Sydney Travellers' Guide: The Names of Sydney

Geographical Feature Names:
Rivers and Creeks - North

Lane Cove River: the cove and Lane Cove River were named by Gov. Phillip in 1788. They were named thus either in honour of a personal friend, John Lane, Lord Mayor of London or because the heavily wooded shores of the waterway, when first viewed from the Parramatta River, gave the impression of a lane shaped cove. At that stage the river had not been discovered.
Aboriginal name: Turraburra.

Tarban Creek: corruption of native name 'tharbine'. Its meaning is not known.

Brickmakers Creek: nearby clay pits used in the manufacture of bricks.

Mars Creek: it flows through a district known as the Field of Mars.

Buffalo Creek: probably named after HMS Buffalo, a ship on which Captain Raven and Captain Kent, both landholders in Ryde, sailed.

Strangers Creek (Ryde): origin unknown.

Kittys Creek: origin unknown.

Martins Creek: origin unknown.

Grove Creek: origin unknown.

Stringybark Creek: the abundance of Stringybark trees.

Swaines Creek: believed to honour John Swaine who was granted land in the area in 1818.

Porters Creek: Richard Porter, a Pymble orchardist who grew up on his parent's farm at Kissing Point.

Links Creek: it flows beside a golf course (previously referred to as golf links).

Falls Creek: the creek runs over a small waterfall.

Blackbutt Creek: Blackbutt trees were plentiful in the creek's valley.

Rudder Creek: origin unknown.

Quarry Creek: a quarry was operated near the creek.

Shrimpton Creek: Second Fleet convict Richard Shrimpton (1764-1827). He received a 50-acre land grant in the Eastern Farms District (bounded by Modern Quarry and Bridge Roads, Ryde), land through which the creek flows. By 1802 he was cultivating numerous crops on the banks of the creek, employing two free men and a convict.

Terrys Creek: early resident Samuel Terry of Hutchinson Terry & Co., pastoralists in the 1820s.

Bellamys Creek: the Bellamy family were a pioneering family in this area. William Bellamy was farming the area as early as 1880.

Bidjigal Creek: the Bidjigal Aboriginal tribe inhabited this area.

Devlins Creek: James Devlin, pioneer of the Pennant Hills district who owned a 470 acre farm on what today is the western side of the railway line between Epping and Eastwood.

Camp Creek: the location of a logger's camp in the area.

Archer Creek: Isaac Archer, a marine who was granted 80 acres in what is now West Ryde.

Scout Creek: origin unknown.

Coups Creek: origin unknown.

Gore Creek: early settler William Gore (1756-1845) who took up land there in 1810. Gore was Provost Marshall during Bligh's governorship. Gore Cove and the nearby locality of Gore Hill is also named in his honour. Always surrounded in controversy, Gore was eventually given a grant of 65 hectares near the present Gore Cove and named his land 'Artarmon Farm'. The farm cottage known as 'Artarmon Cottage' was situated near the old cemetery on Gore Hill between the Sydney suburbs of St Leonards and Artarmon.

Tunks Creek (Willoughby): William Tunks, Mayor of East St. Leonards from 1867 to 1882. Tunks was the principal promoter of the 'Penny Bank', the North Sydney School of Arts, and was responsible for the preservation of St. Leonards Park as a public reserve.

Flat Rock Creek: a large flat rock jutted out over the creek below where Willoughby Road crosses it.

Sailors Bay Creek: it flows into Sailors Bay.

Scotts Creek: origin unknown.

Sugarloaf Creek: it flows into Sugarloaf Bay.

Manly Creek: Gov. Phillip named the Manly area thus when visiting the area for the first time in 1788. He gave the name in reference to the male Aborigines there who impressed him with their noble and manly bearing.

Burnt Bridge Creek: origin unknown.

Greendale Creek: origin unknown.

Brookvale Creek: Brookvale - named after two houses called Brookvale, one of which was near the creek.

Frenchs Creek: recalls James Harris French, who acquired land in the area in 1856 and established a major timber cutting and milling operation, which cleared most of the dense forests of the area. He operated two sawmills on Frenchs Forest Road, which was the main thoroughfare.

Bare Creek: origin unknown.

Snake Creek: origin unknown.

Oxford Creek: originally known as Bloodwood Gully. It was here that early grantee Alexander Bowman was a timber getter. It is presumed Bloodwood trees were in abundance in the area.

Middle Creek: describes its location in terms of other creeks which enter Narrabeen Lakes.

Trefoil Creek: from the Middle English adaptation of the Latin `trifolium` or Anglo-French `trifoil`. `Tri`- three and `folium` leaf.

Deep Creek: descriptive.

Wheeler Creek: origin unknown.

