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.

The names of locations were often Anglicised (Peterborough), given Aboriginal names (Kobandilla, Karawirra), or were named after notable soldiers (Kitchener and Holbrook) or World War I battlefields (Verdun, The Somme). This was done by local councils or the postal authorities, often as the result of a petition by locals.

In South Australia, the Nomenclature Act, 1917 officially changed the name of "towns and districts" in 1918 while the Nomenclature Act, 1935 restored the former German names to the towns of Hahndorf and Lobethal, and the Adelaide suburb of Klemzig.[1][2]

New South Wales
Old name New name Date of name change Notes
Bismarck Street (Canterbury) Cressy Street December 1914[3][4][5]
Bismarck Street (Kogarah) Kitchener Street 10 November 1914[6]
Deutschland Street (Canterbury) Onslow Street December 1914[3][4][5]
Germanton Holbrook 20 September 1915[7]
German's Hill Lidster 1 February 1916[7]
German Creek Empire Vale 1 May 1915[7]
Hamburger Street (Punchbowl) Victoria Road December 1914[3]
Kaiser Street (Canterbury) Mons Street December 1914[3][4][5]
Reuss Street (Merewether) Kilgour Avenue 14 January 1918[8] Newcastle section renamed 1918. Merewether Municipality section Reuss Street until 1938.[9]
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[10]

Queensland
Old name New name Date of name change Notes
Bergen Murra Murra October 1916[11]
Bergenside Neuve August 1916[11]
Bismarck Maclagan March 1916[11]
Engelsburg Kalbar July 1916[11]
Fahley Kilbirnie [11]
Friezland Kuridala [11]
Gehrkevale Mount Mort The Post Office was renamed Mount Grace in about September 1916, then Mount Mort in about November 1916[11]
German Gardens Belgian Gardens January 1915[12]
Gramzow Carbrook
Hapsburg Kowbi October 1916[11]
Hessenburg Ingoldsby September 1916[11]
Kirchheim Haigslea October 1916[11]
Marburg Townshend June 1917 reverted to Marburg in 1920[13]
Minden Frenchton October 1916 reverted to Minden in 1930[11]
Roessler Applethorpe [11]
Teutoburg Witta 1916[11]

South Australia

Many names were changed as a result of the Nomenclature Act, 1917, with the names gazetted on 10 January 1918.[1]


