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History of country town names - P


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

PANNAWONICA

Latitude 21° 38' S Longitude 116° 19' E

The townsite of Pannawonica is located in the Pilbara region, 1429 km north of Perth and 198 km south south west of Karratha. It was developed as a company mining town for the nearby iron ore deposits by Cliffs Robe River Iron Associates in the early 1970's, and was gazetted a townsite in 1972. The name of the townsite is of Aboriginal origin, derived from nearby Pannawonica Hill, a name first recorded by a surveyor in 1885. Pannawonica is said to mean "the hill that came from the sea".


PANTAPIN

Latitude 31° 57' S Longitude 117° 39' E

The townsite of Pantapin is located in the central agricultural region, 183 km east of Perth and 27 km east of Quairading. In 1912 the government planned an extension of the railway from Quairading to Nunagin (now Bruce Rock), and the siding located in this area was proposed to be named Ulakin after the nearby Ulakine Well.

The siding name was approved as Ulakain in 1913, the year the railway line opened. In 1913 the district surveyor for the area recommended a townsite be set aside, and following survey the townsite of Ulakine was gazetted in 1914. This spelling was adopted as it resulted in a more correct pronunciation of the name. In 1920 local settlers complained that the name of the place lead to mail and goods going astray, and a source of constant annoyance.

They asked for the townsite to be renamed Pantapin, and although the name is most likely Aboriginal, no origin was submitted with the request. The change of name was gazetted in 1921


PARABURDOO

Latitude 23° 12' S Longitude 117° 40' E

The townsite of Parraburdoo is located in the Pilbara region, 1536 km north of Perth and 79 km south of Tom Price. It was developed as a company mining town for the nearby iron ore deposits by Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd in the early 1970's, and was gazetted a townsite in 1972. The name is of Aboriginal origin, said to mean "feathered meat", perhaps a reference to large numbers of little corellas or flock pigeons in the area.


PARKESTON

Latitude 30° 44' S Longitude 121° 29' E

The townsite of Parkeston is a suburb of the city of Kalgoorlie, located 3 km east of the city centre. By 1900 the Hannans Brewery had established its brewing business in this area, and the government decided there would be a demand for land in the vicinity of the brewery. A scheme of subdivision was soon made, and in 1901 the Kalgoorlie Roads Board was asked to suggest a suitable name for the area.

The name the Board suggested was Parkesville, but as this was too similar to Parkerville, it was rejected. The Board then nominated Parkeston, and this was approved by the Minister for Lands in March 1901. It was gazetted a townsite in August 1904.

Parkeston is almost certainly named after Sir Henry Parkes, the "father of Australian Federation". The name was suggested by the Kalgoorlie Roads Board in February 1901, just a month after the Federation of the Australian States. The Goldfields region was a strong supporter of Federation, where much of the rest of Western Australia opposed it.


PAYNESVILLE

Latitude 28° 01' S Longitude 118° 30' E

An abandoned goldfields townsite, Paynesville is located 646 km north east of Perth and 77 km east of Mount Magnet. Gold was discovered in this area in early 1898 by Tom Payne and Waldeck, and by April 1898 the place had been inspected by a surveyor and a plan of subdivision prepared. It was at first referred to as "Paynton", and East Mount Magnet, and some records record the locality as "Fords" after another prospector.

By April 1899 local prospectors were using the name Paynesville, and it was with this name that the townsite was gazetted in 1900. It is believed to be named after Tom Payne. The railway from Mount Magnet to Black Range, passing through Paynesville, was opened in 1910.


PEAK HILL

Latitude 25° 38' S Longitude 118° 43' E

The townsite of Peak Hill is located in the Murchison Goldfield, 885 km north east of Perth and 120 km north of Meekatharra. Gold was discovered in the area by William John Wilson in 1892, and by 1896 there was sufficient population in the area for the government to decide to establish a townsite there.

