Place Names of South Australia - D

Dirty Light - Dry Creek

Dirty Light
Disher Plain
Dismal Swamp
Dixacres
Dixson, Hundred of
Dolling Corner
Donington, Cape
Donovans
Doora Mine
Douglas
Dover Gardens
Dowlingville
Downer, Hundred of
Downings
Driver, Cape
Drop Drop
Drummond
Dry Creek

Dirty Light

In the early days this name was generally applied to the River Light.

See Place Names Black Springs and Place Names - Hamilton.

Disher Plain

Nomenclature

On section 39, Hundred of Bagot. Probably James Wardlaw Disher (1819-1901), a large landholder in County Light, Tanunda, 'Seven Special Surveys' and the Hundred of South Rhine (now Jutland).

General Notes

Information on Mr James W. Disher is in the Chronicle,
22 December 1900, page 34b,
10 August 1901, page 35.

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Place Names

Dismal Swamp

Nomenclature

In 1845, Anthony Sutton held an occupation licence near Tarpeena which he called 'Dismal Swamp' and on 1 July 1851 he was issued with pastoral lease no. 206 over an area of nine square miles.

General Notes

A report by W. Hanson in Parliamentary Paper 48/1864 describes its depth: "A person had to stand on the seat of an American buggy to be out of the water in winter."
Also see Register, 30 January 1883 (supp.), page 1b:

Whether or not it will ever be drained, I do not know, but surely if it is there will be a large block of splendid garden ground opened up with a depth of black, peaty soil running from a foot to six feet in depth. The healthy country adjoining is capable of producing very good pasturage when cleared of the grass trees and other vegetation...

An obituary of J.A. Sutton is in the Register, 25 and 27 April 1910, pages 7b and 4g,
of John C. Sutton on 24 July 1916, page 5a,
of William Sutton in the Register, 4 July 1921, page 8g,
Observer, 9 July 1921, page 34a,
of James A. R. Macdonald in the Register, 1 November 1928, page 13d.

Its school opened in 1948 and closed in 1954.

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Place Names

Dixacres

A photograph of the house "Dixacres" is in The Mail,
7 October 1916, page 9.

The Register of 13 April 1917 at page 8b describes it as:

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Place Names

Dixson, Hundred of

Nomenclature

Hugh R. Dixson, MP (1901-1905). Born in New South Wales in 1865 he was educated in Melbourne and at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. In 1897 he built a home at North Adelaide which resembled a German castle on the River Rhine. He called it 'Stalheim', meaning 'steel home'. He became Sir Hugh Dixson and to avoid confusion with an uncle, who was also a knight, he changed his name by deed poll to 'Denison'.

General Notes

Also see South Australia - Politics.

A photograph of Mr Dixson's home "Stahlheim" at North Adelaide is in the Chronicle, 5 November 1904, page 30.

The district is described in the Advertiser, 21 September 1906, page 11d:

So much of the Hundred is sand, overlying sandstone, without subsoil, that a large proportion can never hope to be of any use to future settlers even ten years hence...

A school of this name opened in 1912 and closed in 1938.

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Place Names

Dolling Corner

A report on a farewell to Mr & Mrs E. Hutchinson is in the Register, 3 June 1897, page 6c -
a Mr Dolling is mentioned therein.

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Place Names

Donington, Cape

Nomenclature

Named by Matthew Flinders after his native village in Lincolnshire.

General Notes

A proposed lighthouse is discussed in the Register, 28 October1904, page 4h:

For some time the Marine Board has had under consideration a proposal to place a light on Cape Donington to facilitate the entry of vessels into Port Lincoln harbour by night.... A settler, Mr. Garrett, living at Point Donington, half a mile from the proposed site, would for a small fee give the light the necessary attention... Also see South Australia - Maritime Affairs - Lighthouses and Lightships

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Place Names

Donovans

Nomenclature

A 1947 subdivision of part section 542, Hundred of Caroline by Thomas John Donovan, who owned the land which fronts the River Glenelg 21 km east of Port MacDonnell. In his younger days he was responsible for shooting the famous 'Tantanoola Tiger'. Prior to the subdivision it was known as 'Donovan's Landing'.

General Notes

The district is described in the Register, 27 April 1926, page 11a:

With his customary zeal our guide secured a number of motor vehicles to convey us to a point on the Glenelg River called Donovan's... The scenery in the vicinity of this river is very fine. The cliffs in many places rise sheer out of the water to a considerable height and at other spots the trees and foliage complete a charming spectacle. The owner of the property has a motor launch [and] the stuffed carcass of the original 'Tantanoola Tiger', which caused a great stir in these parts some years ago and was shot by Mr. Tom Donovan, was on show and was an object of much curiosity...

