All Australians share a relationship to the land and the names we give to places convey their significance, sense of history and identity.
The New South Wales Government is committed to recognising Aboriginal cultural heritage by registering original place names given by Aboriginal people so that they sit side by side with existing European names.
Since June 2001 the government has supported a dual naming policy for geographical features and cultural sites.
This community-driven system acknowledges the significance of Aboriginal culture and, in doing so, represents a meaningful contribution to the process of reconciliation in NSW.
The Board is committed to the preservation and promotion of Aboriginal languages and acknowledging Aboriginal culture through place naming in NSW.
The Board does this by preferencing traditional Aboriginal place names or names with Aboriginal origin wherever it can and restoring traditional Aboriginal names to features with introduced names through its dual naming policy and recognising important traditional Aboriginal placenames alongside longstanding introduced names.
Newcastle Dual names
Eight Newcastle Landmarks are officially dual-named with their traditional Aboriginal names. The names are based on Aboriginal references to the landmarks documented in maps, sketches and geological descriptions dating back to as early as 1798. Click on the links below to hear the traditional Aboriginal pronunciation.
Nobbys Head / Whibayganba
Flagstaff Hill / Tahlbihn
Pirate Point / Burrabihngarn
Port Hunter / Yohaaba
Hunter River (South Channel) / Coquun
Shepherds Hill / Khanterin
Ironbark Creek / Toohrnbing
Hexham Swamp / Burraghihnbihng
