woomera

Where does the word "woomera" come from? It comes from Dharug wamara, and was adopted directly into English (1810s).

Woomera’s story begins in Dharug: wamara meant “spear-thrower.” Recorded by First Fleet officers such as William Dawes, whose notebooks of 1790-91 are the main record of the Sydney language. It reached English by 1810s as woomera. Used for Aboriginal spear-throwers across Australia; the Woomera rocket range in South Australia, founded in 1947, is named after it. Today, woomera means an Aboriginal spear-throwing stick.

1. Stage 1 · Dharug · 1790s wamara "spear-thrower", recorded by First Fleet officers such as William Dawes, whose notebooks of 1790-91 are the main record of the Sydney language.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1810s woomera "spear-thrower", used for Aboriginal spear-throwers across Australia; the Woomera rocket range in South Australia, founded in 1947, is named after it.