Sunday, December 30, 2018

Carlo suggests Wonthaggi should be called Petria.

Here's an interesting article from the Geelong Advertiser of February 28, 1910 about names for the new coal town on the Powlett River - the Premier, John Murray, had suggested Peterloo or Peterhaven, whilst Carlo suggested the more poetic, Petria.  Peter McBride, mentioned in the article, was the Minister for Mines at the time. In the end Wonthaggi won the day! There is a McBride Avenue and a Murray Street in Wonthaggi, but nothing named for Carlo. I rather like the name Petria.

Geelong Advertiser  February 28, 1910


NAME WANTED FOR COAL TOWN.
WHAT SHALL POWLETT BE
CHRISTENED
Dealing with the question of the naming of the township close to the State coal mine, Mr. McBride said that he was not anxious that it should be called after him. He had seen suggestions by the Premier to call it 'Peterloo' or 'Peterhaven', and Mr. Catani, Chief Engineer of Public Works, had proposed 'Petria', but he thought that the present name, Wonthaggi, was not inappropriate. was a native name, and the following was the full definition given in the text book relating to such names - "Borne, drag; to pull along; to get; to bring; to haul; to drag; lug; to procure; to fetch; to obtain; to convey." 
All those definitions, or most of them, he thought, applied to a place where the coal mining industry was carried on. He would therefore he satisfied with the name Wonthaggi, especially as it had now been put on the plan relating to the sale of the leaseholds. An avenue in the township was to be named after him, and streets after his colleagues.

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