Research by Robyn Gill resulted in naming Puntei (a narrow neck of land) Creek in 2005, which never had a name, and last year Killibinbin (shining water) Reserve the spacious grassy foreshore reserve, overlooking Kilaben Bay at the southern end of Laycock Street and Puntei Park, the grassy leash free area bordered by Hampton Street and Excelsior Parade, received their monikers.
We’d been tossing about a few names for our unnamed reserves; Kollai (timber, trees, wood), Keelkeelba (Grass tree place- they are spectacular at the moment on the West Ridge) and Weemilah (a good view) when Lisa McKendry did some extensive research and discovered the original name for what is now Coal Point.
Tirabeenbah Mountain
In 1841 it seems Coal Point may have been known as Tirabeenbah Mountain.Recently I was looking at an 1841 map of ‘Awaba or Lake Macquarie’, which can be found on the Hunter Living Histories website. It has local geological notes and Aboriginal place names marked. The Coal Point peninsula is clearly marked in ink ‘Tirabeenba’. (‘Ebenezer Colliery’ and ‘wharf’ are printed on the map). The article suggests that the written notes on the map may have been made by the Reverend W. B. Clarke, a geologist who visited our area in 1842.
Curious about this, I did a search and found another early reference to ‘Tirabeenbah Mountain’. In 1842 W. B. Clarke wrote an article for the Geological Society of London about the fossil pine forest in the area now called Fennell Bay. In describing ‘Awaaba’ and the peninsula, he says “very recently coal works have been opened about 4 feet above the level of the water in Tirabeenbah Mountain”. Also, a small map marks the peninsula as ‘Tirabeenba’. This document and others are available on the University of Wollongong website.
The Ebenezer Colliery mentioned above in the 1841 map was the source of the name Coal Point. This coal mine was owned by the Scottish Reverend Lancelot Edward Threlkeld. In those early days, Reverend Threlkeld documented the local Awabakal language with his Aboriginal friend Biraban (his name means Eaglehawk). Threlkeld, in his book, ‘An Australian Grammar’ (1834) writes the names of places are generally descriptive, for example Tirabinba means the toothed place. In the ‘Common Places’ section of the book he writes “Ti-ra-bé-en-ba - A long point of land tooth like; from Ti-ra, a tooth.”
There is also good evidence that early names for the Toronto/Coal Point Ebenezer Estate, belonging to Threlkeld, were Derahbambah, which means rising ground, and Punte which means a narrow piece of land, as outlined in the book “Reid’s Mistake”(1967) by K.R. Clouten.
Perhaps, others may be able to enlighten the Punte/Tirabeenbah/Coal Point Chronicle with some naming suggestions?
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