World War One: “Out With the German Names”
There’s no doubt that almost every Australian family was affected by World War One in some way or another.
One sad fact that came out of World War One, was the intense hatred of Germans that emerged, together with all things German. The German families who emigrated to Australia and were happily living their lives, being a part of so many local communities. However when war broke out they were suddenly classed as an “enemy alien” purely because of their heritage, with many sent to concentration camps. Yes, even in South Australia.
South Australia had a substantial German population, so much so that many towns and other geographical localities had German names. However, come the start of World War One … and all things German was “the enemy”, so to have German place names was no longer acceptable. To rectify this a Bill was passed to change the name of numerous German named towns and localities towns in South Australia.
To make life easier for all I have compiled a listing of the places that were affected, together with their new name.
| German Place Names in South Australia | |
| Original name | Substitute name |
| Bartsch’s Creek | Yedlakoo Creek |
| Hundred of Basedow | Hundred of French |
| Cape Bauer | Cape Wondoma |
| Berlin Rock | Panpandie Hock |
| Bethanien | Bethany |
| Bismarck | Weeroopa |
| Blumberg | Birdwood |
| Blumenthal | Lakkari |
| Buchfelde | Loos |
| Carlsruhe (or Karlsruhe) | Kunden |
| Ehrenbreistein | Mount Yerila |
| Ferdinand Creek | Ernaballa Creek |
| Mount Ferdinand | Mount Warrabillinna |
| Friedrichstadt | Tangari |
| Friedrichswalde | Tarnma |
| Gebhardt’s Hills | Polygon Ridge |
| German Creek | Benara Creek |
| German Pass | Tappa Pass |
| Germantown Hill | Vimy Ridge |
| Gnadenfrei | Marananga |
| Gottlieb’s Well | Parnggi Well |
| Grunberg (or Gruenberg) | Karalta |
| Grunthal | Verdun |
| Hahndorf | Ambleside |
| Hasse’s Mound | Larelar Mound |
| Heidelberg | Kobandilla |
| Hergott Springs | Marree |
| Hermann’s Landing | Moramora (& later Nildotti) |
| Hildesheim | Punthari |
| Hoffnungsthal | Karawirra |
| Hundred of Homburg | Hundred of Haig |
| Jaenschtown | Kerkanya |
| Kaiserstuhl | Mount Kitchener |
| Klaebes | Kilto |
| Klemzig | Gaza |
| Krause Rock | Marti Rock |
| Hundred of Krichauff | Hundred of Beatty |
| Krichauff | Beatty |
| Kronsdorf | Kabminye |
| Langdorf | Kaldukee |
| Langmeil | Bilyara |
| Lobethal | Tweedvale |
| Mount Meyer | Mount Kauto |
| Muller Hill | Yandina Hill |
| Neudorf | Mamburdi |
| Neukirch | Dimchurch |
| New Hamburg | Willyaroo |
| New Mecklenburg | Gomersal |
| Oliventhal | Olivedale |
| Hundred of Paech | Hundred of Cannawigra |
| Petersburg | Peterborough |
| Hundred of Pflaum | Hundred of Geegeela |
| Rhine Flat Landing | Wongulla |
| Rhine Hill | Mons |
| Rhine Park | Parklo (& later Kongolia) |
| Rhine River North | The Somme |
| Rhine River South | The Marne |
| Rhine Villa | Cambrai |
| Hundred of Rhine North | Hundred of Jellicoe |
| Hundred of Rhine South | Hundred of Jutland |
| Rosenthal | Rosedale |
| Hundred of Scherk | Hundred of Sturdee |
| Schoenthal | Boongala |
| Hundred of Schomburgk | Hundred of Maude |
| Seppelts | Dorrien |
| Schreiberhau | Warre |
| Siegersdorf | Bultawilta |
| Steinfeld | Stonefield |
| Summerfeldt | Summerfield |
| Vogelsang’s Corner | Teerkoore |
| Hundred of Von Doussa | Hundred of Allenby |
| Wusser Knob (or Wusser Nob) | Karun Knob |
Some of these places have since reverted back to their original German name, while others didn’t.
Trove has many articles that relate to the changing (or not changing, or changing back) of the German place names. Here’s links to just found of them I found interesting:
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article53438060
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46843946
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60609846
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60331944
5 Responses to “World War One: “Out With the German Names””
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You wonder why, but then again, we didn’t live in those times. My grandparents and family, including my then young (to be) father, took in two Italian migrants, prisoners of war, who were seconded to help on the farm.
They were supposed to be housed separately to to the family, but my grandmother wouldn’t hear of it, so they were treated like family. They became lifelong friends and my grandparents were later to be godparents to the children of one of them after the war. One returned to Italy permanently, the other only went back to marry his lady, then returned to Australia to live. My grandparents were migrants themselves and couldn’t bear to think others were treated badly when they hadn’t been.
Beautiful story. And I love your grandparents for their way of thinking. I’m sure their kindness and way of thinking helped shape the lives of those young migrants.
Isn’t Chris’s comment wonderful.my German ancestors were lucky but I wonder whether that was in part because they were also part of the Irish catholic community. It must have been so sad for them to be pilloried in these ways, either personally or publicly, or both, when they’d been Australians for so long. Part of why I won’t get on the ethnic-bashing bandwagon. Thanks Alona.
I agree, many families had been in Australia for several generations and with Australian-born children and grandchildren who were suddenly being vilified. It’s so sad.
Thanks for posting that, Alona. A very useful list