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Aboriginal Place Names in the City of Playford
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DescriptionThe Adelaide Plains were inhabited by a small tribe, about 650 people, called the Kaurna whose territory went as far north as Crystal Brook south of Cape Jervis, west to the coast and whose eastern boundary was the Mount Lofty Ranges.
Within this area the Kaurna were divided into land-owning groups of some 30 people. Membership of the group was based on family ties created through descent or marriage. These groups led a semi-nomadic existence, spending their time between the coast, the plains and the hills.
The Kaurna, therefore, had quite a varied diet including large and small game animals, fish of varying description, plants and water birds. With relatively simple tools and methods, such as the systematic use of fire on the plains to trap animals overcome by smoke, they were able to utilize their environment to the full without endangering it.
The natural environment found by the early European settlers was one of considerable diversity of both animal and plant life. The Adelaide Plains were characterized by large areas of tall kangaroo grass interspersed with clumps of native trees such as red, blue, stringybark and peppermint gums as well as native pines (called by the settler ‘honeysuckle’) and sheoak trees. Wildlife was also plentiful and often supplemented the diet of the early colonists.
Contact between the early colonists and with the Kaurna came with the first landings at Holdfast Bay, where the settlers found to their relief that they were of a “friendly disposition”. As settlement spread onto the Adelaide Plains in the late 1830s and 1840s, the Kaurna were threatened by the destruction of the environment which had sustained them for thousands of years.
Munno Para is Kaurna word meaning ‘Golden Wattle Creek’. Adopted by the local Council in 1853, until amalgamation with Elizabeth lead to the new name of Playford being adopted in 1997.
The following are Aboriginal words adopted as street names. They are not necessarily Kaurna words
Amaroo Court, Smithfield Aboriginal meaning lake
Aruma Crescent, Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘happy’
Bindarrah Drive, Munno Para West Aboriginal word meaning ‘white man’
Bundarra Court, Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘sky’
Carrama Crescent, Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘shade’ as of trees
Coorara Court, Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘a cloud’
Dulkara Avenue, Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘rainbow’
Endama Court, Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘to sleep’
Gurumbi Crescent, Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘white gum’.
Kanyaka Court, Munno Para West Aboriginal word meaning ‘place of the big boulder’
Karinga Crescent Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘to grow’
Karrawirra Close Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘red gum forest’
Koongarra Crescent Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘opossum’
Lulama Crescent Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘ to flow’
Maltarra Road Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘species of eucalyptus’
Meningie Street Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘mud’
Nilpena Court Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘old man saltbush’
Sheringa Crescent Munno Para West Aboriginal word meaning ‘place of native yams’
Tallara Crescent Munno Para Aboriginal meaning ‘rain’
Tatura Craigmore Aboriginal a lagoon with rushes
Terama Court Salisbury Heights Aboriginal word meaning ‘mountain’
Terka Crescent Munno Para West Aboriginal word meaning ‘kangaroo’
Tokara Crescent Munno Para West Aboriginal word meaning ‘a track’
Tyalla Court Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘gum tree’
Wanbi Craigmore Aboriginal – wild dog Koamu tribe of South Central Queensland
Womma Road Davoren park From the Kaurna language, Wama, meaning plain
Yelki Road One Tree Hill Aboriginal meaning ‘camp on the hill’
Yera Court, Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘far away
Within this area the Kaurna were divided into land-owning groups of some 30 people. Membership of the group was based on family ties created through descent or marriage. These groups led a semi-nomadic existence, spending their time between the coast, the plains and the hills.
The Kaurna, therefore, had quite a varied diet including large and small game animals, fish of varying description, plants and water birds. With relatively simple tools and methods, such as the systematic use of fire on the plains to trap animals overcome by smoke, they were able to utilize their environment to the full without endangering it.
The natural environment found by the early European settlers was one of considerable diversity of both animal and plant life. The Adelaide Plains were characterized by large areas of tall kangaroo grass interspersed with clumps of native trees such as red, blue, stringybark and peppermint gums as well as native pines (called by the settler ‘honeysuckle’) and sheoak trees. Wildlife was also plentiful and often supplemented the diet of the early colonists.
Contact between the early colonists and with the Kaurna came with the first landings at Holdfast Bay, where the settlers found to their relief that they were of a “friendly disposition”. As settlement spread onto the Adelaide Plains in the late 1830s and 1840s, the Kaurna were threatened by the destruction of the environment which had sustained them for thousands of years.
Munno Para is Kaurna word meaning ‘Golden Wattle Creek’. Adopted by the local Council in 1853, until amalgamation with Elizabeth lead to the new name of Playford being adopted in 1997.
The following are Aboriginal words adopted as street names. They are not necessarily Kaurna words
Amaroo Court, Smithfield Aboriginal meaning lake
Aruma Crescent, Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘happy’
Bindarrah Drive, Munno Para West Aboriginal word meaning ‘white man’
Bundarra Court, Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘sky’
Carrama Crescent, Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘shade’ as of trees
Coorara Court, Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘a cloud’
Dulkara Avenue, Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘rainbow’
Endama Court, Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘to sleep’
Gurumbi Crescent, Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘white gum’.
Kanyaka Court, Munno Para West Aboriginal word meaning ‘place of the big boulder’
Karinga Crescent Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘to grow’
Karrawirra Close Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘red gum forest’
Koongarra Crescent Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘opossum’
Lulama Crescent Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘ to flow’
Maltarra Road Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘species of eucalyptus’
Meningie Street Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘mud’
Nilpena Court Craigmore Aboriginal word meaning ‘old man saltbush’
Sheringa Crescent Munno Para West Aboriginal word meaning ‘place of native yams’
Tallara Crescent Munno Para Aboriginal meaning ‘rain’
Tatura Craigmore Aboriginal a lagoon with rushes
Terama Court Salisbury Heights Aboriginal word meaning ‘mountain’
Terka Crescent Munno Para West Aboriginal word meaning ‘kangaroo’
Tokara Crescent Munno Para West Aboriginal word meaning ‘a track’
Tyalla Court Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘gum tree’
Wanbi Craigmore Aboriginal – wild dog Koamu tribe of South Central Queensland
Womma Road Davoren park From the Kaurna language, Wama, meaning plain
Yelki Road One Tree Hill Aboriginal meaning ‘camp on the hill’
Yera Court, Munno Para Aboriginal word meaning ‘far away
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Aboriginal Place Names in the City of Playford. Playford's Past, accessed 22/09/2023, https://playfordspast.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/21237