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There are many versions of how Bundaberg’s main street was named - from Walker’s book to a series of letters written to the Bundaberg Mail in 1895 - each with a different explanation. Writers and historians have chosen which version they believe is correct, and confusion reigns to this day as to the ‘correct’ explanation of the meaning of Bourbong Street. John Young Walker (1890) - History of Bundaberg : Bourbon-street, the main thoroughfare, and the chief business resort have no connection with the ex-Royal family of France, or with that variety of sugar-cane; but is from ‘Boor-bung’ a chain of waterholes between the town and Rubyanna. (p.14) 20 Jan, 1895 - Letter to the Bundaberg Mail: A correspondent writes: - As an old resident of the Wide Bay and Burnett Districts, I was much pleased to find one of your contributors in a recent issue declaiming against the ‘g’ in our main street. To old-fashioned folk, the modern spelling has jarred on our nervous system severely. Someone of an imposing elevation of mind probably thought it did or ought to belong to the aboriginal dialect. As there is no such part of speech as ‘bour’ in the native dialect, the ‘bong’ meaning dead renders the title silly and unintelligible. The main street of Bundaberg was named Bourbon by the surveyor who laid the principal sections of the town out for a well-defined and perfectly understandable reason. The first cane planted at Rubyanna came from Bourbon, an island in the West Indies, and that plant bears its French imperial title even unto this day. Why is the name borne on every title deed in Bourbon-street was ever locally altered to a meaningless farcicality is beyond the ken of people who have endeavored the face the varied conditions of the colony for nearly half a century, long before we aspired to the proud distinction of being dubbed Queensland, which gave entry to those who, ignoring our past records, would box up a French imperial standard with an impossible aboriginal sentence? It is to be hoped that those who feel any pride in the town will in all cases drop the g in Bourbon-street - even as the Real Property. Neville Rackemann (1992) - Bundaberg - from Pioneers to Prosperity The naming of Bundaberg’s main streets was left to the surveyors. It was an assistant surveyor Edwards who preferred Aboriginal names. The main thoroughfare was named Bourbong Street. Many people, especially senior citizens, are under the impression that up until the late 1930s the spelling had always been ‘Bourbon’; this is incorrect… Up until 1940 the (use) of ‘Bourbong’ and ‘Bourbon’ was near enough to equal. From 1941 on, I found no reference to ‘Bourbon’ Street. Regardless of the spelling of Bundaberg’s main street, it is extremely doubtful whether it had anything to do with an old French royal family or a variety of sugarcane. In all probabilities, the name is derived from an aboriginal word boorbung, the name for a chain of waterholes in the Rubyanna area. This is borne out by the fact that Robert Strathdee’s selection in the vicinity of the lagoons was once recorded on a survey map as ‘Boorbung’. (p.48). Source: www.artsbundaberg.com.au/downloads/file/88/bourbong-street

26 March 1894 was a Monday ...

beachcomber australia I bet it was Easter Monday?

National Library of Ireland on The Commons Correct

National Library of Ireland on The Commons It was! 🚴 🚴🚴🚴 🚴 🚴

beachcomber australia CASSIDY PHOTOGRAPHY John Spooner I have a strange feeling it might be the Royal Dublin Society at Ballsbridge?

Queensland Bottle Tree, Narrow Leaved Bottle Tree, Bottle Tree, Queensland Barrel Tree, Australian Barrel Tree, Dandygook, Kurrajong, Queensland-Flaschenbaum. The Queensland Bottle Tree was discovered by Sir Thomas Mitchell and John Lindley in 1848 at Mount Abundance (near present-day Roma), Queensland, Australia. Aboriginal people carved holes into the soft bark to create reservoir-like structures; consumed the seeds, roots, stems, and bark; and the fibers were used to make twine, rope, and nets. The soft, edible pulp is considered to be energy-rich but protein poor. Queensland farmers have been known to fall whole trees to feedstock during drought conditions. Source: www.designertrees.com.au/trees/bottle-trees/