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Place Names

Doora Mine

Near Wallaroo and named after a local tribe of Aborigines - see Chronicle,
3 June 1871, page 8a; this report also has information on the mine:

He would be a bold man who should affirm that all the mineral treasures buried on Yorke's Peninsula have as yet been discovered... About 12 months ago we gave an account of the discovery of the new mine, which Mr. Hughes has named the Doora - the native name of the Peninsula tribe of blacks...

Also see
Observer,
14 October 1871, page 5a.

The opening of its school is reported in the Advertiser,
2 April 1873, page 2g.

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Place Names

Douglas

Nomenclature

Possibly named after Captain Bloomfield Douglas, RN, who did mapping and marine surveying in South Australia.

General Notes

The Register of
20 December 1854, page 3c has a letter from Charles Fenn, MLC, objecting to the captain's appointment as Naval Officer and Harbour-Master of the province.
An editorial on page 2d of
21 December 1854 says, inter alia, - "This announcement [the appointment] has created considerable dissatisfaction out of doors... "; also see
22 December 1854, page 3b.

Information on the town is in the Register,
14 June 1878, page 5c and
19 July 1878, page 5d:

There was a small attendance of buyers at the Crown Lands Office when allotments were offered in the townships of Melton and Douglas... The bidding was very slow and the greater portion of the allotments were passed in. The highest price obtained for an allotment was for Lot 63 in Douglas which was sold for £7/4/0...

"Suicide at Douglas" is in the Register,
2 December 1885, page 5c.

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Place Names

Dover Gardens

Nomenclature

The name "Dover" comes from England and is a Saxon word meaning 'water'. Other sources say it derives from dwffyrrha - 'a steep place'.

General Notes

The school opened in 1956.

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Place Names

Dowlingville

Nomenclature

G.P. Dowling Whittaker, an early resident in the district; born in Wisconsin, USA, he died at Dowlingville on 7 March 1901, aged 48; his mother was the daughter of Reverend G.P. Dowling of Somerset, England.

General Notes

The laying of the foundation stone of a Wesleyan Chapel is reported in the Observer,
23 August 1879, page 11f.

A public meeting called to discuss certain local affairs is reported in the Register,
16 February 1882, page 6a,
16 May 1883, page 6e:

A number of farmers testified to the pressure upon them resulting from five bad seasons in succession. They declared they were unable to meet their engagements with the government unless some concessions were made... During the past two years 250 farmers had been forced into the Insolvency Court... During the same period some 1,000 Bills of sale had been executed...

The village is described in the Register,
3 May 1904, page 7f:

This is essentially a farming district, so that it is not surprising to find only a few houses, a store, a post office conducted by Mr. Whittaker, a State school, in charge of Mrs Lewis and a church. Only a few years ago this country was covered with scrub. Industry and manures have transformed the district considerably...

A photograph and article on T. Illman & Sons patent stripper and thrasher is in the Observer,
21 September 1907, page 27.

The opening of a hall is reported in the Observer, 14 August 1909, page 17a.

Dowlingville - Obituaries

An obituary of William Whitaker is in the Register, 6 October 1886, page 6g,
of John T. Whit(t)aker in the Observer, 27 August 1927, page 36d.
An obituary of George Foggo is in the Register, 18 July 1908, page 9d.

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Place Names

Downer, Hundred of

Nomenclature

Sir John Downer,(1878-1901), MLC (1905-1915). Born in Adelaide in July 1843 he was educated at St Peter's College and made the law his profession. He was Attorney-General in the Bray Ministry.

General Notes

Also see South Australia - Politics.

A dinner given in honour of H.H. Downer at the Paradise Hotel is reported in the Register,
26 January 1877, page 6b.

A cartoon is in The Lantern,
22 January 1887, page 1.

A school of this name opened in 1889 and closed in 1906.

"Sir John Downer's Humour" is in the Register,
19 August 1907, page 5d.

Information on Mr Downer is in The Lantern,
5 February 1876, page 8 (sketch),
Register,
18 April 1884, page 5d,
The Critic,
26 July 1902, page 1 (sketch),
Weekly Herald, 11 May 1901, page 8d;
an obituary is in the Register,
5 August 1905, page 7b,
Observer,
12 August 1905, page 28a.

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Place Names

Downings

Nomenclature

A school near Nairne; opened in 1862 it closed in 1864. Probably conducted at the residence of John Downing (1816-1906).

