South Australian Places names: Keith Conlon reviews the book
Just over two centuries ago Captain Matthew Flinders began the task of mapping the coast of South Australia. While he named places like Streaky Bay, Kangaroo Island and Mt Lofty a lot of other places were named by adapting aboriginal names.
Our place names tell us a lot about our hopes, our hearts and a whole lot more and the man who knows all about them is Geoffrey Manning. "What's in a name?" asked Shakespeare. Three decades says Geoffrey as he wanders into the State Library on North Terrace. It has become his second home as he feeds his insatiable appetite for knowledge about our fair state.
His passion began in the 1970s when he started researching the history of his forebears. Before long he was hooked on a much bigger story - the entire family of South Australia.
"I was coming across so many things that were counted as things said in the past," explained Geoffrey. "I thought, 'two of them cant be right so one of them has to be wrong' and that's why I started (my research)."
Several books followed - the latest is an encyclopedic, almost biblical publication - "Mannings Place Names of South Australia - from Aaron Creek to Zion Hill".
It's Geoffrey's third and biggest book to date and contains more than six thousand names and hundreds of remarkable quality photos from the History Trust's treasured Glass Negative Collection. They illustrate the stories of how our towns and districts, hills and capes were named - except for the ones that reman a bit 'iffy'.
"One thing I've learned over the years is not to be dogmatic and say 'I found this out, it must be right.' I learned a lesson many moons ago not to do that." Said Geoffrey.
He reckons you just need to look at an old map to see how many names have changed and how confusing it can be. Take the precious winemaking area of Coonawarra in the SouthEast for example. It's name travels around the world on some of our finest wines. The common theory is that 'Coonawarra' is an aboriginal word meaning Honey Suckle Rise.
But Geoffrey has another theory. "The late anthropologist, Norman Tindale said it means to light a fire - specifically a signal fire."
Aboriginal meanings are favoured too in his detective work on the Riverland town of Renmark.
"Going back 80 or 90 years ago it was said that it was an Aboriginal word meaning 'Red Mud' but some learned person said 'I don't know how they worked that out because there's no red mud anywhere near Renmark!' Then some years back a local historian did some investigations and found out there was a gentleman called Renny up there in the early days"
Geoffrey's research again took him back to the definitive Aboriginal studies of Professor Tindale. He concluded Renmark comes from Rengmako - a word connected with valuable flint stone dig out of the river cliffs.
The aisles of boxes of newspapers on microfilm in the State Library is Geoffrey's second home. He's read 100 years of papers from 1837 onwards and, on the way, he's catalogued them under a host of topics to make it easier for other readers. In fact, you'll find his guide on the library website - it's called, of course, the "Manning Index".
Geoffrey's epic work covers an unfortunate chapter in our past. The period during World War One when anti-German feelings were running so high the State Government acted to erase names connected to our pioneer German heritage from our maps.
"As a result Hahndorf became Ambleside, Lobethal became Tweed Vale because they made the Onkaparinga mills there. Blumberg became Birdwood named after General Birdwood in World War I. Kaiserstuhl became Mt Kitchener and so on…"
After the war debate raged over the name changes. Politicians, newspapers and the public all had their say and mercifully, sanity prevailed in the 1930s and most names were reinstated. It's just one of literally thousands of fascinating stories and explanations Geoffrey's dug up. And I've got a feeling this retired banker's not finished yet.
"The essential difference is when I was back at work I'd look at my watch and think 'another 4 hours to go.' When I was researching, 'Goodness gracious it's time to go home!' That's the subtle difference!"
Who knew we had a Mississippi River in South Australia? Not me until I read the book! You cross it on the way to Port Lincoln. The book's a great way to have lots of fun and get an education at the same time!
'Mannings Place Names of South Australia - from Aaron Creek to Zion Hill' is available from Gould Books. Order online or by phone. In book form it's $79.50 and on CD it's $49.50 plus postage. The book and D-Rom is $99.50 plus postage. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
'Mannings Place Names of SA - From Aaron Creek to Zion Hill'
Gould Books
Phone: 8396 1110Published 30th July 2006
