smelbourne

Good to know that the City of Chromatic Dissolution gets a guernsey in this list of City nicknames although I must confess to never having heard Melbourne referred to by this particular moniker. (Still don't think you can improve on one of the early names for the Settlement, Bareberp, or even marvellous Smelbourne a name that enjoyed currency in the boomtown 1880's)
(via the Presurfer)

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Comments: smelbourne

these last two posts of yours are quite spookily connected to my current research quest -- searching for the rail timetable from Albury-melbourne for 1898 - 1899 (which I haven't managed to locate online, but have found some references elsewhere) & have open in front of me a book called Outcasts of Melbourne (trying to find some late 19th century references to aboriginal inhabitants of Melbourne, but strangely enough, not one word in this work), but chapter 8 is titled "Worst Smelbourne"....
Posted by wen at April 22, 2004 12:43 PM

I was dismayed to find that such info as timetables, maps, etc are not easily obtained on the web. (or the visible web, at least)
There are wonderful Railways sites and discussion boards, but I thought I'd be able to find a map or two somewhere.
Guess I still believe naively that all information can be googled somehow.

Love those spooky coincidental moments.
Posted by boynton at April 22, 2004 01:52 PM

I call it Squizzy.
Posted by Melby Batman at April 22, 2004 05:25 PM

or batmania, for those stricken by cricket?

btw - don't take a squiz at that site if you take your quizzes seriouzly,mb. The links may give one a competitive edge, or propel one into triviamania.
Posted by boynton at April 22, 2004 06:32 PM

I'm sorry to inform you, but even if you find those timetables, you have already missed that train, and you will not make it to Melbourne by 1899. Perhaps you meant timeTRAVELs instead?

I, too, like the name Bareberp. Sounds like the aftermath of a beer party at a naturists' convention. I may just have to add that, next time I update the City Nicknames list.
Posted by Doug L. at April 24, 2004 04:00 PM

Yes I like the sound of it too - the pick of the crop of early names from the time of first settlement:

"Melbourne was briefly named 'Batmania' after one of its founders, John Batman. Other proposed names included Bearbrass, Bareport, Bareheep, Barehurp and Bareberp."
http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/trivia_archive.php

In the interests of your list though, Doug, I have to confess that it is not widely known, and certainly not a nickname. Alas.
Sydneysiders would probably be the best placed to
furnish names for Melbourne, but they would be of the put-down variety. It's that Sydney/Melbourne rivalry thing.
The last nickname I remember hearing was "Bleak City"
Posted by boynton at April 25, 2004 06:29 PM