General Notes

In August 1859 John Downing of "Bird Hill" (sometimes shown as "Burd Hill") sold one acre in the north-western corner of section 1814, Hundred of Kanmantoo, which lies between Dawesley and Harrogate - this became the site of a Primitive Methodist Chapel which opened on 12 March 1860.

The school's one and only teacher was William James Phillips (1842-1914) who married Mary Downing (1842-1925), a daughter of John Downing.

The Observer of 1 January 1876, page 5g, mentions the Primitive Methodist Chapel and, no doubt, the school was conducted therein. (Sources - General Registry Office memorial book 161, folio 300; A.L. Mills, Burd Hill; SA Parliamentary Paper no. 18 of 1864; Register, 28 December 1864 (marriage notices).)

The Register of 20 March 1865, page 3f has a report stating, inter alia, that the chapel "seats about 80".

The reminiscences of John Downing are in the Register,
14 July 1906, page 9f;
Observer,
21 July 1906, pages 30a (photo.)-39c,
20 October 1906, page 39b (obit):

Mr. Downing is a man of two books - the Bible and The Adelaide Observer. In a busy life he has adopted the former as his spiritual guide; and his extensive knowledge of mundane affairs, including political and religious movements, obtained from the latter, is an indication of the power of the newspaper as a popular educator. Though entering upon his tenth decade, he has a wonderful knowledge of the past political history of South Australia...

The golden wedding of Mr & Mrs James Downing is reported in the Register,
4 September 1922, page 6g.

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Place Names

Driver, Cape

Nomenclature

The southern headland of Arno Bay named after Charles John Driver (c.1811-1854), who had a cattle station which occupied portion of what is now the Hundred of Hutchison.

General Notes

The "Neglected Memorial of a Pioneer Official" at Port Lincoln is reported upon in the Register,
4 February 1896, page 5c,
"A Port Lincoln Pioneer", by Rev John Blacket, on
24, 25 and 27 December 1919, pages 4d, 8e and 9d:

Visitors to Port Lincoln rarely miss the opportunity of devoting an hour to the inspection of the local cemetery, charmingly situated in what is appropriately called Happy Valley. One gentleman, while strolling in the graveyard, came across a broken tombstone which read: Sacred to the memory of Charles John Driver, Government Resident, who departed this life January 7, 1854, aged 42 years...

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Place Names

Drop Drop

Continual dropping of water from a local cave gave rise to the name; see Les R. Hill, The City Around a Cave, page 89.

The opening of a Wesleyan chapel is reported in the Register,
24 October 1862, page 3d.

A kangaroo hunt on Drop Drop Paddock on the Benara Run is reported in the Observer, 8 May 1869, page 5a:

A kangaroo hunt came off in Drop Drop Paddock on the Benara Run, improvised for the benefit of His Honour, Mr. Justice Wearing and party.... The company numbered about 16 horsemen and nine dogs, all eager for the fun...

Also see South Australia - Flora and Fauna - Marsupials and Mammals.

An obituary of Wilhelm Sandmeyer is in the Register,
28 November 1893, page 5d.

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Place Names

Drummond

Nomenclature

As to its nomenclature it is of interest that Rev Ralph Drummond (1792-1872) was the first United Presbyterian Church Minister in South Australia, arriving in the Sir Charles Forbes in June 1839; coincidentally, Charles Stokes' wife had a Scotch ancestry. A notice of the death of Rev. Ralph Drummond and an account of his funeral are in the Register, 29 and 30 April 1872, pages 5d and 3d. Alternatively, he may have named it after the Governor of the day, Sir William Fox Drummond Jervois. It is a common place name in Ireland and Scotland and is a corruption of the Gaelic dromainn - 'a ridge', derived from and probably a diminutive of druim -'the back'.

General Notes

A notice of the death of Rev. Ralph Drummond and an account of his funeral are in the Register,
29 and 30 April 1872, pages 5d and 3d.

A photograph of a school picnic at Port Drummond is in the Chronicle,
2 January 1936, page 34.

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Place Names

Dry Creek

A hunt at Dry Creek is reported in Adelaide Miscellany, page 122.
Also see South Australia - Sport - Fox Hunting.

A horse race meeting is reported in the Observer,
16 December 1854, page 12e,
Express,
4 March 1895, page 4c.
Also see South Australia - Sport - Horse Racing.

A report on a "Free Labour Station at Dry Creek" is in the Register,
23 January 1856, page 3a and
27 July 1857, page 2e:

The Free Labour Station was closed in December 1855. It was opened in August 1855 when the government was embarrassed by the large number of able-bodied men requiring relief through inability to obtain employment...

