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History of country town names - K

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The following information is a summary of the origins for towns names in rural Western Australia. Please select the first letter of the town you wish to see.
Please note: The names of all rural towns are being added progressively to the database.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

KALANNIE

Latitude 30° 22' S Longitude 117° 07' E

Kalannie is a townsite in the northern agricultural region, 259 km north east of Perth. It was gazetted a townsite in 1929. The name is Aboriginal, and is in a list of names from the York area where the meaning is given as "where the Aboriginals got white stone for their spears".


KALBARRI

Latitude 27° 42' S Longitude 114° 10' E

Kalbarri is a coastal resort and fishing town, 589 km north north west of Perth. It is located at the mouth of the Murchison River, the area becoming popular in the late 1940s as a tourist and fishing resort. In 1948 the government decided to declare a townsite here, and following the survey of lots the townsite was gazetted in 1951.
The name of Kalbarri was chosen from a list of Aboriginal words compiled by Daisy Bates in 1913. It is a man's name from a Murchison tribe, and also the name of an edible seed. The Aboriginal name for the area of Kalbarri has been recorded as "Wurdimarlu".


KALGAN

Latitude 34° 54' S Longitude 118° 00' E

The townsite of Kalgan is located in the south coastal region, about 21 km north east of Albany. It was gazetted a townsite in 1912 following the opening up of land in the area, but land had been put aside for a townsite here in 1837. The place was named "Wyndham" on an 1839 map of the area, but there was no subdivision or land made available in the townsite. It is recorded that it was to be the site of a farming community for the Society of Friends (Quakers), but there is no evidence that any Quakers ever settled in the area.

As there was already a Wyndham in the Kimberley when the town was gazetted in 1912, the name Kalgan was chosen for the townsite. Kalgan is the Aboriginal name of the river on which the townsite is situated, the name being first recorded by the explorer Dr A Collie as "Kalgan-up" in 1831. It is said to mean "place of many waters". The river had earlier been referred to as the "French River", since the French explored it in 1803.


KALGOORLIE

Latitude 30° 45' S Longitude 121° 28' E

Kalgoorlie is the major city in the eastern goldfields region, and is located 596 km east north east of Perth. It was gazetted a townsite in September 1894. Paddy Hannan, Daniel Shea and Thomas Flanagan made a rich gold find near Mt Charlotte in June 1893. The find soon led to a gold rush with thousands of diggers prospecting the rich alluvial field.

When the government decided to declare a townsite here in 1894, the place was locally known as "Hannan's Find", and at first the name "Hannans" was nominated for the townsite. In suggesting the name Hannans to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, the Under Secretary for Lands, R Cecil Clifton, noted that the "native name of the place is "Calgoorlie" but this is rather too much like Coolgardie and if adopted is, I fear likely to lead to postal mistakes". R Cecil Clifton supported "Hannan", but Cabinet chose "Kalgoorlie" in August 1894. Although local preference was for Hannan's Find, Kalgoorlie soon came to be accepted as the name of the rapidly developing town. An alternative spelling of "Kalgurli" was also used unofficially on occasions.

Just when the name Kalgoorlie was first recorded and the precise meaning of the name is unknown. Various sources give it as either meaning: Aboriginal dog chasing a kangaroo; the Aboriginal name of a shrub from the area ("Galgurli");or the Aboriginal name for the local edible silky pear ("Kulgooluh").


KAMBALDA

Latitude 31° 12' S Longitude 121° 40' E

The townsite of Kambalda is located in the eastern goldfields region, about 60 km south of Kalgoorlie. Gold was discovered in the area in 1897, and the government soon decided to declare a townsite here. The government surveyor, W Rowley nominated the name, as it sounded a pleasant name. It is an Aboriginal word, the meaning of which is unknown. The townsite was gazetted in December 1897.
There was little development at Kambalda, and the place remained a ghost town until the Western Mining Corporation found nickel nearby in the early 1970's. It then soon developed into a thriving company town.


KANOWNA

Latitude 30° 37' S Longitude 121° 36' E

Kanowna is an abandoned gold mining town in the eastern goldfields about 20 km north east of Kalgoorlie. Gold was discovered here in 1894, and the area was at first known as "White Feather". When the government decided to declare a townsite H C Prinsep, then Under Secretary for Mines, stated the Aboriginal name of the place was Kanowna, and this was the name given to the townsite. The townsite was gazetted in December 1894.