The townsite of Peak Hill was gazetted in 1897. At the centre of the gold find is a peak 30 metres high, and it was believed Wilson named the find after it. However, according to other sources, including his biography, the name is derived from Peak Hill in New South Wales, an area where Wilson had prospected before coming to Western Australia.


PEMBERTON

Latitude 34° 27' S Longitude 116° 02' E

The townsite of Pemberton is located 335 km south of Perth and 31 km from Manjimup. It is located within the south west forest region, where in 1913 the state government established sawmills, the Number 2 and Number 3 State Sawmills. The area had become known as "Big Brook", but a more distinctive name was soon sought. The name Walcott was first suggested but was rejected by the Post Office, and Mr W.L.Brockman, a famer in the area, then suggested Pemberton, after Pemberton Walcott who was the first settler in the area in 1862.

The name Pemberton was used from 1916. The State Sawmills Department developed a small private town at the mills, but by 1921 there was community agitation for a government townsite to be declared. Although initially sternly resisted by the State Sawmills Department, particularly because it saw it as a way for alcohol to be introduced, community pressure eventually resulted in lots being surveyed in 1925 and the townsite of Pemberton being gazetted in October 1925.


PERENJORI

Latitude 29° 26' S Longitude 116° 17' E

Perenjori is a townsite in the northern agricultural region, 348 km north of Perth and and 39 km south east of Morawa. It is located on the Wongan Hills to Mullewa railway line which was opened in 1915. Perenjori was approved as the name of a siding in April 1913, and later that year the government later decided to establish a townsite here. Perenjori townsite was gazetted in 1916.

Perenjori is the Aboriginal name of a nearby water source, Perenjori Rockhole being first recorded in 1911 when land was set aside for a water reserve at the rockhole. The rockhole was sometimes spelt Perengory or Perangery, and it is believed the name may be derived from the Peranj-jiddee bush which surrounded the rockhole. The bush is similar to the Black Wattle.


PERINGILLUP

Latitude 33° 56' S Longitude 117° 38' E

The townsite of Peringillup is located in the great southern agricultural region, 316 km south east of Perth and 11 km south of Broomehill. Peringillup was originally a siding on the Great Southern Railway line, the siding first coming into use in 1907. It originally was also known by the alternative name of Wudara. In 1911 the government decided to establish a townsite at the siding, and Peringillup townsite was gazetted in 1914. The name is Aboriginal, being derived from the nearby Perringillup Well, a feature first recorded by surveyor in 1878. The meaning of the name is not known


PERTH

Latitude 31° 57' S Longitude 115° 51' E

The story of the naming of Perth begins with the instructions given to Captain Stirling, Lieutenant Governor designate of the proposed colony of Western Australia, regarding the foundation of the colony. Stirling received a letter from the Secretary for the Colonies, Sir George Murray, which read:

"Amongst your earliest duties will be that of determining the most convenient site for a Town to be erected as the future seat of Government. You will be called upon to weigh maturely the advantages which may arise from placing it on so secure a situation as may be afforded on various points of the Swan River, against those which may follow from establishing it on so fine a port for the reception of shipping as Cockburn Sound is represented to be...".

Stirling was therefore given the choice of establishing the chief town on Cockburn Sound, or "on various points on the Swan River". It has been established that Murray actually gave Stirling more explicit instructions, and advised him that failing the establishment of the town at Cockburn Sound, he was to fix the site for it at the confluence of the two rivers, the Swan and the Canning, or in other words, at Point Heathcote. Stirling had good reasons to disobey Murray, but briefly they were that it was that the Perth site was "decidely preferable in building materials, streams of water, and facility of communication".

Stirling did however gladly comply with Sir George Murray's command that the new town be called Perth. Murray's reasons for choosing the name, Perth, were purely sentimental and quite understandable, for he was both a Perthshire man and represented his birthplace in the House of Commons. The choice suited Stirling, himself a Scotsman, although it is recorded that at least one early settler, William Leake complained to the Home Office about the name. August 12, 1829, marked the day of the founding of the town, when Mrs Helen Dance cut down a tree. August 12 was also the King's (George 4th) birthday.


