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Argus
(Melbourne, Vic.), Saturday 18 August 1945, page 14 National
Library of Our River Has Had Four Names “Batman" . . . "Freshwater" . . . "Bay-ray-rung" . . .”YARRA” By TAGGERTY THERE HAVE BEEN MANY JOKES
told about the Yarra, particularly by people from the northern states, whose
tidal rivers are so much wider than our fresh-water stream. But the biggest
joke of all about our little river is the name itself-Yarra. It was an
unintentional joke, no doubt, and few people-even in these days of adult
education-have heard of it; yet to a conscientious historian the naming of the Yarra,
if not exactly a joke, was a distinctly funny business. Many of us remember that
when we went to school we were taught that Yarra (or Yarra Yarra) was the
native name for our river; and that it meant "ever flowing." On both counts this information
was incorrect. The disillusioned Lord Byron, in Don Juan', wrote: "Ï defy
historians to put a fact without some leaven of a lie." In the case in point,
however, local historians have established a lie that, has some leaven of
truth. Almost the first white man ever to see the Yarra (for convenience we
adhere to that name) was John Batman. Early in 1835 he sailed up
to the head of River, up the Yarra, to
where a ledge of rocks caused a waterfall or rapid.. These rocks existed where Queen's
Bridge now stands. Above them the water was non-tidal and fresh. It was of this
locality that Batman wrote: "This will be the place for a village."
(There seems to be plenty of historical confirmation of that.) BATMAN ADMIRED this freshwater
stream very greatly, not only for its beauty (it had plenty, even in its natural
state), but also for its economic significance. So he named it the River
Batman, and- as such it was shown on the map he submitted to the authorities in
connection with his claim for ä tract of land around Port Phillip. Name Number
One. Batman returned to
Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) shortly afterwards, leaving some of his party –
including a certain John Helder Wedge-at a spot on the western side of the bay called
Indented Head. During Oat man's absence John Pascoe Fawkner's party-under
Captain Lancey-arrived in Port Phillip. They, too. made their way up the Yarra.
Their judgment in the selection. of a site for a settlement coincided with that
of their predecessor. They decided to establish themselves
near the ledge of rocks on the Yarra. They called the stream the Fawkner's party had not
been there long before they had a visitor in a whaleboat. He was J. H. Wedge,
from Indented Head, who had seen their ship sail up the bay. Wedge was accompanied
by a native from the district he had left. His purpose was to warn Fawkner's
men off. But, Machiavelli-like, he did not declare it at first. WEDGE WAS A SURVEYOR. He was
born in Now a little should be
said about Wedge's companion. This native came from the' comparatively arid
western shores of Port Phillip. The few watercourses that occur in that area
are insignificant, and rarely run strongly, except after rain. When this
blackfellow saw what, to him, was a most impressive stream, running over the rocks
by the embryo village, pointing, he gave voice to an exclamation. Wedge heard it, and noted
it. He did both imperfectly. History tells us that the native cried, "Yarra,
Yarra".; it tells us that the words meant "flowing, flowing" (or
"ever-flowing") ; and that they represented the name of the river.
Students of the aborigines and
their languages, however, tell us that there was no such word as
"yarra" among the dialects of the Port Phillip blacks. They also tell us that the
native name for the stream was - something entirely different. Actually - and
here comes the leaven of truth in our history-what the native exclaimed was
undoubtedly, "Yanna! Yanna!" This word was in the vocabularies of
local tribes. Its literal meaning was to "walk"; hence to move, or
flow. (Native dialects were
limited in their vocabulary. Frequently one word did duty for two or three
similar things. For instance, in the Oorongir language -Healesville district -
"yellembo" meant day, and also light. "Willam" meant camp,
also bark of a tree. Here we see the association of ideas ab work.) Wedge evidently thought
that the word ejaculated by his black attendant could be spelt
"yarrow," for thus-not as "yarra"-he noted it down in his field
book. In this, perhaps, he was unconsciously influenced by another river far
across the seas - the Yarrow, in Selkirkshire, which Words worth and others had
made famous about the time of Wedge's school days in In the parlance of those
days "Yarrow Yarrow" soon became "Yarra Yarra," for few, if
any, native words ended in "ow," while many did in "a."
Name Number Three. It might be wondered why
the name given by Wedge should stick, for, in spite of his warning, Fawkner's
party remained, and actually became the founders of Melbourne For a
satisfactory reason we must enter somewhat into the realm of speculation. The
word "Yarra" was euphonious; easily remembered; and had a
significance (albeit somewhat legendary) which made It appropriate. Batman had named the river
after himself. This name would be repugnant to Fawkner's party The latter's
name, the Freshwater River, did not appeal to the imagination Perhaps it was
thought that the choice of the third name was a good compromise between the
rival parties Anyhow, it has been known as, the Yarra since 1836. IT IS INTERESTING to quote
the following from a published account of a visit to meant "gumtree."
But what was the native
name for Wedge himself heard the
name, but again he noted it down incorrectly He spelt it Bar-rern (probably
owing to a slurring pronunciation on the part of a native) ; and he took it to
refer not to the river, but to an area adjacent to the river. Altogether, from
all accounts, J. H. Wedge was not a meticulous person, otherwise Name Number Four
would not now remind us of the old adage, that the first shall be the last. |