'Enemy place names' of 69 towns and villages changed in 1916 as anti-Germanness push in South Australia swells
Birdwood in the Adelaide hills had its name changed from Blumberg in 1916, although a humourous reference to the original name survived in places such as behind the town's mill and national motor museum. Inset: A 1916 map in The Mail, Adelaide, with Blumberg and other German place names, asking: "Is this German or South Australia?" of "Deutschland Ueber Sued Australien?"
Sixty-nine towns, villages and districts in South Australia were given new names during World War I to cleanse them of their “Germanness”, with prominent examples being Hahndorf changed to Ambleside (restored in 1935), Lobethal to Tweedvale (restored in 1935), Blumberg in the Adelaide Hills becoming Birdwood and Petersburg in the mid north as Peterborough.
The Adelaide suburb of Klemzig, changed to Gaza, also had its German name restored in 1935 along with 19 others – leaving 49 losing their original names.
The only place to escape was Adelaide, although named after Prinzessin Adelheid Amalie Luise Therese Carolin (later Anglicised to Adelaide), daughter of the duke of Saxe-Meiningen, a small German principality, who married the future William IV, king of Great Britain, Ireland and Hanover.
The names were changed by the South Australian parliament in 1916 after receiving the Nomenclature Committee’s Report On Enemy Place Names, drawn up due to anti-German sentiment that also saw Lutheran schools closed, German family names change and a boycott of business with German links.
The nomenclature committee was acting on House of Assembly motion “that, in the opinion of this House, the time has now arrived when the names of all towns and districts in South Australia which indicated a foreign origin should be altered and that such places be designated by names either of British origin or South Australian native origin.”
The committee also suggested the replacement names:
Baruch's Creek to Yedlakoo Creek
Basedow, Hundred of to Hundred of French
Bauer, Cape to Cape Wondoma
Berlin Rock to Panpandie Rock
Bethanien to Bethany
Bismarck to Weeroopa
Blumberg to Birdwood
Blumenthal to Lakkari
Buchfelde to Loos
Carlsruhe to Kunden
Ehrenbreistein to Mount Yerila
Ferdinand Creek to Ernabella Creek
Mt Ferdinand to Mt. Warrabillinna
Friedrichstadt to Tangari
Friedrichswalde to Tarnma
Gebhardt' s Hill to Polygon Ridge
German Creek to Benare Creek
German Pass to Tappa Pass
Germantown Hill to Vimy Ridge
Gottlieb's Well to Parnggi Well
Grunberg to Karalta
Grunthal to Verdun
Hahndorf to Ambleside
Hasse's Mound to Larelar Mound
Heidelberg to Kobanilla
Hergott Springs to Maree
Hildesheim to Punthari
Hoffnungsthal to Karawirra
Homburg, Hundred of to Hundred of Haig
Jaenschtown to Kerkanya
Kaiserstuhl to Mt. Kitchener
Klaebes to Kilto
Klemzig to Gaza
KraweRoch to Marti Rock
Krichauff, Hundred of to Hundred of Beatty
Krichauff to Beatty
Kronsdorf to Kabminya
Langdorf to KaldukeeE
Langmeil to Bilyara
Lobethal to Tweedale
Meyer, Mt to Mt. Kauto
Muller's Hill to Yandina Hill
Neudorf to Mamburdi
Neukirch to Dimchurch
New Harmburg to Willyaroo
New Mecklenburg to Gomersal
Oliventhal to Olivedale
Paech, Hundred of to Hundred of Canna Wigra
Petersburg to Peterborough
Pflaum, Hundred of to Hundred of Geegeela
Rhine Park to Kongolia
Rhine Hill to Mons
Rhine River N. to The Somme
Rhine River S. to The Marne
Rhine (North), Hundred of to Hundred of Jellicoe
Rhine (South), Hundred of to Hundred of Jutland
Rosenthal to Rosedale
Scherk, Hundred of to Hundred of Sturdee
Schoenthal to Boonoala
Schomburgk. Hundred of to Hundred of Maude
Seppelts to Dorrien
Schreiberhau to Warre
Siergersdorf to ultawilta
Steinfeld to Stonefield
Summerfeldt to Summerfield
Vogelsang's Corner to Teerkoore
Von Doussa, Hundred of to Hundred of AllenbyWusser's Nob to Karun Nob
