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Woomera

2 stages from Dharug to English.

Today it means an Aboriginal spear-throwing stick

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

1
Stage 1 of 2
wamara
Dharug · 1790s
"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 of 2
woomera
English · 1810s
"spear-thrower"
used for Aboriginal spear-throwers across Australia; the Woomera rocket range in South Australia, founded in 1947, is named after it
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Read the full story

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.