The name may not be local Aboriginal name however. There is a Kanowna Station on Coopers Creek in South Australia, and some sources state that one of the early Kanowna diggers came from this station, and brought the name with him. Another source states that "Kanowna comes from the Aboriginal word "kana" or "gana" which means "place of no sleep" or "can't sleep". The term supposedly referred to the extremely stony ground surrounding area, making it an unpleasant place to camp. The term White Feather, although hard to track down with any accuracy, may have come from a dispute between two lots of diggers where one party took to their heels, showing a lack of courage. The remaining men named the lease after the event.


KARLGARIN

Latitude 32° 30' S Longitude 118° 43' E

Karlgarin is a townsite in the eastern agricultural area near Hyden, 321 km east south east of Perth. It derives its name from the Aboriginal name of a nearby hill, first recorded by Surveyor General J S Roe in 1848. Roe recorded the name as "Carlgarin", but common usage appears to have adopted the hard "K" as the preferable spelling. One source gives the meaning of the name as "place of fire" (Karl)

The Karlgarin area was a soldier settlement area, and as early as 1924 the Karlgarin Progress Association sought the declaration of a townsite. The government deferred this request pending a decision on the location of a railway line through the area. It was 1930 before the railway was fixed, and a position of the siding at the 314mile 60 chain point on the Lake Grace Karlgarin Railway was chosen as the location for the townsite. The townsite was gazetted in 1931.


KARRATHA

Latitude 20° 45' S Longitude 116° 51' E

Located in the Pilbara district, 1535 km north of Perth, the townsite of Karratha derives its name from the pastoral station from which the land was resumed to create the townsite. It was gazetted in 1969, and was developed by the government to provide land for the community supporting the Pilbara iron ore industry established in the region in the 1960s.

The names suggested for this townsite were Tanga-tanga, Hearson, Dixon, Nickol and Karratha. Karratha was chosen by the Nomenclature Advisory Committee, and was approved by the Minister for Lands who approved in 1968. Karratha is an Aboriginal word meaning "good country" or "soft earth".


KARRIDALE

Latitude 34° 12' S Longitude 115° 06' E

The townsite of Karridale, located 14 km north north west of Augusta, derives its name from the Karri forest in which it is situated. It is named after the Karridale Mill established by M C Davies here in 1884. The area then had a large extent of virgin Karri forest, and provided an obvious choice for the name. "Karri" is an Aboriginal name for the type of tree (Eucalyptus Diversicolor). The townsite was gazetted in 1979.


KATANNING

Latitude 33° 42' S Longitude 117° 33' E

Katanning is a townsite in the great southern region, 295 km south east of Perth. The name was first used as one of the original stations on the Great Southern Railway when it opened in June 1889. The Western Australian Land Company who had built the railway soon developed a private townsite here, and when the government purchased the railway in 1896, it converted the townsite to a government townsite. This was formally gazetted in 1898.

Katanning is a local Aboriginal word of uncertain meaning. There has been much conjecture regarding the meaning, with two schools of thought prevailing. One was that the name came from Kart-annin, Kart meaning head and annin meaning meeting place. Thus the name would have meant "meeting place of heads of tribes". The other was that the name was derived from the name of an Aboriginal woman. Many early local settlers believed this theory, the name of the woman being kay-tan, kate ann or kate anning. There is no documentation to support either theory.


KATHLEEN

Latitude 27° 31' S Longitude 120° 34' E

Kathleen is an abandoned townsite in the East Murchison Goldfield, located about 50 km north of Leinster. Gold was discovered in the area in 1897, and a Townsite gazetted in 1900. Locals originally referred to the place as Kathleen Valley, as the original gold find was in a valley. When the townsite was gazetted, the Inspector of Plans in the Department of Lands and Surveys thought the name incongruous, and dropped the "Valley" from the name. It is not known who "Kathleen" was.


