Aboriginal Placenames: Naming and Re-naming the Australian Landscape (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781921666087)

Aboriginal approaches to the naming of places across Australia differ radically from the official introduced Anglo-Australian system. However, many of these earlier names have been incorporated into contemporary nomenclature, with considerable reinterpretations of their function and form. Recently, state jurisdictions have encouraged the adoption of a greater number of Indigenous names, sometimes alongside the accepted Anglo-Australian terms, around Sydney Harbour, for example. In some cases, the use of an introduced name, such as Gove, has been contested by local Indigenous people. The 19 studies brought together in this book present an overview of current issues involving Indigenous placenames across the whole of Australia, drawing on the disciplines of geography, linguistics, history, and anthropology. They include meticulous studies of historical records, and perspectives stemming from contemporary Indigenous communities. The book includes a wealth of documentary information on some 400 specific placenames, including those of Sydney Harbour, the Blue Mountains, Canberra, western Victoria, the Lake Eyre district, the Victoria River District, and southwestern Cape York Peninsula.

Author: Harold Koch
ISBN-10: 1921666080
ISBN-13: 9781921666087
Publisher: Anu Press
Language: English
Published: 10/01/2009
Pages: 520
Format: Paperback
Weight: 2.58lbs
Size: 9.84h x 6.93w x 1.41d