Old name New name Date of name change Notes
Bartsch's Creek Yedlakoo Creek 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Bartsch Creek 1986
Berlin Rock Panpandie Rock 10 January 1918[1]
Bethanien Bethany 10 January 1918[1]
Bismarck Weeroopa 10 January 1918[1]
Blumberg Birdwood 10 January 1918[1][14]
Blumental Lakkari 10 January 1918[1]
Buchsfelde[15] Loos 10 January 1918[1] Name restored to Buchfelde (no 's')
Cape Bauer Cape Wondoma 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Cape Bauer in 1948
Carlsruhe Kunden 10 January 1918[1]
Ehrenbreitstein Mount Yerila 10 January 1918[16]
Ferdinand Creek[17] Ernabella Creek 10 January 1918[1]
Mount Ferdinand[17] Mount Warrabillinna 10 January 1918[1]
Friedensthal Black Hill
Friedrichstadt Tangari 10 January 1918[1]
Friedrichswalde Tarnma 10 January 1918[1]
Gebhardt's Hills Polygon Ridge 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Gebhardt Hills in 1986
German Creek Benara Creek 10 January 1918[16] reverted in 1986
German Pass Tappa Pass 10 January 1918[1]
Germantown Hill Vimy Ridge 10 January 1918[1] Now part of Bridgewater with the road name only reverted to Germantown Hill Road
Gnadenfrei Marananga
Gottlieb's Well Parnggi Well 10 January 1918[1]
Grunberg Karalta 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Gruenberg in 1975
Grunthal Verdun 10 January 1918[1]
Hahndorf Ambleside 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Hahndorf in 1935[2]
Hasse's Mound Larelar Mound 10 January 1918[1]
Heidelberg Kobandilla 10 January 1918[1]
Hergott Springs Marree 10 January 1918[1]
Hildesheim Punthari 10 January 1918[1]
Hoffnungsthal Karawirra 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Hoffnungsthal in 1975
Hundred of Basedow[18] Hundred of French 10 January 1918[1]
Hundred of Homburg[19] Hundred of Haig 10 January 1918[1]
Hundred of Krichauff Hundred of Beatty 10 January 1918[1]
Hundred of Paech[20] Hundred of Cannawigara 10 January 1918[1]
Hundred of Pflaum[21] Hundred of Geegeela 10 January 1918[1]
Hundred of North Rhine Hundred of Jellicoe 10 January 1918[1]
Hundred of South Rhine Hundred of Jutland 10 January 1918[1]
Hundred of Scherk[22] Hundred of Sturdee 10 January 1918[1]
Hundred of Schomburgk[23] Hundred of Maude 10 January 1918[1]
Hundred of Von Doussa[24] Hundred of Allenby 10 January 1918[1]
Jaenschtown Kerkanya 10 January 1918[1]
Kaiserstuhl Mount Kitchener 10 January 1918[1] renamed Kaiser's Seat in 1975, now Kaiserstuhl once again
Klaebes Kilto 10 January 1918[1]
Klemzig Gaza 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Klemzig in 1935,[2] but the football club retains the name Gaza[14]
Krause Rock Marti Rock 10 January 1918[1]
Krichauff[25] Beatty 10 January 1918[1] changed to Mount Mary 1940
Kronsdorf Kabminye 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Krondorf in 1975
Langdorf Kaldukee 10 January 1918[1] Now incorporated in the bounded locality of Tanunda
Langmeil Bilyara (near Tanunda) 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Langmeil in 1975
Lobethal Tweedvale 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Lobethal in 1935[2]
Mount Meyer Mount Kauto 10 January 1918[1]
Muller's Hill Yandina Hill 10 January 1918[1]
Neudorf Mamburdi 10 January 1918[1] reverted 1986, now part of Lobethal
Neukirch Dimchurch 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Neukirch in 1975
New Hamburg Willyaroo 10 January 1918[1]
New Mecklenburg Gomersal 10 January 1918[1]
Oliventhal Olivedale 10 January 1918[1] Now part of Birdwood
Petersburg Peterborough 10 January 1918[1] The Petersburg Times resisted the change until 1919, and did so under protest.[26]
Rhine Park Kongolia 10 January 1918[1]
Rhine Hill Mons Hill 10 January 1918[1]
Rhine River (North) The Somme 10 January 1918[1] changed to Somme Creek 1971
Rhine River (South) The Marne 10 January 1918[1] changed to Marne River 1971
Rhine Villa Cambrai 10 January 1918[1]
Rosenthal Rosedale 10 January 1918[1]
Schoenborn Gomersal
Schoenthal Boongala 10 January 1918[1] reverted 1986, now incorporated in the bounded locality of Charleston
Seppelts[27] Dorrien 10 January 1918[1] Now incorporated into the bounded locality of Nuriootpa
Schreiberhau Warre 10 January 1918[1] reverted 1975
Siegersdorf Bultawilta 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Siegersdorf in 1975, now incorporated into the bounded locality of Tanunda
Steinfeld Stonefield 10 January 1918[1] reverted 1986
Summerfeldt Summerfield 10 January 1918[1] Now incorporated into the bounded locality of Palmer
Vogelsang's Corner Teerkoore 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Vogelsang Corner 1986, now incorporated into the bounded locality of Geranium Plains
Wusser's Nob Karun Nob 10 January 1918[1] reverted to Wusser Nob in 1983

