State Library of South Australia
Manning Index of South Australian History
  • South Australia
  • Adelaide
  • Port Adelaide
  • Place Names
  •  

  • About the Index
  • Searching
  • Text-based menus
    (Use this option if your browser will not open the folders.)

    Place Names of South Australia - W

    Welwyn - Whyalla

    Welwyn

    Nomenclature

    A subdivision of section 99, Hundred of Adelaide by Charles B. Fisher in 1842; now included in Brooklyn Park. It was the site of the ?Bonnie Owl Inn? which was located near Henley Beach Road just west of today's Marion Road. It derives from the Old English welig - 'willow'. When naming the subdivision Mr Fisher would no doubt have recalled that in 1840 section 99 was occupied by 'J. Dunford and others [at] Welwyn'.

    General Notes

    Historical information is in the Register, 6 June 1922, page 5e.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Wemblyn

    The Register of 26 August 1927, page 6d reports upon this proposed subdivision at O'Halloran Hill.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Wepar

    Nomenclature

    There is an Aboriginal word wipa meaning 'curlews', a bird which abounded in local swamps.

    General Notes

    Its school opened in 1930 and closed in 1970.
    Photographs of the opening of a new school are in the Chronicle,
    19 August 1937, page 34.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Wepowie

    The Wepowie silver-lead mine was "7 miles from Blinman" -
    see Record of the Mines of South Australia (fourth edition), page 191;
    see Chronicle,
    29 September 1888, page 6e.

    Also see South Australia - Mining - Coal.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Werocata

    Nomenclature

    Two local waterholes were so called by Aborigines - 'the place of cuckoos'.

    General Notes

    The station is described in the Chronicle,
    21 April 1883, page 22f;
    "The Werocata Dam" appears on 14 June 1884, page 13c.

    Early history of the property is in the Observer,
    8 October 1921, page 20a and
    the reminiscences of John McCoy on 20 September 1924, page 50d.

    A trial of Wolseley's sheep-shearing machine on Mr Ralli's property is reported in the Register,
    14 November 1888, page 7h;
    also see 7 July 1894, page 6d,
    14 August 1899, page 6a,
    20 January 1904, page 8a.

    "A Visit to Werocata" is in the Advertiser,
    27 January 1893, page 6d;
    also see Observer, 14 July 1894, page 6c.

    "A Run With the Hounds" is in the Register,
    11 July 1896, page 7b.
    Also see South Australia - Sport - Fox Hunting.

    Information on the property and photographs are in The Critic,
    16 November 1901 (supplement).

    An offer from Mr Ralli to sell the property to the government is reported in the Register,
    12 June 1906, page 6f;
    also see 7 and 8 September 1906, pages 6d and 4h,
    Advertiser,14 June 1911, page 13b,
    Register, 29 September 1915, page 11a,
    Observer, 2 October 1915, page 10a.
    Photographs are in the Chronicle,
    21 July 1906, page 30.
    Photographs are in the Chronicle,
    7 December 1933, page 82.

    The reminiscences of John McCoy are in the Register,
    15 September 1924, page 11f.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Wertaloona

    Photographs of Jack Connors, boundary rider, are in the Observer,
    2 October 1923, page 34,
    of the pastoral property in the Chronicle,
    23 and 30 July 1931, pages 32 and 32.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    West Adelaide

    A cricket match against Saint Marys is reported in the Register,
    31 March 1863, page 2f, 23 April 1863, page 2g,
    against Hindmarsh in the Express,
    29 December 1863, page 3a,
    7 October 1879, page 3d.
    A proposed cricket club is reported upon in the Express,
    20 July 1872, page 2e;
    also see Register,
    23 July 1898, page 7f.
    Also see South Australia - Sport - Cricket - Miscellany.

    Information on a Christian temperance union is in the Express,
    6 April 1864, page 2e.
    Also see South Australia - Social Matters - Temperance and Allied Matters.

    Information on a lifeboat crew is in the Express,
    31 August 1882, page 2c.
    Also see South Australia - Maritime Affairs - Lifeboats and Rockets.

