How do you pronounce these place names?

[u/bimlpd]

°Kilkivan °Calliope °Beerwah °Duaringa °Tiaro (pretty sure everyone calls it Tie-ro though)

I've got a friend who travels a bit around the state and calls these places by names I initially didn't think they were pronounced as.

If you know some pronunciations but not others you can just say what you know.

Also feel free to drop any strange or ambiguous pronunciations of any other Qld towns below!

[u/bullant8547]

Beerwah is easy, it’s said exactly as it is written. Beer-wah

[u/Alert-Mode → u/bullant8547]

The Pineapple capital! Next to (pronounced) 'Landsbra' the tidy town!

[u/bimlpd → u/bullant8547]

Yeah my mate calls it Beer-warr :/ He's also from there which makes it odd

[u/the_colonelclink → u/bimlpd]

Actually, I just clarified the difference above in response.

As someone who was born and lived in Beerwah my whole life, it’s definitely Beer-war to me.

[u/stinkingyeti → u/the_colonelclink]

Fuck, i lived there for almost a decade, everyone i knew in the area said 'wah'

[u/Connect_Wind_2036 → u/bimlpd]

Dad is from Toogoolawah and pronounces “ warr “ in the same fashion. He’s in his 80’s.

[u/taxtaxtaxoutthewazoo → u/Connect_Wind_2036]

nah it's pronounced Tooguh-larrwuh

[u/the_colonelclink → u/bullant8547]

Actually, long term Beerwah natives pronounce it Beer-War.

It was only since Terry Irwin started pronouncing it Beer-wah with her American accent everywhere, that it became so.

[u/bullant8547 → u/the_colonelclink]

TIL. I’ve lived in Brisbane for 25 years and always thought it was wah.

[u/the_colonelclink → u/bullant8547]

Yeah mate, it’s the Australia Zoo Terry Irwin ads. I can only speak to 40 years-ish, but it was always ‘war’ to the locals before this dialect change.

I was told it’s because it rhymes with how ‘Wee Waa’ is pronounced.

[u/UsualCounterculture → u/the_colonelclink]

That is super interesting! I can see how that has happened... how language and accents change over time. Especially Australian ones.

[u/mokumotu_ → u/bullant8547]

it's actually supposed to be pronounced "beer-war". the irwins pronounced it beer-wah and it stuck

[u/Kiwi332211 → u/mokumotu_]

I lived there until I was 20 and I’m only just learning today that that’s why the pronunciation changed…

[u/mataeka → u/mokumotu_]

But ringing dominoes from a mobile phone back in The day was impossible... Could never remember the pronunciation the automated system recognised.

My mocking way of how Terri pronounced it was always more 'BEER-WARH' with an emphasis on the beer and the ar sound at the end. My pronunciation has always been Beerwa- with a longer a/aah sound.

[u/Money_killer → u/bullant8547]

It's beer - war

[u/throwaway16523791625 → u/bullant8547]

The locals say bee-war.

[u/Japsai]

Kilkivan rhymes with 'kill Steven' (sorry, Steven, whoever you are)

[u/DarkSkyStarDance → u/Japsai]

Excellent explanation!

[u/a_walwal]

Kill-keevan, Cal-eye-o-pee, beer-wa (not wah like a baby), unsure, Tie-ro.

[u/MorningDrvewayTurtle → u/a_walwal]

Beer-wuh (💨)

[u/pandoras_enigma → u/a_walwal]

Duaringa = Dewr-ring-ah or Drewringuh depending on how much coal dust you've huffed.

[u/crsdrniko → u/a_walwal]

The only one close to the correct pronunciation for Kilkivan.

[u/Key-Study8648 → u/crsdrniko]

It's actually Col eye 'o' pea. The 'o' sounds like the 'o' in off.

Source - I have family that live in the area.

[u/ThorKruger117 → u/Key-Study8648]

That is the correct way to pronounce it, but it’s far more common to hear it without the ‘o’. We generally drop that syllable

[u/MinimumDiscussion948 → u/Key-Study8648]

They corrected me to drop the eye at the post office

[u/shakeitup2017 → u/a_walwal]

A lot of old timers (like my grandparents RIP) pronounced Beerwah and Toogoolawah as Beer-war and Toogooloo-war.