PIAWANING

Latitude 30° 50' S Longitude 116° 23' E

The townsite of Piawaning is located in the nothern agricultural region, 160 km north east of Perth and 28 km north east of New Norcia. A northward extension of the railway line from Toodyay to Bolgart was planned in 1913, and was to terminate near Piawaning Spring. When the exact route of the line was settled in 1919 the government decided to set aside land for a townsite at the terminus. Piawaning, the nearest Aboriginal name was selected, and the townsite was gazetted in 1920. Piawaning Spring has been shown on maps of the area since 1877 when recorded by a surveyor, but the meaning of the name is not known.


PICKERING BROOK

Latitude 32° 02' S Longitude 116° 07' E

The townsite of Pickering Brook is located in the Darling Range, 28 km east of Perth. A townsite named "Carilla" was gazetted in this location in 1958 (another Carilla having been previously gazetted nearby in 1952, and then cancelled). The name was said to be an Aboriginal word for "running water". By January 1973, Carilla was encompassed by the locality of Pickering Brook, and this led to a request from the Shire of Kalamunda to rename the townsite as Pickering Brook. Thechange of name was gazetted in December 1979.


PIESSEVILLE

Latitude 33° 11' S Longitude 117° 17' E

Piesseville is a townsite in the great southern agricultural region, 233 km south east of Perth and 15 km north of Wagin. A siding named "Buchanan River" was established here when the Great Southern Railway opened in 1889, although the siding is also recorded as Buchanan in some records. In 1897 the government set aside land at Buchanan Siding for future subdivision, and in 1903 the Government Land Agent at Katanning reported there was considerable interest in town lots there. Following the survey of lots the townsite of Buchanan was gazetted in December 1903.

In 1904 the Lands Department advised that Buchanan would have to be renamed because "a promise had been given to the Federal Government in naming new towns in this state care would be taken to avoid the duplication of names already existing in the other states". There was a town of Buchanan in New South Wales, so it was suggested a suitable Aboriginal name be sought. The Aboriginal name of the place was Toomanning, but a more euphonious name was sought, and the local committee suggested Barton, after Sir Edmund Barton, Australia's first Prime Minister. The change of name to Barton was gazetted in March 1905.

Following completion of the Trans Australian Railway in 1917, the Commonwealth government decided to use the names of Prime Ministers for railway stations on the line, and chose Barton for a station on the Nullarbor Plain in South Australia. By 1918 this choice of name was causing confusion with the townsite of Barton, and the Western Australian government was asked to change the name. This request caused much distress to the local residents who petitioned the government not to change the name yet again, but it was to no avail.

At first Buchanan was again suggested, but was quickly rejected because of the NSW Buchanan, and the names Piesse, "after the late messrs F & C Piesse and who have been associated with the public life of the Great Southern Districts for so long", and Hordern were proposed. The change of name to Piesse was gazetted in December 1918. In 1923 Mr A E Piesse advised the town name was being confused with his farm name, and asked for it to be renamed to Piesseville. The change of name to Piesseville was gazetted in December 1923.


PINDAR

Latitude 28° 28' S Longitude 115° 47' E

The townsite of Pindar is located in the northern agricultural region, 481 km north of Perth and 29 km east of Mullewa. It was originally a siding on the Mullewa to Cue Railway when the line opened in 1898, the government deciding in 1899 to set aside land for a townsite here. The townsite was gazetted in 1901, and derives its name from the Aboriginal name of a nearby water source, Pindar Well. The meaning of the name is not known.