    The "Township of West Adelaide" laid out on section 48 - "the old Thebarton Racecourse"- is reported in the Register,
    13 September 1882, page 8d:

    The laying of the foundation stone of the Bible Christian Church is reported in the Chronicle,
    28 April 1883, page 6a,
    of the Mission Church of St James in the Register,
    5 October 1883, page 6g (also see Observer, 10 July 1915, page 48e) and
    of the Methodist Church in The Mail,
    25 July 1914, page 15a.
    Photographs are in the Chronicle,
    1 August 1914, page 29,
    Observer,
    10 July 1915, page 29.

    A quoits match is reported in the Express,
    12 December 1885, page 4c.
    Also see South Australia - Sport - Quoits.

    "School for West Adelaide" is in the Register,
    29 June 1889, page 6f.

    The consecration of St James Church is reported in the Register,
    10 January 1902, page 6f.
    "A Choirless Church [St James]" is in the Express,
    18 June 1908, page 4h;
    also see Register, 6 July 1908, page 6c.

    A photograph of the football team is in the Chronicle,
    19 July 1902, page 42,
    4 September 1909, page 30,
    Express,
    8 August 1912, page 8.
    "West Adelaide Football Club - Bickering and Barneying" is in the Register,
    10, 15, 17 and 21 February 1919, pages 7g, 8h, 6g and 7i,
    8 March 1919, page 10g, 30 November 1921, page 8h.
    Also see South Australia - Sport - Football.

    An annual meeting of the District Trained Nurses' Society is reported in the Register,
    22 June 1904, page 4i.
    Information on the District Trained Nurses' Society is in the Register,
    21 June 1905, page 6h, 27 June 1906, page 8b.
    Also see South Australia - Women - Nursing and Female Doctors.

    Biographical details of John Simmons are in the Register,
    15 August 1910, page 9h,
    of E.M.C. Ohlmeyer on 29 August 1918, page 6g.

    The opening of the "West Adelaide Trams" is reported in the Express,
    4 October 1911, page 1h.
    Also see Adelaide - Transport - Tramways.

    West Adelaide - Obituaries

    An obituary of Rev J.G. Pitcher is in the Register,
    28 September 1900, page 6c,
    of Edwin J. Middleton in the Observer, 1 July 1905, page 25a,
    of William Cope on 28 December 1918, page 19b.

    An obituary of Patrick Keogh is in the Register,
    3 June 1905, page 7b,
    of F.D. Harrison on 30 November 1909, page 6h,
    of M.P. Tregonning on 23 December 1916, page 8h,
    of Richard J. Whitfield on 9 August 1923, page 8c.

    An obituary of William Cope is in the Register,
    23 December 1918, page 6g,
    of John Davey on 4 September 1920, page 7d,
    of Arthur Conlin on 13 June 1928, page 12e.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    West Beach

    Nomenclature

    This seaside suburb, west of Adelaide, was first laid out on part sections 227-28, Hundred of Adelaide by Sir John L. Stirling, Sir Frank Moulden and Arnold M. Moulden, in 1929 as trustees of 'The Settled Estates of F.J. and P.J. Gray':

    General Notes

    Information on the subdivision is in the Register,
    17 June 1926, page 5g, 4 and 12 July 1928, pages 10 (photo) and 5e-10a,
    21 February 1929, page 10e,
    The News, 11 July 1928, page 10e;
    "The Seaside Resort" is in the Advertiser,
    28 February 1929, page 20c.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Westbourne Park

    Nomenclature

    In 1881, J.C. Lovely laid out the suburb on part section 253 on behalf of the owner H. Rymill, who purchased it from John Hance in 1879. Its school opened in 1914. The original plan of the subdivision shows 'Westbourne' which is also a village in Sussex, England. James Chapman Lovely was born in London, England in 1844.

    A little before the subdivision was mooted an article on Westbourne Grove, in London, appeared in the Advertiser,
    14 February 1880, page 1f (supp.).

    General Notes

    The Register of 31 May 1928 at page 8h says, inter alia:

    The school opened in 1914.
    A school fair is reported in the Register,
    19 April 1926, page 10h and
    a pet show on 28 February 1927, page 10g, 23 April 1928, pages 6f-10;
    also see 30 May 1928, page 10a and
    Advertiser,
    6 August 1921, page 15g,
    The News,
    6 December 1926, page 6e.

    Information the school's Mother's Club is in The News,
    6 June 1929, page 10b.