Wirreanda Creek: name is of Aboriginal origin said to mean "Place where wallabies live under tall trees".

Cicada Glen Creek: cicadas heard here.

Mullet Creek: named by Gov. Phillip in 1788 as mullet were caught here.

Narrabeen Creek: Aboriginal name said to mean 'fresh water'.

McCarrs Creek: Originally named Pitt Inlet by Gov. Phillip though it has appeared on maps in the 1830s as South West Arm. The origin of the current name is not known and to add to the mystery, there is no record of a settler in the area by that name in the early 1800s when the name first began appearing on maps. Back then it was spelt "MacAa's Creek", which indicates it could be an abbreviation of a longer "Mac" name, either starting with A (eg. MacAlpine) or R (eg. MacRoberts). It has been theorised that the person in question might be John Macarthur of The Rum Rebellion fame. He owned a farm at Pennant Hills from which naturalist George Caley embarked in 1805 to explore a ridge from Thornleigh to Fox Valley, Warrawee and Turramurra and then on to Cowan Creek. Caley would have crossed the creek in his travels and may have named it after the expedition's benefactor. The name began appearing on maps soon after Caley's journey.

Crystal Creek: origin unknown, perhaps descriptive.

Salvation Creek: origin unknown.

Porto Gully: Harry and Henry Gonsalves, two Portuguese fishermen and boatbuilders in the 1880s ran their business from Porto Bay into which the creek flows. Another source says the name is the misspelling of Porter Bay as recorded on early maps; origin unknown.

Campbells Creek: Colin Campbell, an early settler who lived on Coal & Candle Creek.

Joe Crafts Creek: believed to honour Joseph Craft, a land grantee in the Hawkesbury River area. Joseph Craft (1770-1839) is buried in the cemetery at Wisemans Ferry. He arrived with the Third Fleet in 1791 and after several brushes with the law acquired 60 acres at Milkmaid Reach about 1811. About 1821 his family moved to Primrose Hill in Mangrove Creek and he became known as a skilled sawyer.

Yatalah Creek: name is of Aboriginal origin.

Winson Gully: origin unknown.

Apple Tree Creek / Apple Tree Bay: named by a survey team in 1832 as a native smooth-barked apple tree on the top of the headland was used as a marker.

Cockle Creek: cockle shells found in plenty here.

Cowan Creek: extends to the south-west from Broken Bay. It is the same name as that of the village of Cowan. Reed gives it as an Aboriginal word meaning 'big water'. Halstead says that it was first recorded in 1826 when William Bean sought a land grant, and that it was officially known through most of the 19th century as The South West Arm. It is said to be named after a place in Scotland. The name Cowan Creek appears to have been first recorded by William Bean in an application for land in 1826.

Keirnans Creek: origin unknown

Tree Fern Gully Creek: descriptive.

Ku-Ring-Gai Creek: named after the local Aboriginal tribe, which is a misnomer. They were named Ku-Ring-Gai, which is made up of the words "kuri" meaning native or person, and gai which mean place belonging to. The name kuringai thus means "belonging to us" which was the name recorded by the first whites in the area when asking of the Aborigines the name of the place.

Berowra Creek: Berowra Creek runs through Galston Gorge and enters the Hawkesbury River at Bar Island. The name is mentioned in Mrs. Felton Mathew's journal, 1833. Previous names include Fish Pond Creek and Thornleigh Gully. The term Berowra may come from an Aboriginal word meaning 'place of many winds'.

Tunks Creek: rises near Dural and enters Berowra Creek in Galston Gorge. William Tunks, a marine who came with the First Fleet, had descendants who settled in the Mobbs Hill area. One of these is thought to have found Tunks Creek.

Brush Tail Creek: named after the Brush Tail Possums of the area. Name suggested by Louise Oliver in naming competition conducted in 1994 by Cattai Catchment Management Committee.

Kellys Creek: origin unknown. Formerly known as Horans Gully, Kellys Arm Gully and Deep Gully.

Virgin Creek: origin unknown. It flows into Kellys Creek.

Dooral Dooral Creek: an Aboriginal word meaning burning log. The stream takes the name from the Aboriginal word Dooral Dooral which was later shortened to Dural and used for the name of the district.

Castle Hill Creek: it flows through the Castle Hill area, which when named referred to the whole of the area to the north west of Ryde.

Douglass Creek: recalls Saul David Douglass one of the original settlers along the creek. The Douglass family cultivated along the creek for several generations. The name was suggested by Adrian Jackson in naming competition conducted in 1994 by Cattai Catchment Management Committee.