PINGARING

Latitude 32° 45' S Longitude 118° 37' E

The townsite of Pingaring is located in the great southern agricultural region, 341 km east south east of Perth and 49 km north north east of Lake Grace. Pingaring was originally a siding on the Lake Grace-Hyden railway, the position of the line and siding being determined in 1930. It was gazetted a townsite in 1963. The name is Aboriginal, being derived from the name of a nearby spring, first recorded by a surveyor in 1926.


PINGELLY

Latitude 32° 32' S Longitude 117° 05' E

The townsite of Pingelly is located in the great southern agricultural region, 158 km east south east of Perth and 20 km south south east of Brookton. The townsite is located on the Great Southern Railway, a private railway built by the Western Australian Land Company and opened in 1889. Pingelly was one of the original sidings on the rail line when it opened, and the same year the company had a town designed and land made available. In 1896 the Western Australian government purchased the rail line and land, and after resurvey had Pingelly gazetted as a government townsite in 1898.

The name of Pingelly is derived from "Pingeculling Rocks", the Aboriginal name of some rocks about 13 km north of Pingelly. The name was first recorded in 1873 when land was leased in the area. Apparently settlers referred to the place as Pingegully for some years before the railway arrived, and the Pingelly spelling was first used following construction of the railway.


PINGRUP

Latitude 33° 32' S Longitude 118° 30' E

Pingrup is a townsite in the great southern agricultural region, 359 km south east of Perth and 40 km east of Nyabing. In 1923 the railway line was extended easterly from Nyabing to Pingrup,and the district surveyor had land surveyed for a townsite at the railway terminus. When the name of the railway station was being decided the railways department thought Pingrup was too similar to Tingerup,and suggested "Geina" a name used for the area around 1900.

This name was not acceptable to local settlers who proposed Lake Pingrup as an alternative. However, the Lands Department decided that Pingrup was a more desirable name, and not that similar to Tingerup. The townsite of Pingerupwas gazetted in 1924. It is named after nearby Lake Pingrup, an Aboriginal name first shown on maps of the area around 1873. The meaning of the name is not known.


PINJARRA

Latitude 32° 37' S Longitude 115° 52' E

The townsite of Pinjarra is located in the south west agricultural region, 87 km south of Perth and 21 km south east of Mandurah. It is located near a ford over the Murray River, and land was reserved for a townsite here in 1831. Surveys were carried out in 1836 and land allocated to settlers in 1837. The name was often shown spelt "Pinjarrup" on early maps, and the accepted spelling for many years was "Pinjarrah". There are conflicting theories regarding the meaningof this Aboriginal name. It is usually said to mean "place of a swamp", but it is more likely named after the "Pindjarup" tribe, the Aboriginal group that frequented this area.


PINTHARUKA

Latitude 29° 05' S Longitude 115° 58' E

The townsite of Pintharuka is located in the northern agricultural region, 386 km north of Perth and 13 km north of Morawa. It is on the railway line between Wongan Hills and Mullewa which opened for service in 1915. When the railway was being planned in 1912, the North Morawa Pintharuka Progress Association asked for a townsite to be surveyed at the site of the proposed Pintharuka siding. The site of the railway siding named Pintharuka was fixed in 1913, and later that year a townsite named Pintharuka was also gazetted. The name is Aboriginal, derived from nearby Pintharuka Well, a feature first recorded by a surveyor in 1910. The meaning of the name is not known at present.


PINWERNYING

Latitude 33° 39' S Longitude 117° 32' E

The townsite of Pinwernying is located in the great southern agricultural region, adjacent to the town of Katanning and 292 km south east of Perth. Katanning was a private townsite, owned by the Western Australian Land Company around 1890, but the government had land reserved nearby at Pinwernying. Demand for government land soon resulted in a subdivision of small agricultural lots, and gazettal of the Pinwernying townsite in 1892. The townsite is named after Pinwernying Soak, the Aboriginal name of a nearby water source first recorded by a surveyor in 1887. The meaning of the name is not known.