    A photograph of a school fair is in the Observer,
    24 April 1926, page 31,
    of a school show in the Chronicle,
    28 April 1928, page 54,
    Observer,
    17 April 1930, page 32,
    of the drum and fife band in the Chronicle,
    22 August 1929, page 38,
    of the opening of the infants' school on 3 July 1930, page 35,
    of an Arbor Day on 9 July 1936, page 33.
    Also see South Australia - Education - Arbor Days.

    An account of the Adelaide school sending an Australian flag to "Westbourne School, Westbourne Park, England" is in The News,
    8 March 1928, page 11d.

    The opening of the Institute is reported in the Register,
    8 November 1924, page 14d.

    The laying of the foundation stone of the Methodist Church is reported in the Advertiser,
    16 February 1925, page 6f and
    its opening in the Register,
    17 August 1925, page 13c;
    information on the Methodist Hall appears on 29 March 1926, page 10e.
    The old galvanised church was relocated at Goodwood - see Register,
    16 August 1926, page 8g.
    Photographs are in the Observer,
    21 February 1925, page 33.

    Photographs of a pet show are in the Observer,
    7 March 1925, page 32.

    Biographical details of Thomas W. Chalk is in the Register,
    31 March 1927, page 11e.

    Westbourne Park - Obituaries

    An obituary of Edmund Parsons is in the Register,
    16 May 1892, page 5b.

    An obituary of Alfred H. Lavasseur is in the Register,
    27 October 1926, page 8g.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Westbury

    George Vickery's obituary is in the Register,
    17 August 1898, page 7a.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Western Flat Creek

    Near Mount Barker, runs through sections 3783, 3724 and 3727.
    See the reminiscences of Joseph Ryder held in the Mortlock Library.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Western, River

    This school on Kangaroo Island opened in 1901 and close in 1903.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Weston Flat

    Nomenclature

    Harry Weston, an early occupier of the land.
    'Weston's Cattle Station' is shown on an 1851 survey map of lease no. 96 held by E.B. Scott.

    General Notes

    A report of a local horse race meeting is in the Register,
    15 November 1872, page 3f.
    Also see South Australia - Sport - Horse Racing.

    It is described in the Register,
    16 August 1887, page 3g.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    West Smeaton

    The school opened in 1932 and in the same year became "Kilroo".

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    West Terrace

    A feature article on the cemetery appears in the Register,
    22 July 1902, page 6e.
    Also see Adelaide - Cemeteries, Burials and Morgue.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    West Terrace Estate

    A sale of this subdivision in the city of Adelaide is advertised in the Commercial Advertiser,
    20 April 1850, page 4a.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Westward Ho

    Also see South Australia - Mining - Gold.

    This gold mine near Manna Hill was discovered by Messrs Holmes and Radford in 1886 -
    see Record of the Mines of South Australia (fourth edition), pages 244 and 247,
    Register,
    30 August 1888, page 3h,
    Chronicle,
    13 October 1888, page 19c,
    13 July 1889, page 22c,
    Register,
    29 November 1893, page 6b.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Wharminda

    Nomenclature

    Aboriginal for 'a range of hills'.

    General Notes

    The Wharminda Siding School opened in 1914.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Whitby

    Nomenclature

    In What's in a Name at page 237 Rodney Cockburn says, inter alia, "Is [named] after the birthplace in England of William Paxton, of Paxton, Graves and Hay... on whose land the township was created". It appears the gentleman to whom he credits its foundation is Alfred William Paxton, the son of William Paxton who, according to records in the Department of Lands, laid out the subdivision.
    Biographical details of Alfred W. Paxton, "a member of the firm A. Graves and Paxton", and his untimely death in Sydney are in the Register, 26 September 1898, page 4h. From these facts, and known movements of his father, it can be deduced that he was born in Adelaide, circa 1855.
    The Register of 14 July 1855, page 2d talks of William Paxton's departure from the colony.

    William Paxton was one of three part-owners of an estate called "Whitby Estate" located between Semaphore and Glanville.
    His Christian name and surname were used for some of the streets in the subdivision which was sold at Dawbiney's Hotel in August 1872.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    White Cliffs

    An athletics sports meeting is reported in the Observer,
    4 May 1878, page 13c.
    Also see South Australia - Sport - Athletics and Gymnastics.

