Place Names of South Australia - B
Beltana - Belvidere
Beltana
Nomenclature
128 km north of Hawker. Over the years several explanations have been given as to its meaning. In 1854 John Haimes applied the name to his pastoral property (lease no. 379) and said it meant 'running water'. H.C. Talbot said belt meant 'running' and ana 'water', while another source says that belt meant 'crossing' and ana - 'water'. In the 1920s an old Aborigine informed W.C. Reid, the then general manager of the Beltana Pastoral Company, it meant 'crossing of the waters'.
Another version of its origin appeared in the Register on 22 June 1928:
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It is derived from two Irish root words, beall, meaning "good'' and teine - "fire''. The goodly fires, which were lighted on the first day of summer. The first of May, to the present time, is called "Bealtaine''.
General Notes
A "Fatal Affray with the Blacks in the North" is in the Register,
10 December 1863, page 2h; also see
11 December 1863, page 2e.
An Aboriginal corroboree is described in the Register,
2 December 1898, page 7h.
Also see South Australia - Aboriginal Australians.
"Murder and Inquest at Beltana" is in the Express,
6 December 1867, page 3g.
The district is described in the Observer,
30 November 1872, page 15b and
the town and district in the Advertiser,
9 September 1878, page 6e,
Chronicle,
31 December 1881, page 5g; also see
Register,
20 October 1884, page 6b,
Observer,
25 October 1884, page 10b,
3 January 1885, page 9a,
26 February 1887, page 37c,
Register,
27 December 1884 (supp.), page 1c,
8 December 1899, page 7c.
A photograph is in the Observer,
22 February 1908, page 32,
24 June 1922, page 23,
16 August 1924, page 35.
Its school opened in 1877.
Information on it is in the Register,
4 December 1888, page 5c and
the teacher's "residence" is described on
24 May 1899, page 5b:
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The State school was closed in May 1899 because the teacher had a bad attack of ophthalmia. Her illness was aggravated, if not brought on, by the wretched wooden building which was supposed to do duty as a residence. The wooden floor and walls were rotten and full of holes which admitted the
cold wind in winter and the heat in summer. The teacher, her two children and a maid have all to eat, live and sleep in this dilapidated one-room structure. ...
The school residence is being partly renovated by a new floor, a partition and having the cracks in the walls puttied and plastered. Of course this is better than nothing... The schoolroom and residence might at least be enclosed so that goats, which now make a camping ground at night of the porch and verandah, could be kept out...
Also see Observer,
26 August 1899, page 11a,
Register,
23 August 1899, page 3e for the government response and other matters connected with the school.
A schools' carnival is reported on
10 April 1926, page 10g.
The opening of the railway from Port Augusta is reported in the Register,
8 July 1881, page 6g.
Also see South Australia - Transport - Railways.
"The Beltana Silver Discovery" is in the Chronicle,
28 January 1888, page 16c,
25 February 1888, page 7c; also see
Express,
21 and 25 February 1888, pages 3e and 4a.
A trip to the silver fields is described in the Register,
1 March 1888, page 7c; also see
8 and 29 March 1888, pages 6d and 6h,
21, 22 and 25 June 1888, pages 7c, 4h and 7c,
20 July 1888, page 4g,
23 August 1888, page 7g,
6 and 18 September 1888, pages 7e and 6f,
Advertiser,
21, 22, 23 and 27 February 1888, pages 5f, 7a, 6g and 6g,
Express,
18 September 1888, page 4b,
Chronicle,
18 July 1891, page 8c.
A map of the claims is in the Pictorial Australian in
January 1888, page 88; also see
February 1888, page 28.
Also see South Australia - Mining - Coal.
The town, district and mines are discussed in the Chronicle,
2 and 9 September 1899, pages 14c and 16.
Biographical details of James Heneker are in the Register,
17 May 1900, page 4f,
A photograph of Mr & Mrs James Henniker (sic) is in the Observer,
14 October 1911, page 32.
Biographical details of Rev J.B. Reid, of the Smith of Dunesk Mission, are in the Register,
3 May 1905, page 5b.
A sports day is reported in the Observer,
21 July 1906, page 15c.
The destruction of the hotel by fire is reported in the Observer,
4 April 1908, page 17a.
A photograph of hay gathering is in the Observer,
27 November 1920, page 26,
of Aborigines receiving rations at the police station on
3 December 1921, page 25.
Opinions on its nomenclature are in the Register,
6 and 11 August 1924, pages 14b and 7b.
