Local History blogs and Casey Cardinia Eponyms

This blog has been nominated for a "Ancestor Approved" by Linda Barraclough of Old Gippstown Museum and Kapana Press, the publisher of the Gippsland Heritage Journal. The "Ancestor Approved" blog idea was started by Leslie Anne Ballou of the Ancestors Live here blog. The idea is that if you are nominated then you nominate a further ten blogs and write ten things that you have found out about your ancestors that surprised, humbled or enlightened you. However as this is a Local History Blog, not a Family History blog, then I thought I would tell you instead about all the place names in Casey Cardinia which are eponyms or named after people.

One of the first blogs I came across, which really inspired me was the Sandusky History blog created by the the Sandusky Library Archives Research Centre in Ohio (pictured left in 1905) Find it at http://sanduskyhistory.blogspot.com/ – you will recognise the template as it is a popular choice for historic blogs – and I was, and still am, really impressed by the content. 

Here is a list of Casey Cardinia Eponyms - Places named after People, who are after all, just someone's Ancestors or relatives - 

Bayles - Frederick Bayles (1884-1915) was the first member of the Railway Construction Branch to be killed in World War One. Frederick arrived in Melbourne in August 1913, enlisted on August 20th,1914 and was Killed in Action at Gallipoli on May 8th, 1915. Bayles was the name of the Railway Station closest to the Yallock Settlement, and soon gave it's name to the town which developed around the Station. 

Beaconsfield - Benjamin Disraeli, the Earl of Beaconsfield, was the British Prime Minister in 1868 and from1874-1880. Beaconsfield was previously called Little Berwick. 

Cannons Creek - The Cannon family were early European settlers. They owned land around current day Glenalva Parade in Cannons Creek. 

Carrington - Carrington was the original name of the Lang Lang Railway Station and the town that developed around the Station. It was renamed Lang Lang in December 1890. Charles Robert Carrington, the third Baron Carrington, was Governor of New South Wales from 1885-1890. Carrington was later created the Marquess of Lincolnshire. 

Casey - The City of Casey was named in honour of Lord Casey (1890-1976). Lord and Lady Casey lived at Edrington in Berwick. Lord Casey was a diplomat, a politician and the Governor General of Australia from 1965 until 1969. 

Catani - Carlo Catani was a Public Works Department Engineer and in charge of the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Drainage Scheme from 1893.

Cranbourne - Gunson suggests that Cranbourne was named for Viscount Cranborne (no u), the brother of the British Prime Minister. Viscount Cranborne was born in 1821 and developed blindness as a very small child. He died in 1865, and thus his brother succeeded to the title and then became the Marquis of Salisbury in 1868 when their father died. Salisbury was the British Prime Minister on three occasions between 1885 and 1902. 

Doveton - Captain John Doveton and his wife, Mrs Margaret Doveton, who were first cousins, were early settlers in the area. Doveton was developed by the Victorian Housing Commission in the mid 1950s. 

Garfield - The town was originally called Cannibal Creek and renamed Garfield in honour of the assassinated American President, James Garfield, who was shot July 2 1881 and died September 19, 1881. 

Guys Hill - Named after a former storekeeper. It was initially known as Inebriates’ Hill after a home for male inebriates in the area. It was then known as Commins Hill after an early settler and then finally Guys Hills. 

Hallam - William and Mary Hallam moved to the area in 1856. Hallam is a relatively new name for this area, dating only form 1905. Before that, the district was known as Eumemmerring. 

Lyndhurst - Lyndhurst was named after John Singleton Copley, Lord Lyndhurst (1772-1863) who was the Lord Chancellor of England on three occasions between 1827-1846. 

Lysterfield - Named after William Saurin Lyster, one of the early European selectors. It was named in honour of Lyster in the mid 1870s. 

Maryknoll - Father Pooley, a Catholic Priest, established Maryknoll as a rural community based on the principles of religion, family life and co-operative enterprise. The settlement was known as St Marys from 1950 until 1955 when the name was changed to Maryknoll. Mary is the mother of Jesus. 

Menzies Creek - John Menzies, was an early gold prospector, who remained in the area long after other miners had left. 

Mt Burnett - James Charles Burnett was the Surveyor under Major Mitchell. 

Officer - The Officer family, early settlers, owned a ‘square mile’ of land off Browns Road. The Railway Station was originally called Officer’s Wood Siding, due to the timber being cleared from the land and railed to Melbourne as firewood.

Pakenham - There are four possible Pakenhams who may be the source of the name. One source suggests Pakenham is named after Major General Sir Edward Michael Pakenham (b.1788) who served with the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsula War and was killed in 1815 at the Battle of New Orleans. Another source says that Pakenham was named for “General Pakenham who served in the Crimean War”. This is probably Lieutenant-Colonel Edward William Pakenham (1819-1854) who was killed at Inkermann during the Crimean War. The Lieutenant-Colonel was the son of Sir Hercules Pakenham who was the brother of Major General Sir Edward Michael Pakenham. There are two other suggested sources for the name. Firstly that it was named for Catherine Pakenham, who was the wife of the Duke of Wellington. Secondly that it was named for “Rev Pakenham of Dublin”. This is most likely the Very Reverend Henry Pakenham, who was Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin from 1843-1864. Catherine and Henry were siblings of Sir Edward and Sir Hercules. Their father was the second Baron Longford. 

Pearcedale - The town was known as Langwarrin or Langwarrin Estate or Old Langwarrin until December 1905 when a meeting of rate payers voted to rename the town Pearcedale after Nathanial Pearce, an early settler.

I have created a full list of place names from the Casey Cardinia region, with their meanings - you can access the list here.