PITHARA

Latitude 30° 23' S Longitude 116° 40' E

The townsite of Pithara is located in the northern agricultural region, 240 km north north east of Perth and 12 km south of Dalwallinu. It is located on the Wongan Hills to Mullewa railway line which was opened in 1915. Pithara was approved as the name of a siding in April 1913, but before the railway line was opened the name was changed to Hettie, after "the lady from whom the government resumed land for the townsite". When the government gazetted a townsite in 1914 it also was named Hettie. Locals soon objected to the name Hettie, and Pithara was reinstated as the name of the townsite in December 1914. Pithara is an Aboriginal name, derived from a nearby well, first shown on maps of the area in 1907.


POINT SAMSON

Latitude 20° 37' S Longitude 117° 11' E

The townsite of Point Samson is located on the Pilbara coast, 1579 km north of Perth and 18 km north of Roebourne. By around 1900 the nearby port of Cossack was beginning to silt up and was inconvenient for the shipping of stock. In 1902/03 the government erected a jetty into deeper water at Point Samson, and this was proposed to be the port for the area. There was soon demand for lots at Point Samson, a tramline was erected to the jetty from Roebourne, but the survey and selling of lots was delayed because of the impact of Point Samson replacing Cossack. The townsite was finally gazetted as Point Sampson in 1909.

The name Point Samson honours Mr Michael Samson, a member of a prominent Fremantle family. The point was named during Walter Padbury's expedition to Nicol Bay in 1863. Mr Samson was the second officer of their ship, the "Tien Tsin". The point was misspelled on maps as Sampson, and this error persisted for many years, including being used when the townsite was gazetted in 1909. The error was brought to the governments attention by Michael samson's widow in 1918, and both the point and the townsite were corrected to Point Samson in April 1918.


POOTENUP

Latitude 34° 14' S Longitude 117° 38' E

The townsite of Pootenup is located in the great southern agricultural region, 332 km south south east of Perth and 10 km from Cranbrook. Pootenup is one of the original stations on the Great Southern Railway, being in use from when the line opened in 1889. In 1907 the government decided there was enough demand for land in the area to warrant declaring a townsite, and following the survey of lots the townsite of Pootenup was gazetted in 1908. Pootenup is an Aboriginal place name, first recorded by a surveyor in 1851. The meaning of the name is not known.


POPANYINNING

Latitude 32° 39' S Longitude 117° 07' E

The townsite of Popanyinning is located in the great southern agricultural region, 174 km south east of Perth and 17 km south south east of Pingelly. The townsite is located on the Great Southern Railway, a private railway built by the Western Australian Land Company and opened in 1889. Popanyinning was one of the original sidings on the rail line when it opened. In 1896 the Western Australian government purchased the rail line and land, and in 1903 decided to have a few lots surveyed at the Popanyinning siding to meet the requirements of the local settlers. After survey the townsite of Popanyinning was gazetted in 1904.

Popanyinning is an Aboriginal name, first recorded by the surveyor John Forrest in 1869, for a pool in the Hotham River. Some records spell the place Popanying, or Popanyining, but these appear to just be misspellings of the original name. The meaning of Popanyinning is not known.


PORLELL

Latitude 26° 56' S Longitude 118° 36' E

Porlell is an abandoned townsite in the Murchison Goldfields, 725 km north north east of Perth and 23 km east of Nannine. Gold was discovered in this area in the mid 1890's, the find being named "Star of the East". By 1899 there was sufficient development for the government to decide to declare a townsite, and as "Starof the East" was not considered suitable, the name Porlelle, after a small nearby lake was suggested. The spelling was amended to Porlell for unknown reasons, and the townsite of Porlell was gazetted in November 1899. Porlelle Lake was first shown on maps of the area in 1886, but the source and meaning of the name are not known. The lake has also now been re-spelt Porlell.