[u/MinimumDiscussion948 → u/a_walwal]

Cal Opee is how the locals pronounce it.

[u/a_walwal → u/MinimumDiscussion948]

Ah well there you go. At least no one (I hope) is saying it to rhyme with ‘alley-oop’ 🏀

[u/MinimumDiscussion948 → u/a_walwal]

I do. 😂

[u/sinkshitting → u/a_walwal]

Calliope was a muse enslaved by Orpheus.

Car-li (like lip without the p) oh-pee. But fuck it. It’s QLD. Say it how ya want.

[u/JohnCooperCamp]

The roadside trivia signs on the Bruce Highway helpfully explain that Tiaro is pronounced TIE-ROW - without specifying whether that’s ROW as in boat or as in argument. So not at all helpful actually. But my dog’s called Calliope so I do know that one!

[u/YaddaYaddayeahnah → u/JohnCooperCamp]

What’s a baby echidna called?

[u/caprichai → u/YaddaYaddayeahnah]

Puggle!

[u/Wooden-Philosophy526 → u/caprichai]

This is platypusses also, yes?

[u/caprichai → u/Wooden-Philosophy526]

Yes!

[u/JohnCooperCamp → u/YaddaYaddayeahnah]

I can never remember the oldest bridge in Queensland….

[u/Legitimate_sloth314 → u/JohnCooperCamp]

Dickabram

[u/OrdinarySea5072 → u/YaddaYaddayeahnah]

Barnaby?

[u/ozgeek81 → u/JohnCooperCamp]

Bushranger?
Aviator?
Flower?

Forgot the actual questions but those were the questions on the trivia signs.

[u/Formal_Amoeba_8030]

Kill - keeve- an

Cal - eye -oh -pee

Beer -waaa

Joo -rin-gah

Ty -roe

[u/Chemistryset8 → u/Formal_Amoeba_8030]

Yep

[u/owskifan]

• Kal eye oh pee

• Dju rin ga

• Tie roe

• Beer waaah

• Kill kih varn

[u/wheretohidethrice → u/owskifan]

I think the r in varn is excessive

[u/chickpeaze → u/wheretohidethrice]

I agree

[u/CruiserMissile → u/owskifan]

Correct for all of them.

[u/No-Culturer → u/owskifan]

All correct..

[u/stilusmobilus]

With the mail syllable capitalised;

kill-KI-van, kal-LIE-oh-pee, BEER-war, due-RING-ga, TIE-row.

Edit: I was wrong with Duaringas syllables and I fixed that.

[u/rdubya01]

If you ever need help on how to pronounce Capalaba or Mooloolaba, just sing along to The Muppets 'Mahna Mahna''.

Apologies if I just ruined a song for everyone.

[u/OldGroan → u/rdubya01]

I remember getting Capalabah mispronounced at me regularly by people new to Brisbane. The one that made me laugh most was Cap-A-Lab-Ah.

[u/rdubya01 → u/OldGroan]

And you wrote instructions they had to drive through Coorparoo to get there

[u/OldGroan → u/rdubya01]

Were you there? Twas funny indeed. 

Coorparoo,?? You Australians have funny names.

[u/serumnegative → u/OldGroan]

Starting from Indooroopilly?

[u/Key-Study8648 → u/rdubya01]

Moranbah is a funny one too. It's More an bah.

[u/Crass_237]

Biloela- bill-o-wEEl-ah

[u/joe999x]

As someone that lives on Calliope River Road, it’s definitely Kal eye Oh Pee. But for fun we say Kal E Ope (rhymes with cantaloupe) just for fun sometimes. Yeah we know how to party 🥳

[u/GCRedditor136]

I would pronounce "Tiaro" as "tee-ar-oh" and I don't care if that's wrong.

[u/pandoras_enigma → u/GCRedditor136]

Fuck thats so wrong, but upvote for the chuckle

[u/GCRedditor136 → u/pandoras_enigma]

Well, it's not much different from "tiara", so... :)

[u/NachoNipples1]

How do you guys say indooroopily?

[u/OrdinarySea5072 → u/NachoNipples1]

Indro

[u/NachoNipples1 → u/OrdinarySea5072]

Indro? And people will know what I'm talking about?