KAURING

Latitude 31° 57' S Longitude 117° 01' E

Kauring is a townsite in the central agricultural area 120 km east of Perth, midway between York and Quairading. Farmers took up land here in the late 1860s, and land was surveyed in 1870 for a reserve for travellers and stock, and the reserve was known as "Cowering Reserve". In 1893 the Greenhills Road Board asked for the reserve to be enlarged, and stated then that it would be required for a townsite in the future. "Cowering" was suggested as the name for a new siding on the Greenhills
- Quairading Railway in 1907, but when the line opened in 1908 the siding was spelt "Kowring". The spelling was changed the same year to Kauring, and when the government decided to develop a townsite herein 1911, Kauring was the spelling used. The townsite was gazetted in 1912. Kauring is an Aboriginal name, the possible meaning of which is "place of parrots" or "tall place". Large numbers of the purple crowned lorikeets (cower) used to congregate to feed off the blossoms of the salmon gums growing in clumps around a soak in "Cowering Reserve".


KEBARINGUP

Latitude 34° 02' S Longitude 118° 09' E

The townsite of Kebaringup is located about 20 km south east of Gnowangerup in the great southern agricultural region. When the government was planning the railway from Tambellup to Ongerup in 1911 it was decided to establish a siding here, and the name nominated was "Arnott" after a local resident. The line opened in 1913 with this name, but the locals soon petitioned the government for a name change, suggesting Kebaringup. The name was changed later the same year.
The government surveyed a number of small blocks at the siding in 1913, and set aside an area for a townsite. The townsite was gazetted in 1918. Kebaringup is a local Aboriginal name, being first recorded by a surveyor for a nearby well in 1887. The meaning of the name is not known.


KELLERBERRIN

Latitude 31° 38' S Longitude 117° 42' E

Kellerberrin is a townsite in the central agricultural area, 203 km from Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. The railway line from Northam to Southern Cross was constructed through here in 1893-4, and this section opened for traffic in 1895. Kellerberrin was one of the original stations when the line opened. By 1898 there was a demand for small blocks of land in the area, and the government surveyed a number of 20 acre lots the same year. The area was gazetted as Kellerberrin townsite in 1901, and the government soon made more land available for settlers.
The name Kellerberrin is Aboriginal, and is derived from the name of a nearby hill. The hill was first recorded as "Killaburing Hill" by an explorer in 1861, but in 1864 the explorer C C Hunt recorded it as Kellerberrin Hill. One source claims that Kellerberrin is the name for the fierce ants that are found in the area, while another gives it as meaning "camping place near where rainbow birds are found"- "kalla means camping place or place of, and "berrin berrin" is the rainbow bird.


KENDENUP

Latitude 34° 29' S Longitude 117° 38' E

The locality of Kendenup is located in the great southern agricultural region, 345 km south east of Perth and 22 km north of Mount Barker. Kendenup is one of the original stations on the Great Southern Railway, and is included in a Timetable of June 1889. It derives its name from "Kendenup", the homestead of the Hassell family built here in 1839. The property was one of the best known in colonial Western Australia. The Kendenup property had earlier been taken up by George Cheyne, and was purchased by John Hassell in 1839. The name is of Aboriginal origin, of unknown meaning.


KENTON

Latitude 34° 58' S Longitude 117° 02' E

Kenton is a townsite near the south coast, situated midway between Denmark and Walpole. It is named after the Kent River, on which it is situated. The river was named by Dr J B Wilson R.N in December 1829 after Mr John Kent, a member of his exploration party. The townsite was gazetted in 1962, the area having first attracted interest for a townsite in 1953, when the Denmark Road Board advised there was interest in land in the area.


KEYSBROOK

Latitude 32° 26' S Longitude 115° 59' E

The townsite of Keysbrook is located 62 km south of Perth, between Armadale and Pinjarra. It takes its name from a railway siding established here in 1897. The siding is believed to be named after Thomas Charles Key (1847-1885) who leased land here for a time, and whose name was once used for as the local name of what is now Myara Brook. The townsite was gazetted in 1916, and the name adopted as a bounded locality in 1997.


KINTORE

Latitude 30° 36' S Longitude 121° 01' E

Kintore is an abandoned townsite in the eastern goldfields, located about 45 km north west of Kalgoorlie. Gold was discovered here in the late 1890s, and in 1897 the Kintore Progress Committee sought the declaration of a townsite for their rapidly growing community. The townsite was gazetted later the same year. The name is believed to relate to a mining name, but the origin is unknown at present.