PORT DENISON

Latitude 29° 16' S Longitude 114° 55' E

The coastal townsite of Port Denison is located in the northern agricultural region, 365 km north north west of Perth and 3 km from Dongara. The area was referred to as Irwin Port (being near the mouth of the Irwin River) in 1866, but when officially named and gazetted the following year later it became Denison. It is believed named after Sir William Denison, Governor of Tasmania, who visited Western Australia in 1851 in connection with the transportation of convicts to the state. The name was changed to Port Denison in 1973 at the request of the Shire of Irwin, as this was the name by which the town was locally known.


PORT HEDLAND

Latitude 20° 18' S Longitude 118° 35' E

Port Hedland is a port town in the Pilbara region, 1638 km north of Perth and 202 km east north east of Roebourne. In 1895 the government commenced survey work for a port to service the pastoral industry in the region, and there was also demand in the area for a townsite. Following the survey of lots the townsite of Port Hedland was gazetted in 1896.

Port Hedland is named after the natural harbour of the same name on which it is situated. This was named during explorations of the area in 1863 after Captain Peter Hedland, master of the cutter "Mystery", who discovered the entrance to the harbour. Hedland was a Dutchman who sailed the north west coastal region supplying settlers in the 1860's.


PRESTON

Latitude 33° 32' S Longitude 116° 00' E

The townsite of Preston is located in the south west agricultural region, 228 km south of Perth and 18 km from Donnybrook in the Preston River valley. It derives its name from the river on which it is located, which was named in honour of Lieutenant William Preston RN, its discoverer along with Dr Alexander Collie in November 1829.

The area of this townsite was known as the "Upper Preston" when the government set aside land for a townsite in 1892. Community interest in the acquisition of land in the area resulted in lots being surveyed in 1899, and a townsite gazetted. The District Surveyor nominated the name Preston for the townsite in preference to Upper Preston. The railway line from Donnybrook to Preston opened in 1908


PRESTON BEACH

Latitude 32° 52' S Longitude 115° 39' E

Preston Beach is a coastal townsite in the south west region, 134 km south of Perth and 38 km west of Waroona. The townsite was originally a private development in 1959 known as "Preston Beach Estate". Another private estate in the area was named "Lakeside Estate", and in 1972 the area was named the locality of Yalgorup at the request of the local government.

When it was gazetted a townsite in 1975 the name Yalgorup, an Aboriginal word said to mean "place of waters or lakes" was again used. In 1989 the name was changed to Preston Beach at the request of the Shire of Waroona, as this was the name by which the area was locally known. The name Preston is derived from the nearby Lake Preston, which is named after Lieutenant William Preston RN who discovered the lake in 1829.


PREVELLY

Latitude 33° 58' S Longitude 114° 58' E

Prevelly is a coastal townsite in the south west region, 287 km south south west of Perth and 9 km west of Margaret River. The area was privately subdivided around 1960, and named Prevelly Park by the developers. In 1977 the Shire of Augusta_Margaret River requested the development be declared a townsite, and the townsite of Prevelly was gazetted in 1978.

The naming of Prevelly is dedicated to the Monastery of Prevelli on the island of Crete. A Greek style chapel that was built at Prevelly as a tribute to the Greek community on Crete during the world war was officially opened 4th June 1979. Mr. E.G. Edwards, who sponsored the building of the chapel built the holiday village of Prevelly and named it after the Monastery of Prevelli on Crete. He built the chapel to commemorate the courage of Cretan villagers who helped him and other servicemen after they escaped from the Germans.


PRINCESS ROYAL

Latitude 32° 07' S Longitude 121° 48' E

Princess Royal is an abandoned townsite in the Dundas Goldfield, 721 km east of Perth and 10 km north north east of Norseman. The townsite derives its name from the Princess Royal Gold Mine discovered here in the late 1890's. A residential area had developed near the mine by 1900, and in 1904 was gazetted a townsite. The mine and townsite are most likely named after the Princess Royal, Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa (1840-1901), the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria.

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