Lake Bonney

The Advertiser

24 June 1921

From S. McIntosh, Director of Irrigation:-

With reference to the letter in "The Advertiser' of June 23, Lake Bonney was discovered by Joseph Hawdon on March 12, 1838.

He states in his journal, "The native name of this fine sheet of water is Nookamka, but by virtue of my privilege, as its European discoverer, I named it Lake Bonney, afier my friend and fellow traveler, Mr. Charles Bonney."

The name has not been changed, although some years ago it was renamed "Lake Barmera," to prevent confusion of names, there being two Lake Bonneys in the State, but later the name was changed back to the original. "Barmera" was the native name for the lake by the tribes down the river, while tribes on the eastern side knew it as "Nookamamka."

The names Wezall, Nookamka, and McIntosh are the designations of locations of the Cobdogla irrigation area, and have no connection with the lake itself.