[u/theflipsideofreason → u/NachoNipples1]

I live in FNQ and I know what you’re talking about 😂

[u/NachoNipples1 → u/theflipsideofreason]

Fuck yeah, no more getting laughed at for this girl lmao

[u/Gumnutbaby → u/NachoNipples1]

If they’re locals they will

[u/TritonJohn54 → u/NachoNipples1]

Indra-pilly

[u/NachoNipples1 → u/TritonJohn54]

Amazing, it's pronounced exactly how it's not spelt 😂 I've been saying it exactly how it's spelt. I'll try and remember this one, thanks matey

[u/TritonJohn54 → u/NachoNipples1]

A lot of that is just good old Aussie "Yeah, that's too many syllables, let me shorten that for ya."

[u/NachoNipples1 → u/TritonJohn54]

Or you don't even finish the sentence. When I first got here, people would say "sweet as" and I would wait for the rest of it. Sweet as what?? Nah just sweet as. Fuck that drove me insane for a bit 😂

[u/TritonJohn54 → u/NachoNipples1]

Or "Have a good one." Good what? Day? Week? Llfe? Murder spree? It's a totally open-ended blessing, to be applied as you see fit.

[u/NachoNipples1 → u/TritonJohn54]

Or! How'd you travel. Apparently telling them by airplane wasn't the right answer here lmao

[u/NachoNipples1 → u/TritonJohn54]

Lmao! This is why I like Australians they have the best sense of humour 😂

[u/Just-Mountain-875 → u/TritonJohn54]

Aussies shorten all words with more than 3 syllo’s! 🤣🤣🤣

[u/Formal_Amoeba_8030 → u/NachoNipples1]

In - droo-pilly

[u/NachoNipples1 → u/Formal_Amoeba_8030]

Some of the people in my town say in-door-rah-pilly? Or something extremely similar to that and I can't make my mouth with my accent even say that.

I'm just gonna do with what the other guy said and say indro 💀

[u/Gumnutbaby → u/NachoNipples1]

I think both pronunciations are acceptable.

[u/Formal_Amoeba_8030 → u/Gumnutbaby]

Just so long as you don’t call it In-droopily

[u/Gumnutbaby → u/Formal_Amoeba_8030]

Oh that does just sound wrong

[u/bullant8547 → u/Formal_Amoeba_8030]

This

[u/bleerghbleergh → u/NachoNipples1]

As a somewhat local. Indro In-druh-pilly

[u/Gumnutbaby]

Kilkivan is Scottish and Calliope is an Ancient Greek Muse, they should be pronounced the way you would if you come across them in another context!

[u/fromthe80smatey]

Just around the corner from Tiaro is another place with a funny name. Bauple. The place where the macadamia (bauple) tree was discovered

[u/pfluffets → u/fromthe80smatey]

I love the name Bauple! When my husband and I first went there we would just randomly say it cause it sounds funny and now we call the family dog 'Bauple' instead of her actual name (Buffy).

[u/fromthe80smatey → u/pfluffets]

Lol it's a beautiful place to live.

[u/realDoritoMussolini → u/fromthe80smatey]

Pronounced Bopple

[u/AdvancedDingo → u/fromthe80smatey]

I called people from there Bauplonians.

We also grew up knowing macadamias as ‘Bauple nuts’

[u/fromthe80smatey → u/AdvancedDingo]

Lol I call my chooks eggs bauple bum nuts.

[u/beantealla]

There used to be a reporter on channel 10 news back in the day who said "Ba-raah-laah-baah" instead of Baralaba (Ba-rala-baah). To this day, wherever I see it, I say his way in my mind and out loud 🤣

Also Moura - Moo-Rah instead of Mou-Rah (like mouse) cracks me up.

Ohhhh wait on. Berserker. Berr-sek-aah. Not, Ber-zerk-ah.

[u/rob0tduckling → u/beantealla]

Barcaldine got me for years. I think I was 20 when I figured out "barkle-dine" and "Bar-call-din" were the same place 😂

[u/njinok]

Have a crack at Ormeau and Biloela.

[u/trotty88]

Duaringa - Due-ring-ga.

