List of reduplicated Australian place names

1919 Yarram Yarram postmark – the town is now Yarram

These names are examples of reduplication, a common theme in Australian toponymy, especially in names derived from Indigenous Australian languages such as Wiradjuri. Reduplication is often used as an intensifier such as "Wagga Wagga" many crows and "Tilba Tilba" many waters.

The phenomenon has been the subject of interest in popular culture, including the song by Australian folk singer Greg Champion (written by Jim Haynes and Greg Champion), Don't Call Wagga Wagga Wagga.^[1] British comedian Spike Milligan, an erstwhile resident of Woy Woy, once wrote "Woy it is called Woy Woy Oi will never know".^[2]

Place names

Name of place	State or territory	Meaning and notes
Bael Bael	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Gannawarra. It contains Lake Bael Bael and the heritage listed Bael Bael Homestead.[3]
Balla Balla	Western Australia	A defunct town and port but operating pastoral lease
Ban Ban Springs	Queensland	Ban means "grass" in the local Kabi dialect.[4]
Ban Ban Springs	Northern Territory	A cattle station
Banda Banda	New South Wales	A mountain in the Great Dividing Range near Kempsey, New South Wales
Banka Banka Station	Northern Territory	A cattle station
Baw Baw	Victoria	A local government area in Victoria. The name is also applied to a mountain (Mount Baw Baw), and to a national park (Baw Baw National Park). Baw Baw is an Aboriginal word meaning "echo".[5]
Beek Beek	Victoria	Emu
Beggan Beggan	New South Wales	A locality in Harden Shire and a parish in Harden County [6]
Bet Bet	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Central Goldfields. Bet Bet had its own local government area (Shire of Bet Bet) from 1864 to 1995.
Bindi Bindi [7]	Western Australia	A small town in the Shire of Moora [8] The name is Aboriginal in origin and is the word for stick or skewer on which a coat is hung. The doubling of the word is to indicate many of them.
Billa Billa	Queensland	Aboriginal word of unknown dialect meaning pool or reach of water[9]
Bli Bli	Queensland	Named after "billai billai", Aboriginal for swamp oak.[10]
Bon Bon Reserve	South Australia	A nature reserve
Bong Bong	New South Wales	The place name is Aboriginal for "blind or a watercourse lost in a swamp" or "many watercourses; many frogs".[11]
Bongil Bongil	New South Wales	The name Bongil Bongil is the name of a sub-group of the Gumbaingerie tribe which occupied the general area bounded by the Clarence River in the north, the Nambucca River in the south, Dorrigo in the west and the Pacific Ocean.[12]
Book Book	New South Wales	A rural community within the local government area of the city of Wagga Wagga
Bookal-Bookal Creek	Queensland	?[13]
Boonoo Boonoo	New South Wales	The place name means "poor country with no animals to provide food" and is Aboriginal in origin.[14] The name is applied to a locality, a national park (Boonoo Boonoo National Park), a river (Boonoo Boonoo River) and a waterfall.
Booti Booti National Park	New South Wales	The place name means "plenty plenty" in the local Aboriginal dialect.
Brim Brim	Victoria	A parish of the County of Dundas
Brit Brit	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Southern Grampians
Bruk Bruk	Victoria	A parish of the County of Dundas
Budgee Budgee	New South Wales	Budgee Budgee is a locality near Mudgee. The origin of the name is unknown, but it first appeared on old maps so is possibly a surveyor's interpretation of an aboriginal name.[15]
Budgee Budgee	Victoria	A parish of the County of Wonnangatta
Bulla Bulla	Victoria	The original name of the township of Bulla. An Aboriginal term meaning either 'two' or 'good'.[16]
Buln Buln	Victoria	A locality in the Shire of Baw Baw. The name is also applied to a county (County of Buln Buln) in Victoria.
Bungle Bungle Range	Western Australia	A corruption of "bundle bundle", a grass common to the Kimberley region.[17]
Burra Burra	South Australia	Former name for the town of Burra. The name is also applied to a creek and a copper mine near the town.
Burrah Burrah	Victoria	A parish of the County of Ripon
Burrin Burrin Reserve	New South Wales	A nature reserve in south-eastern NSW
Burrum Burrum	Victoria	A parish of the County of Kara Kara
Carag Carag	Victoria	A parish of the County of Rodney
Colac Colac	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Towong