KIRUP

Latitude 33° 42' S Longitude 115° 53' E

The town of Kirup is located 228 km from Perth, on the South Western Highway between Donnybrook and Bridgetown. It was originally a siding named Upper Capel on the Donnybrook-Bridgetown railway when it opened in 1898. As the siding was in a heavily forested area, G Baxter soon erected a sawmill there, and in 1900 the government took action to subdivide land in the area.

In 1901 when it was decided to declare a townsite here a name was sought. The name "Kirup" is recorded in official papers on the townsite, but no source or meaning is given for the name. When it was gazetted in 1901 the spelling used was Kirupp, the double "p" indicating that the preceding vowel should be shortened. This was later seen as not relevant, and the spelling was amended to Kirup in 1931. The name is Aboriginal, possibly stemming from "kura" and meaning "the place of summer flies".


KOJONUP

Latitude 33° 50' S Longitude 117° 09' E

The townsite of Kojonup is located 256 km south east of Perth, on the Albany Highway between Williams and Mount Barker. The site for the townsite was selected by surveyor Alfred Hillman in 1840, who three years earlier in February 1837 had discovered "Kojonup Spring" at this place. Kojonup was an important staging place on the road to Albany, and in 1837 a military post was established here, and the townsite has been occupied since that date.
The meaning of this Aboriginal name is said to be "place of the South-West stone axe (kadjo) and the stone used to make it (kadjor)." Another less likely meaning is "place of the edible bulb".


KOKARDINE

Latitude 30° 42' S Longitude 117° 10' E

The townsite of Kokardine is located in the northern agricultural region, near the town of Cadoux, 220 km north east of Perth. In 1927, when the government was building the Ejanding North railway, the Wongan Hills Road Board requested a townsite be set aside at this place, and nominated the name Kokardine for it. The townsite was gazetted two years later, in 1929. It derives its name from the Aboriginal name of a nearby soak, first recorded by a surveyor in 1892. A possible meaning for the name is "water in the grass", a meaning given to the spelling "kookadine" in a list of names for the Southern Cross district.


KONDININ

Latitude 32° 30' S Longitude 118° 16' E

The townsite of Kondinin is located in the eastern agricultural area, 279 km from Perth between the towns of Corrigin and Hyden. Like many towns in the agricultural areas it began as a railway station. The district around Kondinin was already settled when the government chose to construct a railway line here in 1911, the line, from Yilliminning to Kondinin, being completed in 1915. The terminus of the line was close to Kondinin Lake and Kondinin Well, and this was the reason for the choice of name. It is an Aboriginal name, first recorded by Surveyor General Roe in 1848, but its meaning is unknown. The townsite was gazetted in 1915.


KONDUT

Latitude 30° 43' S Longitude 116° 46' E

A townsite in the northern agricultural region, Kondut is located 203 km north east of Perth. The townsite is on the railway line that runs from near Dowerin to Mullewa, and it was decided to establish a siding here in 1913. The District Surveyor nominated the name "Konduit", stating it to be the name of a well known well in the locality. The Under Secretary for Lands amended the spelling to Kondut, applying departmental rules for the "orthography of native names". The townsite was gazetted in 1917.

The well referred to had been shown on maps since 1884, when surveyor C Crossland recorded it. Crossland spelt it Conduit Well, and it is still officially recorded with this spelling.


KONNONGORRING

Latitude 31° 03' S Longitude 116° 46' E

The townsite of Konnongorring is located in the central agricultural area, between Goomalling and Wongan Hills, 161 km from Perth. It was first a railway station on the Goomalling to Wongan Hills railway when the line opened in 1911, and derived its name from the nearby Konnongorring Soak. The soak had been shown on maps since 1896, when it shown in a lease taken up by C Chitty, and is an Aboriginal name. The meaning of the name is not known.

In the mid 1920s a school was built adjacent to the Konnongorring station, and in the early 1930s a store was erected nearby. In 1961 the Goomalling Road Board, anxious that speeding motorists be restricted near the school, sought the declaration of a townsite. Following such a declaration the speed would be limited to 35 MPH. The gazettal of the townsite took place in 1962.


KOOJAN

Latitude 30° 48' S Longitude 116° 01' E.

The townsite of Koojan is located in the northern agricultural region, 18 km south of Moora. It is located on the Midland Railway line, and was first established as a siding when the line opened in 1894. The government subdivided a small townsite here and gazetted it in 1910. Koojan is an Aboriginal name derived from a nearby pool. The name of the pool was first recorded by government surveyors in 1861 and 1864, but the meaning of the name was not noted.