Information on the Inland Mission Nursing Home is in the Register,
19 August 1924, page 5g.
Also see South Australia - Women - Nursing and Female Doctors
"Northerners' Big Picnic" is in the Register,
24 April 1926, page 9f.
"Beltana Carnival" is in the Register,
1 May 1925, page 6c.
A sanatorium is proposed in the Register,
4 September 1926, page 8g; also see
17 September 1926, page 13h,
2 April 1927, page 14e.
Also see South Australia - Health - Consumption
Biographical details of C.F.W. Pfitzner are in the Register,
2 November 1927, page 15d.
Information on "Mitchell Home" is in the Register,
16 December 1927, page 10d.
A dingo hunt is reported in the Register,
14 June 1928, page 9e; also see
16 June 1928, page 8h.
Also see South Australia - Flora and Fauna - Dogs.
Information on a memorial to Ernest Giles is in the Register,
20 and 27 September 1928, pages 11b and 10.
A photograph of "outback transport" is in the Chronicle,
21 June 1934, page 38.
Beltana - Obituaries
An obituary of Mrs P. Doig is in the Register,
21 September 1894, page 5d,
Observer,
22 September 1894, page 30a,
of Mrs Mary A. Heneker on 21 October 1916, page 35b,
of James Heneker on 10 March 1917, page 21c.
An obituary of A.E. Phillipson is in the Chronicle,
27 August 1898, page 17c;
a dispute in respect of N. Phillipson's estate is traversed in the Register,
12 November 1903, page 7f, 14 January 1904, page 8a.
Beltana - Belvidere
B
Place Names
Belton
Nomenclature
A town in the Hundred of Eurilpa 48 km south-east of Hawker was named by Governor Jervois and proclaimed on 30 March 1882. His daughter, Lucy Caroline, married the Rev. W.A. Purey-Cust at St Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide on 14 February 1882; circa 1881 he had been appointed to the parish of Belton, Lincolnshire which in the 19th century was recorded as being 'in the patronage of Earl Brownlow'.
General Notes
A sale of town allotments is reported in the Chronicle,
22 April 1882, page 4d.
The school opened in 1886 and closed in 1941; see
Register,
11 June 1885, page 7e,
Chronicle,
3 and 10 December 1892, pages 3g and 4g.
The town and district are described in the Register, 27 April 1882, page 7a:
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It is placed within a stone's throw of a thickly timbered creek thus offering a break to the hot winds and supplying a want which I know is severely felt in many localities in the north, viz., some place out of doors where rest and recreation are possible. In this creek in future days the poet, the sketcher and the solitary lover of nature will find a thing of beauty and a joy for ever. The kangaroo still fattens on the streets and terraces of Belton; the eagle hawk and wallaby still haunt the hills; but there is little doubt that, with a favourable turn in the seasons, these present occupiers will have very brief and unceremonious notice to quit...
A sports day is reported in the Chronicle,
22 November 1890, page 12f,
17 October 1891, page 13c,
24 November 1894, page 21f,
22 October 1910, page 19c.
An obituary of Mrs Ann Jones is in the Register,
26 March 1898, page 5b,
Observer,
2 April 1898, page 31b,
of Michael Mulligan on 19 August 1916, page 20c,
of Mrs John Meers in the Register,
11 August 1919, page 4h.
Beltana - Belvidere
B
Place Names
Belvidere
Nomenclature
John Cheriton (c.1829-1917) gave this name when he subdivided section 2760, Hundred of Bremer 6 km south-east of Strathalbyn into various sized allotments in 1866. Most traces of the settlement have long disappeared, although the St Philip's Church of England, consecrated in 1861, still stands.
General Notes
The opening of the "Cheriton Bridge" is reported in the Register,
8 July 1864, page 3d,
while that of a new bridge across the River Angas appears on
24 October 1866, page 3g.
The school opened in 1859 and closed in 1942; examinations at Mr Edwards' school are reported in the Register,
23 November 1867, page 2g:
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School examinations were held on 14 November 1867 - Prizes were distributed as follows: First Class, W.Thomas, John Gordon, Scott Gandy, John Paterson and Alexander Gordon for general excellence. Second Class, Charles Dart, Mary Paterson and Grace Kitto. Third Class, John Jarvis, W. Paterson and Hugh Gordon.
Also see
Chronicle,
7 November 1868, page 7a,
Register,
25 October 1869, page 2h.
A dinner in honour of John Cheriton is reported in the Register,
20 August 1867, page 3h.
An obituary of Mrs John Cheriton is in the Register,
28 October 1925, page 15c.
A photograph of the unveiling of a war memorial is in the Observer,
21 May 1921, page 25.
Also see South Australia - World War I - Memorials to the Fallen.
