| Feature Type: | Community - An unincorporated populated place, generally with a population of 50 or more, and having a recognized central area that might contain a post office, store and/or community hall, etc, intended for the use of the general public in the region. |
| Status: | Official |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Relative Location: | N of jct Australian Creek and Fraser River, S of Quesnel, Cariboo Land District |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 52°43'59"N, 122°27'04"W at the approximate population centre of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 93B/9 |
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Origin Notes and History:
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Australian (Railway Point) adopted 10 September 1953 on 93B/9, as labelled on BC map 3G, 1921 et seq; form of name changed to Australian (Community) 15 April 1983 on 93B/9. See Australian Creek. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
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Lot 4, Cariboo District, was pre-empted 6 October 1863 by Australians Stephen & William Downes and their partner Andrew Anderson; subsequently referred to locally as "The Australian's Place", then more broadly known as "Australian Ranch". Australian Post Office was opened 1 February 1923, located on L8669 adjacent to PGER; closed 14 August 1947. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
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Andrew Olsen and partner came from the Australian gold fields in 1862 and took up land which became known as "the Australians' place". Olson and a subsequent partner, Steve Downes, operated the ranch until 1901. (Manning, Helen B., Place Names in the Cariboo, April 1943 graduating thesis filed at UBC Library) Source: Provincial Archives' Place Names File (the "Harvey File") compiled 1945-1950 by A.G. Harvey from various sources, with subsequent additions |