Collum Collum	New South Wales	A locality within the Clarence Valley LGA.
Coomoo Coomoo	New South Wales	The name was derived from the original station name, which used a local Aboriginal word meaning "much water".[18]
Cope Cope	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Northern Grampians
Curl Curl	New South Wales	Name may be derived from Aboriginal phrase "curial curial" meaning river of life.[19]
Cut Paw Paw	Victoria	A parish of the County of Bourke."Maribyrnong: Action in Tranquility", the history of Maribyrnong, gives the meanings of several aboriginal terms. Cut Cut Paw is a corruption of the words for "a clump of she-oaks".
Dom Dom	Victoria	A mountain in Victoria, 65 km from Melbourne
Doon Doon	New South Wales	From the Bandjalung-Yugambeh dialect chain word 'doan doan' meaning black or dark.[20]
Drik Drik	Victoria	An Aboriginal word for "Stoney Stoney"[21][22]
Drung Drung	Victoria	A former name of locality of Drung in the Rural City of Horsham
Dum Dum	New South Wales	A locality near Uki, New South Wales
Durren Durren	New South Wales	A locality near Wyong, in Wyong Shire
Elong Elong	New South Wales
Ganoo Ganoo	Victoria	A parish of the County of Dundas
Gatum Gatum	Victoria	A former name of locality of Gatum in the Shire of Southern Grampians and the name of a Melbourne Cup winner
Gherang Gherang	Victoria	A parish of the County of Grant
Ghinni Ghinni	New South Wales
Gil Gil	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Buloke
Gin Gin	Queensland	The name was derived from the original station name, which used a local Aboriginal word indicating "red soil thick scrub".[23]
Gin Gin	New South Wales
Gingin	Western Australia	May mean either "footprint" or "place of many streams".[24]
Gol Gol	New South Wales	Gol Gol got its name from the local Aboriginal word for 'meeting place', as recorded by the explorer Thomas Mitchell.[25]
Gong Gong	Victoria	A locality of the City of Ballarat
Goonoo Goonoo	New South Wales	"Plenty of water".[26]
Gre Gre	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Northern Grampians
Greg Greg	New South Wales
Grong Grong	New South Wales	"Very hot".[27]
Guda Guda	Western Australia	A small Aboriginal community in the Wyndham-East Kimberley local government area
Gumly Gumly	New South Wales	"Place of many Frogs" Near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Gunyah Gunyah	Victoria	An earlier name of the locality of Gunyah in South Gippsland Shire
Gunyah Gunyah	Victoria	A parish of the County of Buln Buln
Hie Hie	New South Wales	See Terry Hie Hie, New South Wales
Jellat Jellat	New South Wales
Jil Jil	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Buloke
Jim Jim Falls	Northern Territory
Jimba Jimba Station	Western Australia	A sheep station
Jingi Jingi Creek	Queensland	A creek.[28] Jingi Jingi Creek rises on the western slope of the Great Dividing Range, in the locality of Diamondy, north-east of Jandowae. It flows south-west through Jinghi and Tuckerang to Brigalow, where it crosses the Warrego Highway and flows into the Condamine River.
Jung Jung	Victoria	A former name of locality of Jung in the Rural City of Horsham
Kadji Kadji	Western Australia	A pastoral lease in the Mid West
Karup Karup	Victoria	A parish of the County of Dundas
Ki Ki	South Australia
Kin Kin [29]	Queensland	May be derived from the local Aboriginal word for 'black ants'.[30] or May be derived from an Aboriginal word, Kabi language, kauin kauin, a variant of kutchin indicating red, from the red soil area drained by Kin Kin Creek.[31]
Koonung Koonung Creek	Victoria	A tributary of the Yarra River
Koort-koort-nong	Victoria	A parish of the County of Hampden
Korrak Korrak	Victoria	A parish of the County of Tatchera
Kunat Kunat	Victoria	A parish of the County of Tatchera
Kurri Kurri	New South Wales	In the Minyung Dialect, which refers to this area, Kurri-kurri means 'the beginning, the first'.[32]
Lal Lal	Victoria	Lal Lal is a town in Victoria
Lang Lang	Victoria	Lang Lang was formerly known as Carrington, after Lord Carrington.[33] The town is named in honour of an early settler in region, called Lang.[34] In the Woiwurrung language, the name Lang Lang,[35] also spelled Laang Laang, meant "stones" or "stony".[36] Lang Lang is also believed to mean "bush bush"; or a "clump of trees".[33] Also see Lang Lang River and Little Lang Lang River.
Ma Ma Creek	Queensland
Mia Mia [7]	Victoria