KOOKYNIE

Latitude 29° 20' S Longitude 121° 29' E.

Kookynie (pronounced koo-ky-nee) is a townsite in the eastern goldfields, located between Menzies and Leonora, 796 km from Perth. Gold was discovered in the area in the late 1890s, and in 1899 the government decided there was sufficient interest in the area to declare a townsite. It was gazetted as Kookynie in 1900, and is believed to have been named by Mr Beaumont, the manager of the Lady Shenton Gold Mine after a holding near Clare in South Australia.


KOOLAN

Latitude 16° 08' S Longitude 123° 47' E.

The townsite of Koolan is the only Western Australian townsite located on an island. It is located on Koolan Island, the largest island in the Buccaneer Archipelago, situated about 130 km north of Derby. The townsite was gazetted in 1962, its purpose being to support the iron ore industry of the Dampier Mining Company Ltd. on Koolan Island and nearby Cockatoo Island. Koolan is an Aboriginal name first recorded during surveys of the area in 1908. It means "father island", as it is the biggest island in the area.


KOOLANOOKA

Latitude 29° 16' S Longitude 116° 04' E.

Koolanooka is a townsite in the northern agricultural region located about 10km south east of Morawa. It was chosen as the site for a railway station on the Wongan Hills-Mullewa line when the government planned the line in 1913, and the name selected for the station was Bowgada, after the adjacent pastoral station. The name was changed to Koolanooka before the line opened in 1914, and Bowgada was used for the next station south. The townsite was gazetted in 1916. Koolanooka is the Aboriginal name for nearby hills and a spring, first recorded by a surveyor in 1893. One source gives the meaning as "hill of wild turkeys".


KOOLYANOBBING

Latitude 30° 49' S Longitude 119° 31' E.

The townsite of Koolyanobbing is located in pastoral country 53 km north east of Southern Cross. It was created to service a nearby iron ore mine developed in the early 1960s, and was gazetted in 1965. The name is derived from the Aboriginal name of the nearby range of hills, Koolyanobbing Range, the name having been first recorded by the explorer C C Hunt in 1864. One source gives the meaning of the name as "large hard rocks".


KOORDA

Latitude 30° 50' S Longitude 117° 29' E.

The townsite of Koorda is located in the central agricultural region, 236 km north east of Perth and 45 km north of Wyalkatchem. In 1913 the government decided to construct a railway from Wyalkatchem to Mount Marshall, and the Central Cowcowing Progress Association requested that land be set aside for a townsite at the proposed siding in this area. In 1914 the Jirimbi and Mulji Progress Association again requested a townsite here, and also in 1914 the proposed siding here was named Koorda at the suggestion of J Hope, the Chief Draftsman in the Lands Department. Hope took the name from a list of words obtained from an Aboriginal in the Margaret River area, the meaning being given as a "married person". Problems regarding resumption of land for the townsite and the exact siting of the siding meant that the townsite was not gazetted until 1917.


KORRELOCKING

Latitude 31° 12' S Longitude 117° 28' E.

The townsite of Korrelocking is located in the central agricultural region, about 201 km from Perth and 10 km east of Wyalkatchem. In 1910 the government decided to establish a railway station here on the line from Dowerin to Merredin then under construction, and the Yuragin Progress Association requested the government declare a townsite at the station. The townsite was gazetted in 1911, a month before the portion of the railway Dowerin to Kununoppin was opened. Korrelocking is the Aboriginal name of a nearby water source, Korrelocking Well, which was first recorded by a surveyor in 1892. The meaning is unknown.


KUDARDUP

Latitude 34° 16' S Longitude 115° 07' E.

The townsite of Kudardup is located in the south west, about 8 km north north east of Augusta on the Bussell Highway. It was only gazetted a townsite in 1957, but is in fact over 100 years old. Koodardup was originally located in tall karri forest, and in 1883 M C Davies built a timber mill here that was named Coodardup Mill. The nearby caves were also recorded as Coodardup Caves from around this time. The mill moved to Karridale in 1884, and the name was rarely used again until 1925, when a siding on the railway from Busselton to Flinders Bay was opened here and named Coodardup. The spelling was changed to Kudardup a year later, this spelling being regarded as a more correct interpretation of this Aboriginal name. The railway line closed in 1960, and soon after the name was applied to the townsite.