Elizabeth Macarthur Creek: The land of the headwaters of this creek was purchased from Major Joseph Foveaux by John and Elizabeth Macarthur in 1804. In the absence of John Macarthur, the sheep farm was managed by Elizabeth until the land was returned to the Crown in 1821 in exchange for land in Camden. Name suggested by Mrs. D. Ardley in naming competition conducted in 1994 by Cattai Catchment Management Committee.

Fairs Creek: origin unknown.

Finger Board Creek: takes the name from the Finger Board Ridge which is the northern boundary of the Catchment.

Guppy Creek: origin unknown.

Jacksons Creek: recalls Sydney Jackson, a resident of the area who helped in the regeneration of the area.

Origma Creek: takes the name of the Rock Warbler (Origma Solitaria) which nests in caves in the sandstone cliffs along the creek.

Strangers Creek (Kellyville): recalls Elihu Stranger, an early settler of Kellyville.

Waterfall Gully: a waterfall exists in its valley.

Neverfail Gully: The name may refer to permanent spring water being available.

Old Mans Creek: is said to have been named by early timber getters on account of the large number of Old Man Kangaroos in the area.

Old Mans Valley / Creek: A deep valley immediately to the west of Hornsby. The creek drains from Old Mans Valley west of Hornsby and then joins Waitara Creek which runs into Berowra Creek. They are said to have been named by early timber getters on account of the large number of 'old man' kangaroos in the area. The first settler in the Hornsby area was 2nd Fleeter Thomas Edward Higgins who received a grant of 250 acres in 1836. He first recorded the name of the location as 'Old Man's Valley'.

Scout Creek: locally known as Boy Scout Creek from when the Boy Scout Camp site was opened in 1927. The name was locally changed to Scout Creek in the 1960s when the `Boy` was removed from the Association's title.

Caley Brook: rises in East Wahroonga and drains into Fraser Brook and then into Lovers Jump Creek. George Caley, who was the first government botanist, explored the area between Pennant Hills and Narrabeen in 1805.

Lovers Jump Creek: origin unknown.

Middle Harbour Creek: it flows into Middle Harbour.

Smiths Creek: believed to be named after Thomas Smith who was listed on the 1828 census as a 30 year old labourer who lived in the area.

Rocky Creek: descriptive.

Stony Creek: descriptive, origin unknown.

High Ridge Creek: descriptive.

Pyes Creek: James and Thomas Pye were among the first settlers in this area having been granted 60 acres in 1819. They also inherited land from their emancipist father, John Pye (1769-1830). Pye Snr., a noted resident involved in the early development of the Pennant Hills area, purchased 40 acres in 1834.

Georges Creek: possibly associated with Frederick George, who in the 1920s, claimed to have the largest chicken hatchery in the southern hemisphere at Thornleigh.

Nyrippen Creek: origin unknown.

Tedbury Creek: an Aborigine in the Sydney region around the turn of the 19th century. Tedbury's father, Pemulwuy, led Aboriginal resistance in the Sydney area in a guerrilla campaign lasting several years. On 26th September 1809, he led a group of Aborigines in a raid on the farm of white settler Edward Meredith in the Punchbowl area. This land was an important food source for them.

Larool Creek: it is the local Aboriginal name for the kookaburra.

Jimmy Bancks

Jimmy Bancks Creek: recalls the creator of the classic Ginger Meggs cartoon character, Jimmy Bancks (1889-1952). Bancks lived in the Hornsby area for about 10 years from the age of ten.

Waitara Creek: word of Maori origin meaning 'hail' or 'pure water'. It is the name of a small port in Taranak province, New Zealand (above). Name first given to the area by developer Miles McCrae.

O'Haras Creek: first land granted John O'Hara, who received 50 acres in Kenthurst in 1823.

Stevenson Creek: recalls Alfred John (Jack) Stevenson, Principal of Baulkham Hills Primary School from 1969 to 1988. Every week he took pupils for a bushwalk through Excelsior Reserve explaining the flora and fauna. He received State and National recognition for the school's environmental projects.

Wonga Creek: Wonga Pigeons are found in the wet sclerophyll forest along the creek.

Scaly Bark Creek: the stream is named after the Scaly Bark, a common eucalypt found on the ridges and slopes surrounding the creek. It is the common name for Eucalyptus Squamosa.

Wandarri Creek: of Aboriginal origin, however its meaning is not known. The creek takes the name of a road in the area.

Pangari Creek: an Aboriginal word meaning shade. The stream is characterised by the large trees and lush vegetation creating shade along its length. The name was chosen to reflect this setting.

Blue Gum Creek: presumably for the proliferation of blue gum trees.

Waddells Gully Creek: recalls Frank Waddell, a resident of Arcadia.

Carters Gully: believed to honour William Carter, a farmer who lived in the Field of Mars area.

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