Millaa Millaa	Queensland	May be derived from the local Aboriginal word for 'plenty water'.[37] or May be derived from a corruption of "millai millai", possibly Yindinji language, indicating a fruit-bearing plant Elaeagnus latifolia.[38]
Milly Milly	Western Australia	A pastoral lease in the Mid-West
Min Min Lights	Queensland	Not exactly a place name, but worthy of inclusion. Min Min is, or was, a location near Boulia.[39]
Mitta Mitta	Victoria
Mona Mona Mission	Queensland	Aboriginal community in far north Qld
Mooney Mooney	New South Wales
Morrl Morrl	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Northern Grampians
Mundi Mundi	New South Wales	A cattle station in the outback
Murrin Murrin	Western Australia	Gold mine[40]
Nap Nap Marra	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Wellington
Nareeb Nareeb	Victoria	A former name of the locality of Nareeb in the Shire of Moyne[22]
Nerrin Nerrin	Victoria	A locality of the Rural City of Ararat
Ni Ni	Victoria	A former locality of the Shire of Hindmarsh
Nug Nug	Victoria	A locality of Alpine Shire
Obi Obi	Queensland	Believed to be a perpetuation of the personal name of a prominent Aboriginal, known variously as Ubi Ubi, Wubi Wubi or Obi Obi.[41]
Pandie Pandie Station	South Australia	A cattle station
Paw Paw	Victoria	See Cut Paw Paw
Pendyk Pendyk	Victoria	A parish of the County of Dundas
Perrit Perrit	Victoria	A parish of the County of Tatchera
Pom Pom	Victoria	A parish of the County of Villiers
Pura Pura	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Moyne
Tabby Tabby Island	Queensland	Derived from a corruption of Bundjalung language, Ngaraangbal dialect, word dhube dhube, indicating crab place or shell place.[42]
Terip Terip	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Murrindindi
Terrick Terrick	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Loddon
Terrick Terrick National Park	Victoria
Terry Hie Hie	New South Wales
Tilba Tilba	New South Wales	Said to be a Thawa Aboriginal term for 'many waters'.[43]
Tucki Tucki	New South Wales	A locality of the City of Lismore
Vite Vite	Victoria	A locality of the Corangamite Shire
Wagga Wagga	New South Wales	'Wagga wagga' is probably a Wiradjuri term for 'many crows'. 'Waggan', for one type of crow and 'waggura', for another have been recorded; also: reeling (a sick man or a dizzy man); to dance, slide or grind.[44]
Wal Wal	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Northern Grampians
Walla Walla	New South Wales	Probably Wiradjuri in origin, but no meaning has been verified. Possibly from wallawalla for rain.[45]
Walla Walla	Victoria	A parish of the County of Ripon
Wallan Wallan	Victoria
Wangi Wangi	New South Wales	The word Wangi has been translated variously as water, night owl or dark green tree so that Wangi Wangi would mean place of much water, many night owls or many dark green trees. Early settlers and fishermen used the word to mean peninsula and Point Wolstoncroft (in the locality of Gwandalan) was called "Little Wangi". Captain Dangar's 1826 sketch of Lake Macquarie marked Wangi Point as "Wonde Wonde". There is no explanation of the marked difference between spelling and pronunciation.[46]
Warra Warra	Victoria	A parish of the County of Borung
Wat Wat	Victoria	A parish of the County of Croajingolong
Wee Wee Rup	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of Gannawarra
Whian Whian	New South Wales[47]	A locality of the City of Lismore
Will Will Rook	Victoria	A parish of the County of Bourke
Wonga Wonga	Victoria	An earlier name of the locality of Wonga in South Gippsland Shire
Wood Wood	Victoria	A locality of the Rural City of Swan Hill
Wool Wool	Victoria	A locality of the Colac Otway Shire
Woy Woy	New South Wales	Said to be an Awabakal Aboriginal term for 'deep water' or 'lagoon'[48]
Wujal Wujal	Queensland	Aboriginal community in far north Qld
Wuk Wuk	Victoria	A locality of the Shire of East Gippsland
Wurruk Wurruk	Victoria	A parish of the County of Tanjil
Wyn Wyn	Victoria	A former locality of the Rural City of Horsham
Yabba Yabba	Victoria	A parish of the County of Moira
Yagga Yagga	Western Australia	An Aboriginal community near Halls Creek, Western Australia
Yan Yan Gurt	Victoria	A locality of the Surf Coast Shire
Yanac A Yanac	Victoria	A former name of a locality of Yanac in the Shire of Hindmarsh
Yarram Yarram	Victoria	The former name of Yarram, Victoria
Yeo Yeo	New South Wales