KUKERIN

Latitude 33° 11' S Longitude 118° 05' E.

 Kukerin is a town in the great southern agricultural region, 309 km south east of Perth. It is midway between Dumbleyung and Lake Grace. Like many towns in the agricultural areas, Kukerin came about as a result of railway construction. In 1912 the government opened an extension to the Wagin to Dumbleyung line, and decided to establish a townsite at the railway terminus. The name nominated by the district surveyor was Merilup, the name of a nearby soak and the proposed name for the siding here. However the Moulyinning Progress Association, the nearest community group at that time felt the soak was too far from the railway to use this name, and the government sought alternatives. Kukerin was nominated by the district surveyor, and after checking that the name had not been used elsewhere, was approved by the Minister in 1912. It was gazetted as a townsite later the same year. Kukerin is an Aboriginal name, first recorded for a soak and gully in the area by a surveyor in 1908. It was also spelt "Cookerin". The meaning of the name is not known.


KULIKUP

Latitude : 33° 50' S Longitude 116° 41' E.

The townsite of Kulikup is located in the south west 27 km east of Boyup Brook. When the government built the railway from Boyup Brook to Kojonup in 1910 a siding was established here and named "Culicup". The Upper Blackwood Road Board considered it a suitable site for a townsite, and requested the declaration of one in 1911. When the townsite was gazetted in 1912, the spelling adopted was "Kulikupp", because of an orthography used in the Lands and Surveys Department for spelling Aboriginal names. It was not amended to Kulikup until 1965. Kulikup derives its name from a nearby pool, first recorded by a surveyor as "Culicup Pool" in 1892. The meaning of the name is not known.


KULIN

Latitude 32° 40' S Longitude 118° 09' E.

The townsite of Kulin is located in the eastern agricultural area, 285 km from Perth between the towns of Corrigin and Lake Grace. Like many towns in the agricultural areas it began as a result of railway construction. The district around Kulin was already settled when the government chose to construct a railway line here in 1911, the line, from Yilliminning to Kondinin, being completed in 1915. The station here was proposed to be named "Jilakin", the name being derived from nearby "Jeelakin Lake". In 1913 the South Kulinn Progress Association petitioned the government for a townsite at the proposed station, and shortly after the government agreed and a townsite named "Jilakin" was gazetted. The residents soon objected to the name, and requested it be amended to Kulinn. The Minister for Lands agreed to the name change which was gazetted in 1914, but at the suggestion of the Under Secretary for Lands dropped the last "n" from the name. The name is Aboriginal, having been first recorded as "Coolin" by Surveyor General Roe during exploration of the area in 1848.


KULJA

Latitude 30° 30' S Longitude : 117° 19' E

Kulja is a townsite in the central agricultural region north of Koorda. It was established as a railway station on the Ejanding North railway, which was built in the late 1920's , and in 1928 there were enough farmers in the area to warrant the declaration of a townsite. It was gazetted in October 1928. The townsite is named after the Aboriginal name of a soak in the area which was first shown on maps in 1908, but the meaning of the name is not known.


KULYALING

Latitude : 32° 28' S Longitude 117° 03' E.

The townsite of Kulyalling is located in the great southern agricultural region, midway between the towns of Brookton and Pingelly, 148 km from Perth. The government in the early 1900's opened a railway siding named "Westbrook" here, and in 1905 the Westbrook Progress Association petitioned to have a townsite declared. When the townsite was gazetted in 1906 the Lands Department sought a more suitable Aboriginal name as Westbrook had already been used elsewhere in Australia, and the surveyor surveying the townsite suggested "Nimbedilling", the name of a nearby brook. The local community objected to the name Nimbedilling, and the Mourambine Road Board suggested "Coolyaling" as an alternative, advising it was the Aboriginal name of a nearby spring and some rocks. The Lands Department changed the name to "Kulyalling" to conform to the Department's rules for spelling Aboriginal names, and the change of name was gazetted in 1907.


KUNANALLING

Latitude 30° 41' S Longitude 121° 04' E.

