First Nations Language Collection

Nyleta, Grosvenor Street, Toowong, S.W.1. 9th February, 1940.

Dear Mr. May,

I thank you for Place Names Bulletin No. 8.

On one place name therein, the meaning of which appears to be doubtful, I may be able to show some light. A local resident once informed me that the name was supposed to mean, not "Where is the water" as given in the bulletin, but "Place from where water can be seen". In such case I have little doubt that the name should be Koonginya, from koong, water, and nya, to see; the letter i, as in English in, being merely a liquifying agent between consonants, as is common to abo. languages. These words are common to S.E. Queensland languages and could indicate "A view of water" and probably was applied to some place in the vicinity, certainly not the township, from where a general view of the local swamps, which, I believe, were much more extensive at one time than now, could be obtained. If I remember rightly, my informant as to the meaning given above was Mr. Heers, a local storekeeper.

Yours sincerely, F.J.Watson

Grosvenor Street, Toowong, S.W.1. 3rd June, 1939.

Mr. Sydney May, Hon. Secretary, Place Names Committee, University.

Dear Sir,

I have your letter of the 1st June. I am sorry that I can give you little information as to the names of places in the districts that you mention. Regarding Booval, I have frequently tried to find out the origin of this name without success. I think, however that this name must be derived from bopval or bobval, a native name of the frilled lizard. Of Pouincraddie, Mihi, Borallon and Wanora I can give no information. So many names are so mis-spelled that without local knowledge one can arrive at nothing. On the Brisbane Valley Railway are two or three names which may be literally translated, as, for instance. Nukku, a watershed or the land about the head of a creek or other water-course; Yimbun, a reed with an edible root; and Gilla, one of the native names for the wild bee and its honey.

At Coominya, a resident of many years standing told me that he had been given to understand that the name indicated water within sight; if this is so the name should be Koonginya, from koong, water and nya, to see; in compound native words an intermediate unstressed vowel fequently[sic] occurs, hence the inclusion of the letter i. I am sorry that I can give no no[sic] information re. the spelling of Dr. Dorsay's? name. The only somewhat similar name of earlier days that I have come across is that of W.A.Dorsey who, in the early eighties was in charge of one of the Border Customs stations.

Regretting that my information is, this time, so meagre, I am, yours faithfully, FJWatson (F.J.Watson).