Queensland: the home of Australia's weirdest place names

Here is just a small selection of the many place names in Queensland that will make you snicker.

Yorkeys Knob

Queensland’s most famous knob is Yorkeys Knob. Photo: yorkeysknob.com

There are a lot of knobs in Queensland, perhaps the most famous one being Yorkeys Knob.

The beach suburb in Cairns was named after a fisherman from Yorkshire, George Yorkey Lawson. 

Meanwhile the state is also home to Two Mile Knob, Quality Knob, Iron Knob, Scrubby Knob and also just The Knob.

Mount Surprise

Real coffee is a pleasant surprise for Mount Surprise. Photo: Domain

The surprising thing about this place is how low it is, at just 453 metres above sea level, which must be one of the lowest mountains going around.

These days the town, located 285 kilometres from Cairns in Etheridge Shire, is comprised of a pub, a cafe, two petrol stations, a small store, a gem shop, a police station and two caravan parks.

Stonehenge

A bit different from the original. Photo: gondwananet.com

Those visiting this place expecting to see a ring of giant stones may be left wanting.

But visitors to the regional town of Stonehenge can still tour other rock formations on the four-wheel drive John Egan Pioneer Track.

Humpybong

The name of this town, in south-east Queensland, was derived from the Aboriginal word for shelter.

But Humpybong has come a long way from the simple huts it describes and now has a yacht club, which hosts an annual regatta called Humpybash.

Burpengary

Burpengary is close to the water. Image: Google Maps

Contrary to what you might think, the name of the area has nothing to do with a guy named Gary.

In fact, it’s derived from the Aboriginal word burpengar, meaning the “place of the green wattle”.

In the Moreton Bay region, Burpengary is 35 kilometres from Brisbane and a 15-minute drive from Deception Bay.

Little Ugly Creek

The Little Ugly Creek is in a conservation park 22 kilometres west of Brisbane. Photo: tripmondo.com

One of the landmarks of the Moggill Regional Park is Little Ugly Creek. What’s not clear is whether the creek is ugly and little, or only a little bit ugly.

While there are clearly a lot of fun and silly place names in Queensland, some of them can be a bit harsh.

Wonglepong

Wonglepong has a beautiful valley view. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Wonglepong is a rural area in the Scenic Rim region of Queensland named after the local railway station built in 1927.

The word is said to be an Aboriginal name, meaning “forgotten sound”. It could also be a possible reference to the nearby Mount Tamborine.

About an hour’s drive from Brisbane, Wonglepong is close to another town with a quirky name: Biddaddaba.

Banana

Banana the Bullock is quite the tourist attraction. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

This town is remarkable for its lack of bent yellow fruit.

Banana’s landscape is mostly occupied by grazing beef cattle and is home to a statue of Banana the Bullock, which the town was named after.

Giants Garden

Photo: Queensland State Library/Flickr.

Giants Garden is nearby Giants Steps in the deliciously named Lamington National Park in Queensland’s Scenic Rim region.

The park is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.

Mount Breast

We have not made up the name of this 914-metre-tall mountain, we promise. Whoever said you have to take your job seriously when naming mountains?

The mountain is in the Tarramba area, not far from the aforementioned Banana.