The townsite of Kunanilling is located in the eastern goldfields, 25 "miles" from Coolgardie . Gold was discovered here in 1895, and it was known as the "25 Mile" when the Warden for this goldfield area recommended a townsite be declared here the same year. At this time it was referred to as the "25 Mile" or "Coonanalling", but when gazetted in 1896 the Lands Department applied spelling rules that changed it to Kunanalling. The townsite is now abandoned.


KUNDANA

Latitude 30° 42' S Longitude 121° 13' E.

Kundana is an abandoned mining town in the eastern goldfields near Coolgardie. In 1896 58 miners living here petitioned the government to declare a townsite, recording the name of the place as "21 Mile" at that time. The name "Barkers Find" was also used for the place, honouring the prospector who found gold here, but when the townsite was surveyed late in 1896 the surveyor advised the name "White Flag" also applies to the area. The Deputy Surveyor General suggested the townsite be named "Barkerton", but "White Flag" was the name most commonly used. Surveyor H.S. King suggested the Aboriginal name "Kundana", and it was this name that was used when the townsite was gazetted in 1897. King did not give a meaning for the name.


KUNDIP

Latitude 33° 41' S Longitude 120° 11' E.

The townsite of Kundip is located in the south coastal agricultural region, between the towns of Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun. In 1899 gold and copper was discovered in this area, and the government decided to set aside land for a townsite. The name "Harbour View", after one of the mines here had some local use, but Surveyor A W Canning proposed the name "Coondip" for it, and a reserve was set aside for the townsite of "Coondip" in June 1901. When it was gazetted as a townsite in 1902 the Lands Department changed the spelling to "Kundip" to conform the orthography the Department had adopted. In 1978 it was noted that Kundip no longer existed, the last buildings being shifted away in 1950 and all that remained was a heap of bricks from the old baker's oven. The meaning of the name is not known.


KUNJIN

Latitude 32° 21' S Longitude 117° 46' E.

The townsite of Kunjin is located in the great southern agricultural region, 217 km east south east of Perth, and 17 km west of Corrigin. In 1909 a deputation of settlers from the Kunjin area met with the Minister for Lands seeking the declaration of a new townsite at Kunjin. The Lands Department agreed to a townsite, but delayed gazettal due to uncertainty of the location until the position of the proposed Brookton to Kunjin railway was fixed. The line was positioned in 1913, and the townsite gazetted the following year. The railway opened in 1915. Kunjin is named after the Aboriginal name of a nearby water source, first recorded as Cungin Spring. The spelling of Kunjin was adopted by the Lands Department to conform to spelling rules the Department had adopted.


KUNUNOPPIN

Latitude 31° 07' S Longitude 117° 55' E.

Kununoppin is a townsite in the eastern agricultural region, 247 km north east of Perth. Like many wheatbelt towns, Kununoppin was established because it was the site of a railway siding. The Dowerin to Merredin railway opened in 1911, and the townsite was gazetted in 1911. Kununoppin derives its name from the Aboriginal name of a nearby area, first recorded as "Coonoonoppin" during surveys in 1908. The spelling Kununoppin was adopted to conform to the Royal Geographical Society orthography for recording Aboriginal place names adopted by the Lands Department.


KUNUNURRA

Latitude 15° 46' S Longitude 128° 44' E.

The townsite of Kununurra is located in the Kimberley region in the extreme north east of the state, 3214 km from Perth. When the Ord River Irrigation scheme was being planned in the 1950s a townsite was included in the proposed development. Amongst other submissions of Aboriginal names put forward for the new townsite being created in the vicinity of the Ord River Dam was "Cununurra", said to mean "black soil" and to be the Aboriginal name for the Ord River according to Mary Durack. A Mr. Lewis of the Public Works Department reported that a soil survey undertaken in 1954 had disclosed that 99% of the land to be irrigated from the dam was composed of "cununurra clay". This name was not favoured by the Postmaster-General's Department because of its similarity to place names in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. However, to compromise, that department suggested adopting the spelling, "Kununurra", this version being approved in March 1960. The townsite was gazetted in 1961.


KURNALPI

Latitude 30° 32' S Longitude 122° 14' E.

Kurnalpi is a townsite in the eastern goldfield, about 80 km east north east of Kalgoorlie. Gold was discovered in the area in 1894, the area being known as Kurnalpi because the "Kurnalpi Rockholes" were a feature in the district. The townsite was surveyed in 1894 and gazetted the following year. The meaning of this Aboriginal name is not known.


