Did you know Bundaberg’s main street once had a different name?
What is now known as Bourbong Street was originally called ‘Bourbon Street’, but the true story behind its name remains a mystery and continues to spark debate.
According to the Bundaberg Library’s History Bytes article titled “Bundaberg’s Controversial Main Street” there are many versions of how the main street was named.
From Walker’s Book to a series of letters written to the Bundaberg Mail in 1895 – each story has been written with a slightly different explanation.
Writers and historians have chosen which version they believe is right and confusion reigns to this day as to the ‘correct’ explanation of the meaning of Bourbong Street.
Many versions claim the original name had come from the Aboriginal word ‘Boor-bung’, a chain of waterholes between the town and Rubyanna.
Others stated the word had derived from a type of “rust proof” sugar cane.
It has been noted from 1941 on wards, no reference to “Bourbon” Street was listed, instead, today’s version of “Bourbong” Street had been adapted.
To read the full feature article, go to the Arts Bundaberg website here.
- Related stories: Past and present in harmony at Gin Gin
Re Bourbong street, someone ought to do some in-depth study into Surveyor Charlton. His plan for the township of Bundaberg that was submitted in late 1869, and signed by Charlton does show Bourbong Street. The plan number is B157 – 2 and can be obtained from government archive sources. One old newspaper letter said that some people of the social elite wanted to sound French and made this attempt to change the name. It failed. Another thought as to the meaning is “dead hill” and if you look down Bourbong Street to the east, what do you see? Unfortunately, Bundaberg is not strong on this historical information thus creating a perversion. I have a copy of this survey and can show it any time.