New South Wales

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

n.


the name of the oldest andmost important colony in Australia. The name «New Wales» wasfirst given by Captain Cook in 1770, from the supposedresemblance of the coast to that of the southern coast ofWales; but before his arrival in England he changed the name to «New South Wales.» It then applied to all the east of thecontinent. Victoria and Queensland have been taken out of theparent colony. It is sometimes called by the slang name of Eastralia, as opposed to Westralia (q.v).

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