They were called what? Early names of local towns.

by Michelle McLean

Casey Cardinia Libraries

The local area encompassed by the current City of Casey and Cardinia Shire, has a rich and long history.  So long that quite a number of the local townships have changed names and sometimes locations!  Explored here is a selection of those towns, with a brief explanation of their earlier name(s).

Bald Hill = Lyndhurst

Originally known as Bald Hill, the area was renamed after Lord Lyndhurst, Lord Chancellor of England in the early 1800s. The school there started as Bald Hill in 1863, then reopened in 1873 to the new name – Lyndhurst.

Buneep = Bunyip 

Buneep was surveyed and proclaimed in 1855 and was originally focused three miles north of the Junction of the Bunyip and Tarago Rivers, on Old Telegraph Road. When Koo Wee Rup swamp was drained, a more direct road – Old Sale Road was built and the use of Buneep was only retained for the homestead and the township took the name of the river.  Some census results had Bunyip residents listed under Koo Wee Rup East. 

Bunyip Railway Station circa 1910

Centreville =  Cranbourne South and Langwarrin

Centreville was a locality that was bounded by Cranbourne-Frankston, Pearcedale, Mackay and Centre Roads. It had a general store of the same name. The area is now mostly split between Cranbourne South and Langwarrin.

Crossover = Neerim

Originally named for the crossing of the low point in the watershed between the Tarago River and its tributaries.  It had a Post Office, which closed in 1885, after which the town was known as Lancaster for the local publicans.  When the town moved to join the new railway station, the name of Lancaster was objected to by nearby Red Hill resident and the name changed back to Crossover.   When the railway closed in the 1950s, the name slowly died, and the Parish name came to the fore – Neerim.

Garner’s Paddock, Eumemmerring, Dandenong, Lyndhurst = Hampton Park

Originally the Hampton Park area was known locally as Garner’s Paddock, after the landowners – the Garners of Dandenong. Variously, local residents of the area identified as living in Eumemmerring, Dandenong or Lyndhurst. The area was sub-divided in 1917-18 and the resulting estate was named Hampton Park by the developer Edward Victor Jones.

Inebriates Hill, Commins Hill = Guys Hill

Originally named for the home for male inebriates which was established in the area. It was then renamed Commins Hill for an early settler, before being named Guys Hill after a former storekeeper.

Irishtown = Emerald plus

This name was allegedly given to the area by the census collector at the Emerald diggings in 1871.  The location of Irishtown was 2 miles north of current Emerald, near Menzies Creek.  It references explorer McEvoy and his party describing the area as reminiscent of Ireland.   Although not used popularly in the area, it was used by some officials in Melbourne, to distinguish it from Emerald itself.

Koo Wee Rup Central = Cora Lynn

Originally named Koo Wee Rup Central, the change to Cora Lynn was requested in 1907 by the Progress Association. The new Cora Lynn postal service was so named to avoid confusion with Koo Wee Rup. The name here comes from the Gorge outside Launceston of the same name. Originally it is Gaelic from coire meaning “cauldron or kettle” and linn “pool.”

Koo Wee Rup North, Bunyip South = Iona

Originally known as Bunyip South, in 1905 it officially became Iona. Interestingly, the Iona State School, was named Koo Wee Rup North when it opened in 1894, then Bunyip South and finally Iona in 1905. The school is geographically in Vervale. 

Koo Wee Rup West and Peers’ Lane = Dalmore

The area was firstly known as Peers’ Lane after the Railway Station. The name Peels’ Lane came from local landowner Frederick Peers.’  It then changed to  Koo Wee Rup West before it was renamed Dalmore in 1909 after Duncan McGregor’s estate.

Langwarrin = Pearcedale

When the railway station opened in the area in the late 1880s, it was named Langwarrin.  East of the railway, the new town that developed was called New Langwarrin.  A series of schools opened at various locations around the area, the final Langwarrin school being located in what is now Pearcedale.  To differentiate the area from Langwarrin, the locals chose the name Pearcedale, which was adopted. The school changed its name to Pearcedale in 1908.

Lysterfield, Narree Worran and Narre Warren = Narre Warren North

Narree Worran sometimes encompassed the current areas of Tecoma, Clematis, Belgrave South, and Narre Warren East, plus the township itself at A’Beckett Road.  It’s close location to Lysterfield results in some residents identifying with that location. With the coming of Gippsland railway, a new township developed adjacent to the new station and took the name of Narre Warren, leaving the old township to be redesignated Narre Warren North in 1925.

Mac’s Lane = Caldermeade

The Caldermeade area and the railway station, which opened in February 1890, were originally known as Mac’s Lane. Both names come from the McMillan family. Archibald McMillan established the Caldermeade property and Mac’ Lane was named for the family.

McGregor’s Estate = Rythdale

When the school opened in 1924, it was known as McGregor’s Estate, named for the owner of the 4000 acre property Dalmore.  The name changed in 1926 and the school closed in 1951.  Rythdale is a made up name and as a result has no meaning apart from the area.

Narre Warren, The Flat = Lysterfield

Originally allocated as part of Narre Warren, the area was known by the descriptive name “The Flat”. It was renamed Lysterfield in the mid 1870s for William Lyster, an early settler who donated land for the school, which opened in 1874.

Officer’s Wood Siding, Officedale = Officer

When the railway station opened, it was named Officer’s Wood Siding for the firewood that was cleared and transported to Melbourne from there.  Officer School was initially called Officers Siding when it opened in 1886 and another local school was called Officedale – but it closed in 1951. 

Pakenham South = Cardinia

The first school in the area was known as Pakenham South and was in Bould Road from 1873 until 1906. When the next school opened in 1911, it was called Ballarto State School, but changed its name to Cardinia in 1912.

Sherwood = Devon Meadows

Benjamin Cox owned a large property in the area, which was renamed once he subdivided it. He named this subdivide it for the English county Devon. As part of this, Cox donated five acres of land to establish a local Mechanic’s Institute and School. 

Tobin Yallock = Lang Lang

The first store and hotel were built on the Tobin Yallock squatting run.  Although the town was officially known as Lang Lang, the locals continued to call it Tobin Yallock. This change eventuated when the Carrington Railway Station opened in 1894 and most businesses moved to the new Lang Lang adjacent to the station.  Lang Lang is either Aboriginal for “group of trees” or “stones or stony”.

Yallock = Koo Wee Rup

The Railway station opened in 1890 with the name Yallock, as did the first State School. The Station was renamed Koo Wee Rup in 1892, but the school did not change until 1903. Koo-Wee-Rup comes from the Aboriginal for “blackfish swimming.”

References:

“Lost & almost forgotten towns of colonial Victoria: a comprehensive analysis of Census results for Victoria 1841-1901” by Angus B Watson. Angus B Watson, Melbourne 2003

“Placenames of Casey and Cardinia” Casey Cardinia Libraries Nd. Accessed online 20th May 2022. https://www.cclc.vic.gov.au/cms/content/uploads/2017/11/Casey-Cardinia-Place-Names-a-history.pdf

“Victorian Places” Monash University and University of Queensland, 2015. Accessed online 20th May 2022 https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/