzig in 1935; football club retained the name Gaza
Krause Rock Marti Rock 10 January 1918
Krichauff Beatty 10 January 1918 Changed to Mount Mary 1940
Kronsdorf Kabminye 10 January 1918 Changed to Krondorf in 1975
Langdorf Kaldukee 10 January 1918 Incorporated in the bounded locality of Tanunda
Langmeil Bilyara (near Tanunda) 10 January 1918 Reverted to Langmeil in 1975
Lobethal Tweedvale 10 January 1918 Reverted to Lobethal in 1935
Mount Meyer Mount Kauto 10 January 1918
Muller's Hill Yandina Hill 10 January 1918
Neudorf Mamburdi 10 January 1918 Reverted 1986, became part of Lobethal
Neukirch Dimchurch 10 January 1918 Reverted to Neukirch in 1975
New Hamburg Willyaroo 10 January 1918
New Mecklenburg Gomersal 10 January 1918
Oliventhal Olivedale 10 January 1918 Became part of Birdwood
Petersburg Peterborough 10 January 1918 The Petersburg Times protested against the change until 1919.
Rhine Park Kongolia 10 January 1918
Rhine Hill Mons Hill 10 January 1918
Rhine River North The Somme 10 January 1918 Changed to Somme Creek 1971
Rhine River South The Marne 10 January 1918 Changed to Marne River 1971
Rhine Villa Cambrai 10 January 1918
Rosenthal Rosedale 10 January 1918
Schoenthal Boongala 10 January 1918 Reverted 1986; incorporated in the bounded locality of Charleston
Seppelts Dorrien 10 January 1918 Incorporated into the bounded locality of Nuriootpa
Schreiberhau Warre 10 January 1918 Reverted 1975
Siegersdorf Bultawilta 10 January 1918 Reverted in 1975; incorporated into the bounded locality of Tanunda
Steinfeld Stonefield 10 January 1918 Reverted 1986
Summerfeldt Summerfield 10 January 1918 Incorporated into the bounded locality of Palmer
Vogelsang's Corner Teerkoore 10 January 1918 Reverted to Vogelsang Corner 1986; incorporated into the bounded locality of Geranium Plains
Wusser's Nob Karun Nob 10 January 1918 Changed to Wusser Nob in 1983

Tasmania

Old name New name Date of name change Notes
Bismarck Collinsvale 1 July 1915
Germantown Lilydale

Victoria

Old name New name Date of name change Notes
Germantown Grovedale 1 March 1916
Hochkirch Tarrington 1 March 1918
Mount Bismarck Mount Kitchener
Reinholtz's PO Reynold's PO 5 November 1920
Waldkirch Freshwater Creek (Anglesea Road, south-west of Grovedale)[citation needed]
Weinberg Road, Hawthorn Wattle Road
West Prussia Road, Wantirna Wantirna Road
Grünwald Arkona
Bismarck Avenue, Surrey Hills Warwick Avenue December 1918
Bismarck Street (off Doncaster Road), Doncaster Victoria Street circa 1914

Western Australia

Old name New name Date of name change Notes
Heidelberg Bickley
Mueller Park Kitchener Park reverted to Mueller Park 1981

See also

  • German Australian
  • German settlement in Australia
  • Berlin to Kitchener name change, parallel phenomenon in Canada
  • Kitchener bun

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