    A meeting re school accommodation is reported in the Register,
    22 August 1878 (supp.), page 2b.

    A letter with information on the post office and wine shop is in the Register,
    21 November 1879, page 7b.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    White Flat

    The "town" on Eyre Peninsula is described in The Mail,
    27 November 1915, page 6c.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    White Forest

    Information on the school is in the Advertiser,
    28 August 1867, page 2f.

    Also see Place Names - Whites Forest.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    White Gate

    This name is mentioned twice in newspaper reports; firstly, as a railway siding near Balaklava in the Observer,
    24 September 1870, page 2g and,
    secondly, as a place near Wirrabara Forest in the Register,
    26 March 1885, page 6e;
    also see Observer,
    4 April 1885, page 11c and Whites Forest.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    White Hut

    Information on the school is in the Observer,
    10 October 1888, page 32c.

    The Register of 16 August 1893 at page 5b talks of working men's blocks being surveyed "near White Hut township" in the Hundred of Clare.

    The White Hut Church and Cemetery are situated on section 228, Hundred of Clare, which was granted to Thomas Pascoe in May 1855. In May 1860 he sold one acre to the Trustees of the Wesleyan Church for ten shillings ($1) and the church was built in that year - see Observer,
    29 December 1860, page 4e.

    Thomas Pascoe and his wife, Fanny, had 15 children and he, and a number of his children, are buried there.

    His second son, Thomas, elected to parliament in 1900, was Minister of Agriculture for a number of years.

    The golden wedding of Mr & Mrs T. Pascoe is reported in the Register,
    4 March 1902, page 3g;
    an obituary of Thomas Pascoe is in theRegister,
    6 March 1918, page 6g,
    biographical details of Mrs Pascoe, senior, on 17 July 1919, page 6h,
    7 October 1921, page 8f (obit.).

    There was once a "White Hut" on section 207, Hundred of Jellicoe;
    it is now known as "Schillings Gate".

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Whiteman Gully

    Nomenclature

    "Whiteman and his mate... got three-quarters of an ounce in one tub and during a single week earned one pound a day".
    See Register,
    18 April 1872, page 5a.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    White Park

    Nomenclature

    The land, originally in possession of William White, was laid out by the executors of Eliza Mellor in 1921.

    General Notes

    "A Woodland Paradise" is in the Advertiser,
    16 November 1921, page 8h.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    White Peg Gully

    The Register of 11 February 1858 (supp.) at page 1 locates it as contiguous to section 1409, Hundred of Strathalbyn.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    White, River

    An obituary of Charles Goode is in the Register,
    27 July 1888, page 5a.

    The property on Eyre Peninsula is described in the Register,
    12 November 1898, page 7f.

    The Advertiser of 10 May 1906, page 6d says, inter alia:

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Whites Forest

    A school in an "outlying area" conducted by Henry Mason with 21 enrolled pupils -
    see Parliamentary Paper 19/1869-70;
    it opened in 1867 and closed in 1870.
    It was probably in the Wirrabara area -
    see Observer,
    31 August 1867, page 3c.
    Also see Place Names - White Gate. and Place Names - White Forest

    A report from Melrose of a suicide at White's Forest is in the Observer,
    19 March 1870, page 3e.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Whites Gully

    Nomenclature

    Samuel White, farmer and flour miller.

    General Notes

    Historical information on the Church is in the Observer,
    13 May 1848, page 1d;
    also see 16 November 1850, page 2d.

    The Register of 20 October 1851 records the destruction by fire of his property.

    A farewell dinner to Samuel White is reported in the Register,
    18 June 1853, page 2f;
    also see 23 February 1863, page 3b.
    His return from England "on the Grenada, the property of Mr White" is reported on 25 August 1854, page 2d;
    also see 23 February 1863, page 3b.

    Under the heading "Supposed Incendiarism" the Adelaide Times of 17 November 1851, page 3b has a report of a letter being found and addressed - "Hungary Guttess, Mortgaged Mill, Cut-throat Gully - for White"; it reads in part:

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    White Well

    The White Well Water Reserve is discussed in the Express,
    25 April 1865, page 2a,
    Chronicle, 6 and 20 May 1865, pages 7f and 1f (supp.).
    Also see South Australia - Northern Lands Development and Allied Matters - Water, Artesian Wells and Springs.