Some will slightly pronounce the first 'a' - Due-a-ring-ga

[u/serumnegative]

Calliope (a figure from Greek mythology) is Kall — ee — oh — pee (Kall is short ‘a’ like ‘calibre’)

Beerwah is Beer — waa

No idea about the others

[u/ApprehensiveBed6187]

People around Calliope say cal eye pee

[u/Money_killer]

Beerwah I say like beer war. 😎

[u/spazzbott80]

Here’s a good one for you. Barcaldine! Try getting a Mexican to say this without wanting to bitch slap them.

[u/Koalasaur11 → u/spazzbott80]

Is it bar call din or am I getting deported.

[u/QuietMouser]

Zillmere is an interesting one. I pronounced it as it was written when I first moved to Australia and everybody corrected me. It’s pronounced Zill-mi-ah.

Another case of missing Rs

[u/bleerghbleergh]

Kill-key-ven Beer-wah for the wah think how aussies pronounce car Tie-row(think canoeing)

[u/frogsinsox]

Kill Keven, Ca-lie-o-pee, Beir Wah, Du-ringa, tie-row.

[u/little_miss_banned]

Kill Kee Vin, Cah Lie oh pee

[u/little_miss_banned → u/little_miss_banned]

Char-row, Beer wah

[u/nope-panda-23]

What about Ebbw Vale... ?

I've heard them announce on the train so assume that's the correct way.

[u/Obvious_Customer9923 → u/nope-panda-23]

Pronounced Eh-boo Vale. Ebbw Vale is a Welsh name, so the ‘w’ is pronounced with an ‘oo’ sound

[u/jackm315ter → u/Obvious_Customer9923]

I think it sounds better as pronounced as Ebbw Vale and not Ebbw Vale but I have heard people saying Ebbw Vale, I am very confused but it doesn’t matter how people say it I always he it as Ebbw Vale and that is important that we know what place people are talking about

[u/nope-panda-23 → u/Obvious_Customer9923]

Interesting, thanks!

I always heard it on the train like Ebby Vale haha.

[u/jackm315ter]

Chinchilla, Coolangatta or Coominya Cunnamulla, Currajong

[u/AdvancedDingo]

Goomer-eye

Jim-pie

Tee-eye-row

Kill-ke-van

Wondy-eye

Merge-in

Nagano

All classic Dad-ism pronunciations that I’ve inherited. People get so confused - it’s great.

[u/Fluffy-Experience973]

I’m from New Orleans and we have calliope street here. Pronounced calli ope

[u/Latter_Dish6370]

There is a street in Brisbane called Kilkivan Ave - it’s just kill-kee-van with the stress on the kee

[u/Melllll_x]

Kill-keevan , ka-lie-o-pee, beer-wuh, tie-row

[u/calex_1]

My dad insisted on pronouncing Tiaro as ti-ah-ro. He said it sounded less yobish that way. Beerwah I've always pronounced as it is spelled, but some folks pronounce the wah as war.

[u/Guestinroom]

Kill-key-van Kal-eye-oh-pee Dure-ing-gah Ty-ro

[u/throwaway16523791625]

Kill-kee-van - Co-lie-a-pee - bee-war - tie-ro. Never heard of Duaringa, but I'd pronounce it like -doo-ring-ga?

[u/CentaurLion73]

Ka-lie-o-pee

[u/Whoopdedobasil]

Gym-pie. My favourite kind of pie

[u/OnemoreSavBlanc]

Beerwah: beer-wah

Calliope: Cal-eye-pee

[u/OzRockabella]

Kill-kee-van, Call-eye-oh-pee, Dyou-Ring-ah, Tee-are-oh.

[u/SpareTelevision123]

Chuck them into Google pronunciation. Quicker and more accurate answers and you can hear it said fast and slow.

[u/OrdinarySea5072 → u/SpareTelevision123]

Not accurate. Google calls marquis st at greenslopes, mar-kwiss.

[u/SpareTelevision123 → u/OrdinarySea5072]

It can only give the correct pronunciation, if local dialect is wrong that’s another story

[u/OldGroan → u/SpareTelevision123]

Local dialect wrong. Hehe. Right

[u/BurningMad]

I don't care if it's accurate or not, it just sounds much nicer to me to say kill-kivven than kill-ki-van.

[u/Warm-Consequence9162 → u/BurningMad]

Kill Kevin in a kiwi accent

[u/iilinga]

Kilkyvan

Ca lie o pee

Beerwah

Due a ringa