For an earlier reference see Parliamentary Paper 91/1855-56.
For a report on the Labour Prison see Register,
13 November 1869, page 2e.
Also see Adelaide - Gaols, Reformatories and the Law, Stockade and Place Names - Yatala.

The first ploughing match is reported in the Register,
9 September 1858, page 3g; also see
4 August 1860, page 2f,
9 September 1865, page 3g,
Chronicle,
20 July 1861, page 4c.
Express,
8 September 1864, page 3e:

The first ploughing match was held on Mr. Gill's section on the eastern side of the road leading from Gepp's Cross to the Bird-in-Hand, immediately below the Stockade, whose rigid ramparts supplied a sombre background to an otherwise cheerful landscape... Also see South Australia Industries - Rural, Primary and Secondary - Ploughing Matches

Parliamentary Paper 21/1857 concerns the extension of the railway; also see
Observer,
16 October 1858, page 6h.
A report on a proposed railway to Port Adelaide is in Parliamentary Paper 83/1858; also see
Register,
1 and 6 August 1866, pages 3b and 3e.
Also see Adelaide - Transport - Railways.

The "loop" line to Port Adelaide and the opening of same are discussed in the Register,
12 October 1867, page 2d and
3 February 1868, page 3e,
Observer,
9 October 1867, page 1d (extra supp.).

Mr Milne's farm "Drumminer" (sic) is described in the Register,
14 April 1862, page 3d.

Rifle butts are discussed in the Register,
16 February 1878, page 5b,
Observer,
23 February 1878, page 11b.
A rifle match and a description of the area are reported in the Register,
28 August 1882, page 6; also see
Observer,
2 September 1882, page 18e;
Register, 23 October 1882, page 5b.
Also see South Australia - Sport - Rifle Shooting

Information on its school appears in the Register,
17 January 1879, page 5b; also see
Advertiser,
28 and 30 August 1928, pages 18a and 10f.

A Field Naturalists' Society excursion is reported in the Register,
24 March 1884, page 7a.

A proposed cattle market is discussed in the Chronicle,
31 October 1885, page 13d.
Also see Adelaide - Markets - Sheep and Cattle Markets

"The Relief Works at Dry Creek" is in the Register,
12 and 14 April 1886, pages 7d and 7h.

The Dry Creek embankment is discussed in the Advertiser,
9 December 1886, page 6b; also see
Chronicle,
10 November 1888, page 8f.
Reclamation work is discussed in the Observer,
10 November 1888, page 33a.

Information on the Australian Smelting and Refinery works is in the Express,
28 April 1887, page 2c,
18 November 1887, page 3f,
Chronicle,
19 November 1887, page 23b; also see
Advertiser,
7 December 1887, page 5e,
Observer,
10 December 1887, page 8b,
Register,
7 December 1887, page 6f,
24 July 1888, page 6c.

Also see Advertiser,
21 December 1889, page 6e,
Register,
8 July 1890, page 6d,
Express,
12 September 1890, page 3b,
Register,
29 and 30 January 1892, pages 6d and 4e,
10 February 1892, page 7a,
Express,
10 February 1892, page 6f,
Chronicle,
27 August 1892, page 6g.

Its sale is reported in the Register, on
25 April 1902, page 4g.

"Smelters and the Public Health" is in the Observer,
6 February 1892, pages 24e-34.
Sketches are in the Pictorial Australian in
July 1890, page 109.

Reclamation work is discussed in the Observer,
10 November 1888, page 33a.

A field naturalists' excursion to the works is reported in the Register,
20 May 1889, page 7d.
A dinner to the smelter's manager, John Provis, is reported in the Register,
30 September 1891, page 6d,
Observer,
3 October 1891, page 33e.

Boring for water is discussed in the Register,
15 May 1889, pages 4e-5a,
30 December 1889, page 5a.
Also see Adelaide - Water Supply.

An obituary of John D. Hill is in the Register, 19 May 1892, page 5a,
of Thomas Stock in the Register, 30 May 1893, page 5b,
Observer, 3 June 1893, page 30b.

Information on its boiling-down works is in the Register,
4 October 1893, page 5c.
Observer,
16 February 1895, page 29c.
A fire at Conrad's Boiling Down Works is reported upon in the Register,
11 February 1905, page 9h.
Also see South Australia - Industries - Rural, Primary and Secondary - Farming - Boiling Down

"New Explosive Magazines" is in the Register,
10 May 1903, page 4f; also see
29 June 1903, page 6c,
1 July 1903, page 4g.

"Salt Fields at Dry Creek" is in the Advertiser,
2 September 1936, page 24e.
Also see South Australia - Industries - Rural, Primary and Secondary - Miscellany.

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