Tuesday, June 14, 2011

PLACE NAME PUZZLE - WHAT DOES CANBERRA MEAN


A lovely old article written 13 years after the founding of Canberra as the name of Australia's new national capital in 1913. Quite some debate raged however as to the meaning of the name Canberra. Today of course the generally accepted meaning is 'meeting place' which is highly significant in that federal parliament resides within Canberra's parliamentary triangle.

Anyway there was a lot of conjecture and varying opinion as to its meaning. The head, a woman's breasts, a corroberee ground, meeting place and even canned berries. This newspaper clipping from 1927 seems to summarize the arguments quite well. You can make your own mind up...

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Other posts on Canberra's name - Naming of Canberra -  Canberra origin - Naming of Canberra - Old canberry's berries - The name Canberra and the bloke who appears to have organised it all King O'Malley.
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The Mail (Adelaide) Saturday 8 January 1927




National Library of Australia

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