Tasmania
Old name New name Date of name change Notes
Bismarck Collinsvale 1 July 1915[28]
Germantown Lilydale [29]

Victoria
Victorian stamp with Hochkirch postmark
Old name New name Date of name change Notes
Germantown Grovedale 1 March 1916[30]
Hochkirch Tarrington 1 March 1918[30]
Mount Bismarck Mount Kitchener
Reinholtz's PO Reynold's PO 5 November 1920[30]
Waldkirch Freshwater Creek (Anglesea Road, south-west of Grovedale)
Weinberg Road, Hawthorn Wattle Road
West Prussia Road, Wantirna Wantirna Road
Grünwald Arkona
Bismarck Avenue, Surrey Hills Warwick Avenue December 1918[31]
Bismarck Street (off Doncaster Road), Doncaster Victoria Street circa 1914[32]

Western Australia
Old name New name Date of name change Notes
Heidelberg Bickley [33]
Mueller Park Kitchener Park reverted to Mueller Park 1981

See also

References
  1. Peake, A.H. (10 January 1918). "NOMENCLATURE ACT, 1917. Change of Place·Names" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. 1918: 37 (PDF page 5). Retrieved 30 December 2018 – via AustLII.
  2. Dugan, W. "Nomenclature Act (No 2231 of 1935)". Government of South Australia. p. 1. Retrieved 29 December 2018 – via AustLII.
  3. Jervis, James (1951). A History of the Municipality of Canterbury. Canterbury, NSW: Municipality of Canterbury. pp. 97–98.
  4. "THE KAISER GOES". Evening News (14, 814). New South Wales, Australia. 1 December 1914. p. 3. Retrieved 22 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "ABOLISHING GERMAN NAMES". Evening News (14, 826). New South Wales, Australia. 15 December 1914. p. 3. Retrieved 22 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "KITCHENER-STREET". The Sydney Morning Herald (23, 976). New South Wales, Australia. 12 November 1914. p. 10. Retrieved 22 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List- NSW". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  8. "CHANGING A GERMAN NAME". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (13, 478). New South Wales, Australia. 15 January 1918. p. 6. Retrieved 22 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "SHOULD GERMAN NAMES BE CHANGED?". The Sydney Morning Herald (24, 974). New South Wales, Australia. 21 January 1918. p. 8. Retrieved 22 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "THE NAME OF A STREET". Barrier Miner. XXVIII (8447). New South Wales, Australia. 14 September 1915. p. 1. Retrieved 22 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List- Queensland". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  12. "CHANGE FOR THE BETTER". Cairns Post (Qld. : 1909 - 1954). Qld.: National Library of Australia. 13 January 1915. p. 4. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  13. "Marburg (entry 20917)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  14. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List- South Australia". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  15. Named for geologist and philanthropist Leopold von Buch
  16. "Changing Names". The Daily Herald. 8 (2437). South Australia. 11 January 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 10 December 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. Named by Ernest Giles for botanist Ferdinand von Mueller.
  18. Named for M. F. Basedow MHA, MLC.
  19. Named for Robert Homburg MHA.
  20. Named for Friedrich Paech MHA.
  21. Named for Friedrich Pflaum MHA
  22. Named for Johann Theodor Scherk MHA
  23. Named for Moritz Richard Schomburgk, director of Adelaide Botanic Garden
  24. Named for Alfred von Doussa MLC.
  25. Named for F. E. H. W. Krichauff MLC.
  26. "Our New Title". The Times and Northern Advertiser, Peterborough, South Australia. National Library of Australia. 9 May 1919. p. 2. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  27. Named for winemaker Joseph Ernst Seppelt
  28. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List- Tasmania". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  29. "Lilydale". The Age. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  30. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List- Victoria". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  31. "Camberwell City Council". Camberwell and Hawthorn Advertiser. 20 December 1918. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  32. Betty Sm ith nee Thiele resident at the time
  33. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List- WA". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
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