See also

• Reduplication for general linguistic analysis
• List of reduplicated place names
• List of reduplicated New Zealand place names
• List of Australian place names of Aboriginal origin
• List of tautological place names

References

1. Champion, Greg; Haynes, Jim. "Don't Call Wagga Wagga Wagga". Warner/Chappel Music Australia. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
2. Fickling, David (2003-10-04). "Town lampooned by Spike Milligan bends over backwards to laud him". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
3. "Bael Bael Homestead (Heritage Listed Location)". onmydoorstep.com.au. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
4. "Place name details: Ban Ban Springs". Queensland Government. 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
5. "Baw Baw National Park". Australian Alps National Parks. 12 Sep 2013. Retrieved 14 Dec 2013.
6. "GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES REGISTER EXTRACT – Beggan Beggan". Place name search. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
7. "COUNTRY NEWS.". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 19 June 1934. p. 7. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
8. Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names – C". Retrieved 2011-02-12.
9. "Billa Billa (entry 47796)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
10. "Bli Bli – origin of name". Sunshine Coast Regional Council. 2009-02-26. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
11. "Bong Bong". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.
12. "Bongil Bongil National Park". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.
13. ""THE MAIN ROADS ACTS, 1920-1943".". The Worker. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 3 January 1949. p. 3. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
14. "Boonoo Boonoo". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.
15. "Budgee Budgee on the other side of Mudgee". budgeebudgee.com. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
16. "Bulla". eMelbourne the city past & present. The University of Melbourne. July 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
17. Riviera, Larry. "The Bungle Bungles". about.com. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
18. "Coomoo Coomoo (Parish)". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
19. "Curl Curl". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
20. "Doon Doon". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
21. Brown, J. K. (1968). "Early History of Drik Drik". Retrieved 2009-05-18.
22. "No Title.". Portland Guardian. Vic.: National Library of Australia. 22 September 1876. p. 3 Edition: EVENINGS. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
23. "Place Name Details" (PHP). Natural Resources and Water (Queensland). 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
24. "History of country town names – G". Landgate. Archived from the original on 19 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
25. "The History of Gol Gol". Gol Gol Public School. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
26. "Wallabadah – Places to See". smh.com.au. 2008-11-26. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
27. "Grong Grong". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
28. "Advertising.". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 3 March 1860. p. 11. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
29. "SUMMARY.". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 16 November 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
30. "Kin Kin". noosa.com.au. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
31. "Place Name Details". Queensland Government. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
32. "Kurri Kurri". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
33. "Brief History of Lang Lang". Lang Lang & District Historical Society. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
34. Reed, A. W. (1973). Place names of Australia (1st ed.). Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. p. 135. ISBN 0-589-50128-3.
35. "Lang Lang: 101776: Traditional Name: Lang Lang". VICNAMES. Government of Victoria. 12 August 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
36. "Lang Lang: 101776: Traditional Name: Laang Laang". VICNAMES. Government of Victoria. 12 August 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
37. "Welcome to Millaa Millaa". tablelands.org. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
38. "Place Name Details". Queensland Government. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
39. "Min Min Lights". UFOIC-UFO Investigation Centre. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
40. "LEASE UNDER OPTION.". Kalgoorlie Western Argus. WA: National Library of Australia. 8 August 1911. p. 5. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
41. "Place Name Details". Queensland Government. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
42. "Place Name Details". Queensland Government. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
43. "Tilba". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.
44. "Wagga Wagga". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.
45. "Walla Walla". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
46. "Lake Mac Libraries: Wangi Wangi". Lake Macquarie City Library. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
47. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125188178
48. "Woy Woy". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.

Further reading

• Kennedy, Brian, & Kennedy, Barbara. & Australian Broadcasting Corporation. (2006) Australian place names ABC Books for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sydney, N.S.W. ISBN 0-7333-1760-X
• Reed, A. W. (1967) Aboriginal place names Sydney ; Wellington : A.H. & A.W. Reed. ISBN 0-7301-0127-4 (pbk)

External links

• Double Barrelled Place Names in Australia