List of Australian place names changed from German names


During World War I, many German or German-sounding place names in Australia were changed due to anti-German sentiment. The presence of German-derived place names was seen as an affront to the war effort at the time.
The names of locations were often Anglicised, given Aboriginal names, or were named after notable soldiers or World War I battlefields. This was done by local councils or the postal authorities, often as the result of a petition by locals.
In South Australia, the Nomenclature Act, 1917 officially changed the name of "towns and districts" in 1918 while the Nomenclature Act, 1935 restored the former German names to the towns of Hahndorf and Lobethal, and the Adelaide suburb of Klemzig.

New South Wales

Queensland

South Australia

Many names were changed as a result of the Nomenclature Act, 1917, with the names gazetted on 10 January 1918.
Old nameNew nameDate of name changeNotes
Bartsch's CreekYedlakoo Creek10 January 1918reverted to Bartsch Creek 1986
Berlin RockPanpandie Rock10 January 1918
BethanienBethany10 January 1918
BismarckWeeroopa10 January 1918
BlumbergBirdwood10 January 1918
BlumentalLakkari10 January 1918
BuchsfeldeLoos10 January 1918Name restored to Buchfelde
Cape BauerCape Wondoma10 January 1918reverted to Cape Bauer in 1948
CarlsruheKunden10 January 1918
EhrenbreitsteinMount Yerila10 January 1918
Ferdinand CreekErnabella Creek10 January 1918
Mount FerdinandMount Warrabillinna10 January 1918
FriedensthalBlack Hill
FriedrichstadtTangari10 January 1918
FriedrichswaldeTarnma10 January 1918
Gebhardt's HillsPolygon Ridge10 January 1918reverted to Gebhardt Hills in 1986
German CreekBenara Creek10 January 1918reverted in 1986
German PassTappa Pass10 January 1918
Germantown HillVimy Ridge10 January 1918Now part of Bridgewater with the road name only reverted to Germantown Hill Road
GnadenfreiMarananga
Gottlieb's WellParnggi Well10 January 1918
GrunbergKaralta10 January 1918reverted to Gruenberg in 1975
GrunthalVerdun10 January 1918
HahndorfAmbleside10 January 1918reverted to Hahndorf in 1935
Hasse's MoundLarelar Mound10 January 1918
HeidelbergKobandilla10 January 1918
Hergott SpringsMarree10 January 1918
HildesheimPunthari10 January 1918
HoffnungsthalKarawirra10 January 1918reverted to Hoffnungsthal in 1975
Hundred of BasedowHundred of French10 January 1918-
Hundred of HomburgHundred of Haig10 January 1918
Hundred of KrichauffHundred of Beatty10 January 1918
Hundred of PaechHundred of Cannawigara10 January 1918
Hundred of PflaumHundred of Geegeela10 January 1918
Hundred of North RhineHundred of Jellicoe10 January 1918
Hundred of South RhineHundred of Jutland10 January 1918
Hundred of ScherkHundred of Sturdee10 January 1918
Hundred of SchomburgkHundred of Maude10 January 1918
Hundred of Von DoussaHundred of Allenby10 January 1918
JaenschtownKerkanya10 January 1918
KaiserstuhlMount Kitchener10 January 1918renamed Kaiser's Seat in 1975, now Kaiserstuhl once again
KlaebesKilto10 January 1918
KlemzigGaza10 January 1918reverted to Klemzig in 1935, but the football club retains the name Gaza
Krause RockMarti Rock10 January 1918
KrichauffBeatty10 January 1918changed to Mount Mary 1940
KronsdorfKabminye10 January 1918reverted to Krondorf in 1975
LangdorfKaldukee10 January 1918Now incorporated in the bounded locality of Tanunda
LangmeilBilyara 10 January 1918reverted to Langmeil in 1975
LobethalTweedvale10 January 1918reverted to Lobethal in 1935
Mount MeyerMount Kauto10 January 1918
Muller's HillYandina Hill10 January 1918
NeudorfMamburdi10 January 1918reverted 1986, now part of Lobethal
NeukirchDimchurch10 January 1918reverted to Neukirch in 1975
New HamburgWillyaroo10 January 1918
New MecklenburgGomersal10 January 1918
OliventhalOlivedale10 January 1918Now part of Birdwood
PetersburgPeterborough10 January 1918The Petersburg Times resisted the change until 1919, and did so under protest.
Rhine ParkKongolia10 January 1918
Rhine HillMons Hill10 January 1918
Rhine River The Somme10 January 1918changed to Somme Creek 1971
Rhine River The Marne10 January 1918changed to Marne River 1971
Rhine VillaCambrai10 January 1918
RosenthalRosedale10 January 1918
SchoenbornGomersal
SchoenthalBoongala10 January 1918reverted 1986, now incorporated in the bounded locality of Charleston
SeppeltsDorrien10 January 1918Now incorporated into the bounded locality of Nuriootpa
SchreiberhauWarre10 January 1918reverted 1975
SiegersdorfBultawilta10 January 1918reverted to Siegersdorf in 1975, now incorporated into the bounded locality of Tanunda
SteinfeldStonefield10 January 1918reverted 1986
SummerfeldtSummerfield10 January 1918Now incorporated into the bounded locality of Palmer
Vogelsang's CornerTeerkoore10 January 1918reverted to Vogelsang Corner 1986, now incorporated into the bounded locality of Geranium Plains
Wusser's NobKarun Nob10 January 1918reverted to Wusser Nob in 1983

Tasmania

Victoria

Old nameNew nameDate of name changeNotes
GermantownGrovedale1 March 1916
HochkirchTarrington1 March 1918
Mount BismarckMount Kitchener
Reinholtz's POReynold's PO5 November 1920
WaldkirchFreshwater Creek
Weinberg Road, HawthornWattle Road
West Prussia Road, WantirnaWantirna Road
GrünwaldArkona
Bismarck Avenue, Surrey HillsWarwick AvenueDecember 1918
Bismarck Street, DoncasterVictoria Streetcirca 1914

Western Australia