KURRAJONG

Latitude 28° 43' S Longitude 121° 06' E.

Kurrajong is an abandoned townsite in the eastern goldfields region, located about 40 km north west of Leonora. Gold was discovered here in the late 1890's, and the place was referred to as "Diorite King", after the name of a nearby mine. In 1897 surveyor H S King surveyed some lots for a residential area, and two years later, in 1899, a townsite was gazetted. Kurrajong is named after the Aboriginal name of a species of tree.


KURRAWANG

Latitude 30° 49' S Longitude 121° 21' E.

The townsite of Kurrawang is located in the eastern goldfields region, about 15 km south west of Kalgoorlie. The townsite was gazetted in 1910, and although in a gold bearing area, owes its existence to timber rather than gold. Kurrawang was first established as a railway station on the eastern line to Kalgoorlie in the early 1900's, and was a junction with one of the main timberlines in the area. The timberlines were used by firewood companies to reach out into the forested areas to gather firewood for burning to condense fresh water from saline and brackish water. Kurrawang is an Aboriginal word of unknown meaning, perhaps related to "Currawong" the name of a common Australian bird.


KWEDA

Latitude 32° 23' S Longitude 117° 25' E.

The townsite of Kweda is located in the great southern agricultural region, about 180 km east south east of Perth between Brookton and Corrigin. In 1913 the government planned to build a railway line between Brookton and Kunjin, and one of the proposed stations was a "Quandadine Siding", located near Quandadine Pool in the Avon River. Marshall Fox, the district surveyor proposed creating a townsite here in 1914, and land was resumed for this purpose later that year. By the time the railway line was opened in 1915 the name of the siding had been changed to Kweda, and this was the name applied when the townsite was gazetted in 1918. This name may be derived from "Queeda", an Aboriginal name for the Casuarina tree.


KWELKAN

Latitude 31° 08' S Longitude 118° 00' E.

The townsite of Kwelkan is located in the central agricultural region, 260 km east north east of Perth, between the towns of Kununoppin and Nungarin. Like many wheatbelt towns, Kwelkan was first established as a railway siding on the Dowerin to Merredin railway opened in 1911. When the railway was planned a stopping place at "Quelcan" was marked on plans in 1910, and the district surveyor suggested some town lots be surveyed and a townsite reserved. Land was reserved for a townsite in 1910, and then gazetted as Kwelkan townsite in 1912. The spelling was changed from Quelcan to Kwelkan to conform to spelling rules adopted by the Lands Department, and the townsite is named after nearby Quelcan Well, first recorded by a surveyor in 1889. The meaning of this Aboriginal name is not known, although "kwel" is an Aboriginal word for the sheoak tree in one language.


KWOBRUP

Latitude 33° 37' S Longitude 117° 59' E.

Kwobrup is a townsite in the great southern agricultural region, about 340 km south east of Perth between the towns of Katanning and Nyabing. Like many wheatbelt towns, Kwobrup was first established as a railway siding on the Katanning to Nampup railway opened in 1912. The siding was named Yellanup when the line was opened, but there was concern that the name was too like Yallingup, and there was soon pressure for a name change. The district surveyor suggested "Wollakup" as an alternative, but this was regarded as too similar to Wokalup. He then suggested "Kwobrup", the Aboriginal name of a nearby swamp first recorded in 1905. This name was also recorded as Quaberup in 1876. A possible meaning of the name is "good place".


KWOLYIN

Latitude 31° 56' S Longitude 117° 46' E.

The townsite of Kwolyin is located in the central agricultural region, 204 km east of Perth between Bruce Rock and Quairading. In 1908 the Kwollyinn farmers and settlers Association requested the government declare a townsite in the Kwollyinn area on the proposed railway from Quairading to Nunagin. The proposal was supported by the government as this place was regarded as very important and the centre of a large growing area. A position at Coarin Spring on the railway was selected in 1912, and the townsite gazetted in 1913, the year the railway was opened. The station was at first named Koarin, but this was too close to Kauring, and the Minister for Lands approved it being renamed Kwollyinn. However, when the name was gazetted the Lands Department applied its spelling rules for Aboriginal names, and changed it to Kwolyin. Kwolyin is the Aboriginal name of a nearby granite hill, first recorded by the explorer C C Hunt in 1864 as Qualyin Hill. The meaning is not known.

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