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COPIES OF EXTRACTS:

Courier-Mail, 25.6.41 -

TOOWONG - "RICH PLACE" TO BLACKS

Toowong, prosperous Brisbane suburb, was "born" one
day in 1862 when the late Mr. Richard Drew bought land on the
Milton Reach of the river and named it "Too-wong", aboriginal
term for "rich place".

Mr. H. C. Perry referred to this in a lecture to
the Historical Society last night. It was not until 1879 that
the district received official recognition and was appointed a
shire, he said, but in 1872 a "bus" service - a waggonette -
was introduced.

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'Letter to the Editor', Courier-Mail - by Mr. F. J. Watson,
"Nyleta", Union Street, Toowong, dated June 25th, 1941. -

"Sir,

Mr. H. C. Perry's statement (Courier-mail, 25.6.41) to the
Historical Society solves the question as to how the present
site of Toowong received its name, for the well-known pioneer,
Tom Petrie said that it was the aborigines' name for the bend
of the Brisbane River below the Indooroopilly Bridge, i.e. at
the point of the peninsula now known as Long Pocket. I cannot,
however, agree with Mr. Perry as to the meaning of the name,
which he has given as "rich Place". Petrie stated that Toowong
was the aborigines' name for the black goat sucker, by which,
I think, is meant what is now commonly known as the Koel cuckoo,
a bird whose call is still frequently heard about the bird
sanctuary at Toowong, and which, no doubt, gave rise to its
onomatopoetic name."

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Courier-Mail, 2.7.41. -

"In my paper to the Historical Society, after quoting
Mr. J. B. Fewings as my authority for the aboriginal meaning
of Toowong as "Rich Place", I also quoted the late J. O'Neil
Brenan as having said that it was named from the call of, or
the aboriginal word for, the male Flinders cuckoo. Mr. Fewings
was a close friend of Mr. R. L. Drew, the real founder of the
village.

Harry C. Perry, Toowong."

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