    "White Well", on section 87, Hundred of Blyth, is discussed in the Register,
    18 and 22 May 1865, pages 3f and 3c.

    Parliamentary Paper 24/1874 shows another school of this name on the Blyth Plains being conducted in a chapel by Richard H. Jarman with 32 enrolled pupils.
    It was opened on 21 April 1873 and conducted in the Wesleyan Chapel - see Advertiser, 13 May 1873, page 3b.
    Examinations are reported in The Irish Harp, 10 October 1873, page 6a.

    "Daily Duststorms" at this place are described in the Register,
    9 December 1902, page 4h.

    A town of White Well is mentioned in the Observer, 19 January 1878, page 20:

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Whitwarta

    Nomenclature

    Aboriginal for 'fresh water'.

    General Notes

    The name was applied in the area at a much earlier date than those mentioned in Manning's Place Names of South Australia -
    see Register of 11 February 1858 (supp.), page 2 where the name is recorded as "Whitwater".

    A fire at Samuel Smith's farm is reported in the Observer,
    8 January 1870, page 3e.

    The school opened in 1879 and closed in 1951; see Register,
    11 July 1878, page 5c.
    Photographs are in the Observer,
    19 August 1911, page 31.

    A picnic and sports event are reported in the Chronicle,
    8 January 1881, page 26c,
    Observer, 3 September 1881, page 31b,
    Register, 4 January 1882, page 5b;
    also see 1 January 1883, page 7c,
    Chronicle, 10 January 1885, page 8g,
    8 January 1887, page 13d,
    Advertiser, 4 January 1888, page 7c,
    Chronicle, 2 January 1892, page 21d.

    Information on water supply is reported in the Observer,
    26 September 1885, page 31b.

    Also see South Australia - Northern Lands Development and Allied Matters - Water, Artesian Wells and Springs.

    A horse race meeting is reported in the Chronicle,
    2 April 1892, page 14g.
    Also see South Australia - Sport - Horse Racing.

    An obituary of C.A.L. Belling is in the Register,
    26 January 1904, page 4h,
    of Mrs R.T. Wilson on 17 May 1909, page 9d.

    An obituary of Mrs H. Underwood is in the Observer,
    23 November 1907, page 26e,
    of H. Underwood on 18 March 1916, page 39a.

    The opening of a new bridge is reported in the Register,
    17 August 1914, page 5g.
    Photographs are in the Chronicle,
    29 August 1914, page 31,
    Observer,
    11 August 1923, page 30.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W
    Place Names

    Whyalla

    Nomenclature

    Before the town was proclaimed on 16 April 1914 a hill, about 3 km from the town, was called 'Whyalla Hill'. Prof N.B. Tindale disagrees with the suggestion that it means 'place of water'. He said 'an Aboriginal tribe near Port Pirie had a word wajala meaning "west'', while a tribe near Port Augusta had waila, meaning "I don't know''.'

    General Notes

    Also see Place Names - Hummock Hill.

    The school opened in 1916 as "Hummock Hill";
    name changed in 1919;
    a photograph is in the Observer,
    19 October 1918, page 23.

    The settlement is described under the heading "Hummock Hill" in the Register,
    14 October 1919, page 6f, 5 July 1921, page 7d, 7 October 1921, page 7b,
    Advertiser, 16 October 1933, page 14h;
    photographs appear in the Observer,
    14 April 1917, pages 26-27, 19 October 1918, page 23, 20 November 1920, page 25,
    Advertiser,
    17 October 1933, page 20,
    Chronicle,
    17 March 1932, page 34, 26 January 1933, page 32, 26 October 1933, page 37.

    Photographs of the war memorial are in the Chronicle,
    22 April 1922, page 29,
    of shipping on 24 April 1930, page 38.
    Also see South Australia - World War I - Memorials to the Fallen.

    "Blast Furnace for Whyalla" is in the Advertiser,
    9 and 11 September 1937, pages 23b and 24e, 1 October 1937, page 19a;
    also see The News,
    9 September 1937, page 1f, 9 November 1937, page 7g.

    A proposed water pipe line is discussed in The Mail,
    30 October 1937, page 26c.
    Also see South Australia - Water conservation.

    Welwyn - Whyalla
    W