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<\/a><\/p>\nRiding the Munda Biddi only made matters worse. \u00a0We were treated to night after night in wonderful shelters in exotic locations with unpronounceable names. \u00a0Kwokralup Beela, Karta Burnu, Yirra Kartta, Nglang Boojar, Jinung Beigabup \u2013 I did my best to say them out loud, trying not to assume that they were not local language for \u201cyou are so pooped after riding a bicycle up here you wouldn\u2019t have a clue where you are anyway\u201d or \u201chere try this with a mouthful of marbles\u201d.<\/p>\n
I like to think that the task of naming some parts of the country was delegated to a particularly taciturn labourer one day when the official name-giver was a bit busy. \u00a0In a burst of monosyllabic protest, he reached for whatever noun was immediately available, with Dog Road, Weld Bridge and Bull Road being the result.<\/p>\n
On another day, I imagine that two blokes were building signs high up in the Valley of the Giants. \u00a0Even they could see the irony of having to climb up hills for hours to get to a valley. \u00a0As they carved the sign for Tingle Road, one of them had a great idea for a quick way home. \u00a0They formally bestowed a name on their find and carved a sign. \u00a0 \u201cYou reckon we will get away with it?\u201d they asked as they hustled back bown the newly-christened Brainy Cut Off.<\/p>\n
Maybe they shared my ill-ease that those enormous and majestic trees were called Tingles. Its like calling your Great Dane Fifi. Or a beautiful beach Madfish Bay.<\/p>\n There is a functional backlash to all this whimsy, probably by a very conventional and practical place-namer. \u00a0He started the trend for names that immediately give recognition of purpose, and so we passed numerous Boundary Roads and Scarp Roads. \u00a0This practice seemed to get a bit out of hand with the naming of the River Road Bridge, even if it was a bridge over a river at the end of the road. \u00a0In desperation, I looked for the river\u2019s name. \u00a0It was Deep River.<\/p>\n I tried to work with the concepts attached to some place names, dutifully taking my smoko at Break Road. \u00a0I didn\u2019t feel so compelled to comply when Break Road intersected with Romance Road. \u00a0I even skipped a stop when I encountered Cake Road in the pouring rain, thinking that the road-namers should have provided a seat and shelter shed if they were serious about their business.<\/p>\n So has this experience left me struggling to find the generosity of spirit that usually has me smiling with satisfaction as I discover a new place name? \u00a0Has it hindered my journey of exploration into the soul of a place, or clouded my ability to share the perspective of the one who undertook the sacred task of choosing its eternal label? \u00a0I pondered all of these things as I sipped my free \u201ccongratulations-you-have finished coffee\u201d at the Bay Merchants cafe, at peace with the ambience of place, even though I couldn\u2019t see the bay.<\/p>\n 18 September 2016<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bestowing names is an act of great significance. \u00a0Names are not mere labels to be pasted on a map or word to populate the vocabulary. \u00a0They define the essential qualities and features of a location, and communicate the thoughts and aspirations of the namer. \u00a0They are a conceptual launching pad for future generations to build … Continue reading The Naming<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n