Correspondence Between Sydney May And F.J Watson Concerning Aboriginal Place Names (ITM489477)

There is, in the dialect of the locality, the word Woogero which means cool or chilly and, if in the creek there could have been a spring or seepage of cool water in hot weather, the blacks may possibly have used the term to describe it. Analgous to this matter there is a tributary of the Upper Mary River which is of this description which the Blacks called Walai which has, locally, the same meaning as woogero/and which the Whites have corrupted into Wall Eye Creek. As a translation of the place name, Woogaroo, the above is, of course, purely speculative. With regard to my translation of the name, Kulgun, I find that the range crossed by the blacks via the kulgun is the Teviot Range. I have set out in form annotations on the place name Moogera which I herewith enclose.

Trusting that the above observations may prove of interest and use to you,

I am Dear Mr. May, Yours faithfully, FJ Watson.

Margin note: Courier Mail

Jolbin. Should be Joloro-bin, place of green head ants.

Canungra. The meaning, the place of night owl, is doubtful. The name of the owl is karang. Another authority believes it to be the name of a tree. But, due to a conversation with a local aboriginal, I believe that the name should be Gunungai-garara which means a long flat or plain, gunungai, a flat, and garara, long; and that it applied to Surveyor's Flat, sometime called the long flat.