Canowindra, between Orange and Cowra in NSW, is on the western side of the Wiradhuri nation or language group. As the March 2019 issue of Placenames Australia noted, the name Canowindra is clearly of Aboriginal origin, and was first recorded as the name of a pastoral property ‘Canoundra’ in 1829. The conventional view, commonly expressed in popular ‘name books’ and websites, is that it comes from a Wiradhuri word meaning ‘home’ or ‘camping place’. While European recorders mi

Your Amateur Researcher (YAR) happened to go to Glenorie recently, a rural suburb in the northwest of Sydney. On the way he wondered about the name. Was it Aboriginal? It looked more Scottish. On arrival he had the chance to consult Google. This is what came up: ‘The name Glenorie, a suburb in Sydney's northwest, has two possible origins. One suggests it's an Aboriginal name meaning "much water," while another proposes it's named after a town in Scotland. The name was officia

The following was included in a notice about a future public visit to Muogamarra, dated 15 April 2013: Muogamarra Nature Reserve is a Protected Place Muogamarra (pronounced Moo-o-ga-marra) lies between the outer Sydney suburb of Cowan (to the south) and the Hawkesbury River (to the north.)  But is this guide to pronunciation correct? muogamarra is a word from the Wiradhuri language, and there is only one reference for it: Australian respelt English EngJSM source “Muogamarra”

When reviewing Wiradhuri records made by Archdeacon James Günther around 1837, your amateur researcher chanced upon: Australian respelt English EngJSM source “Yarbarra” yarba-ra = “to dig, scrape with the spade.” dig  : Günther (Fraser) [:108:31] [Wira] This called to mind a Threlkeld entry from Awabakal (or the Hunter River language), which was then found: “yarr-bulliko” yarba-li-gu = “to saw …” saw  : Tkld/Frsr AWA 1892 [:101:27] [Awa] “yarr-bulla” yarba-la = “saw (mandator

Rev. Jakob Wilhelm Günther, 1832 [source: Basel Mission QS30.001.009.01] Reverend James [Jakob Wilhelm] Günther was a German-born missionary, appointed by the Church Missionary Society to its mission in Wellington N.S.W. in August 1837, where he stayed until the mission was disbanded in 1843. During his time in Wellington, Günther compiled Wiradjuri wordlists and studied its grammar. He subsequently became a chaplain to convicts, and later archdeacon at Mudgee.