Tuesday, February 22, 2011

NAMING - OLD CANBERRY'S BERRIES


This clipping is the strangest suggestion to the name of Canberra's origin I have come across yet. There appears to have been considerable differences of opinion when it comes to the origin of the name Canberra at the time of it's establishment.

The letter to the editor by C. T. Burfitt (bio) is in reply to Mr. John Gale (bio) who, widely known in the area as "The Father of Canberra", maintained the word Canberra was of Aboriginal origin. Burfitt offers a strange English alternative of the name's origin. Canberra is apparently named after cans of berries. (specifically red berries).

Remembering that Burfitt was the secretary of the Australian Historical Society of the day his claims would I imagine have been taken quite seriously by the general populace. For the record I'll go with Gale...

The Sydney Morning Herald - 2 June 1913


National Library of Australia

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1 comment:

  1. KeithFebruary 22, 2011 at 6:27 PM

    Interesting.
    http://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/

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