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History of country town names - Q


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

QUAIRADING

Latitude 32° 01' S Longitude 117° 24' E

Quarading is a townsite in the central agricultural area, 166 km east of Perth. It is situated 69 km from York on the road between York and Bruce Rock. Quairading derives its name from the nearby Quairading Spring, an Aboriginal name first recorded by surveyor Alexander Forrest in 1872. The meaning of this name may be related to "Quairit", an Aboriginal word for the eldest girl of a family, although another source gives it as "home of the bush kangaroo"- "quara".

In 1907 the government decided to build a railway from Greenhills (near York) to Quairading, and also decided to declare a townsite at the terminus. As the Quairading Spring was nearby this was selected as the name, but the district surveyor thought it should be spelt "Kwerading", a more correct spelling pronounced "kwera ding". Local usage of the Q spelling ensured the adoption of this name, and Quairading was gazetted a townsite in late 1907.


QUALEUP

Latitude 33° 50' S Longitude 116° 48' E

The townsite of Qualeup is located in the great southern agricultural region, 291 km south south east of Perth and 35 km west of Kojonup. It is located on the railway line from Boyup Brook to Kojonup, and was one of the original sidings when the line opened in 1912. Land was also set aside here in 1910 for a future townsite, and by 1921 there was enough interest in the area for the government to consider a scheme of subdivision. Lots were surveyed in 1924, and the townsite of Qualeup gazetted in October 1924. The name of Qualeup is derived from nearby Lake Qualeup, an Aboriginal name the Aboriginal name of a nearby lake first recorded by a surveyor in 1907. The name was spelt Qualeupp on some early plans.


QUIGUP

Latitude 33° 58' S Longitude 115° 42' E

The townsite of Quigup is located in the south west forest region, 289 km south of Perth and 7 km west north west of Nannup. Lots at Quigup were surveyed in 1909, to provide for employees of Bartman & Son's new sawmill in the area, and it was proposed to name the town St Johns Brook after a nearby stream. As this name had been used elsewhere in Australia it was not suitable, and the Greenbushes Road Board proposed the name Quigupp as an alternative. The townsite was gazetted as Quigup in January 1911. Quigup is an Aboriginal name, the meaning of which is not known.


QUINDALUP

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

The townsite of Quindalup is located on Geographe Bay, 250 km west south west of Perth and 21 km west of Busselton. The Quindalup area is the site of one of the state's earliest timber industries, and a timber mill was built here and timber exported through a jetty on the coast in the early 1860's. McGibbon and Yelverton used the name Quindalup in referring to their mill in the 1860's, and in the 1870's the government reserved land here. In 1899 a number of local fishermen in the area requested the Minister for Lands to subdivide the beachfront land. The Minister approved the subdivision, surveys of "working mens blocks" were made, and the townsite of Quindalup gazetted in 1899.

Quindalup is an Aboriginal name meaning "the place of quenda's". The Quenda is a small bandicoot common in the area.


QUINDANNING

Latitude 33° 03' S Longitude 116° 34' E

The townsite of Quindanning is located in the great southern agricultural region, 157 km south south east of Perth and 35 km west of Williams. The area to the east of Quindanning was settled for agriculture in the 1830's, but it was not until around 1900 when closer settlement in the area resulted in demand for small lots. In 1906 the government considered a subdivision, as there was already a school and racecourse in the area. Lots were surveyed in 1907, and the townsite of Quindanning gazetted in October 1907. The townsite derives its name from nearby Quindaning Pool, an Aboriginal name first recorded by a surveyor in 1835. The meaning of the name is not known.

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