The surveys of F.P. MacCabe and his records of Aboriginal placenames at the Junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers

Abstract

Surveyor Francis Peter MacCabe mapped sections of the Murrumbidgee, Murray and Darling Rivers between 1848 and 1850. In the process he recorded and mapped hundreds of Aboriginal placenames. His surveys traversed the country of three distinct language families, making his careful recordings of particular linguistic value. This paper provides an overview of his life and work and provides an analysis of some of his records from the Murray-Darling Junction area.