Thursday 27 December 2007

Little Known Facts: How Australia got its name.

When Captain Cook claimed possession of what is now Eastern Australia in 1770, he named it New South Wales. It wasn't until fourteen years later that the continent acquired its present name. This came about in February 1785 when Josiah A Kerr, the coxwain of a penal colony supply ship, landed on the wooded shore of Desolation Bay with a watering party and mistook a bandicoot track for a bridleway. Kerr set off alone to explore it, and was never seen again. His parting words, "There's an 'orse trail 'ere", passed into folklore and became corrupted into Orstralia, subsequently latinised as Australia.

11 comments:

  1. And what proof do u have to back up this fairy tail "little known fact". Facts have to be accompanied by proof, otherwise its all just fairy tails.

    havva good 1

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  2. The story is first recorded in the journal of Midshipman Roger D' Bycrewe (unpublished, British Library; IBS 3.141592653589). It is referred to (disparagingly) in Willy Knott's 'Continents for the Traveller' (Vol II), and also in 'Ned Kelly to Edna Everage; The Mythology of a Nation' by Sydney Bridge (Fable and Fable, 1968).

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  3. Can u write this so it is easier 2 understand? I cant read any of this...what i can read turns 2 mush and nonsense in my brain!

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    Replies
    1. You're either working too hard, or very perceptive.

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  4. Or maybe it's from the Latin "Australis" which means "of south"

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  5. thats not it !!!!

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  6. research people!

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