# New South Wales **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2020, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-south-wales/847605 "2020-02-07T22:00:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-south-wales/847605/1 "2020-02-07T22:00:19Z")
Why wasn’t New South Wales in Australia just named New Wales? Was there something icky about the northern half of Wales? ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-south-wales/847605/2 "2020-02-07T22:24:19Z")
No. There was already a [South Wales](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Wales), and the one in Australia is the New one. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-south-wales/847605/3 "2020-02-07T22:35:06Z")
It appears to have been down to Captain Cook, and he took a bit of time to make up his mind. Some journal entries: [New Wales](http://southseas.nla.gov.au/journals/cook_remarks/095.html) > [@](#): > > After we had got within the Reefs the second time we found the Tides more considerable than at any time before except in the Bay of Inlets, it may be owing to the water being confin’d in Channells between the Shoals, here the Flood also sets to the NW, to the extremity of New Wales, from thence West and SW into the India Sea [Reference to the official name “New South Wales”](http://southseas.nla.gov.au/journals/cook/17700822.html) > [@](#): > > the Eastern Coast from the Latitude of 38° South down to this place I am confident was never seen or viseted by any European before us and Notwithstand I had in the Name of his Majesty taken posession of several places upon this coast I now once more hoisted English Coulers and in the Name of His Majesty King George the Third took posession of the whole Eastern Coast from the above Latitude down to this place by the Name of New South Wales together with all the Bays, Harbours Rivers and Islands situate upon the said coast [New Wales](http://southseas.nla.gov.au/journals/cook/17700823.html) again (the very next day after he called it ‘New South’) > [@](#): > > I have not been particular in discribing this Strait no more than I have been in pointing out the respective situations of the Islands Shoals &Ca on the eastern coast of New Wales “New Wales” doesn’t trip off the tongue very easily with those two W’s in a row, and I have never heard any better explanation than “eh, it just sounds right” ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-south-wales/847605/4 "2020-02-07T23:09:54Z")
Since the question has been answered, allow me to share this [highly relevant sketch from Mitchell & Webb](https://youtu.be/dOBhf8f7cXM?t=130). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-south-wales/847605/5 "2020-02-07T23:23:09Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > “New Wales” doesn’t trip off the tongue very easily with those two W’s in a row, and I have never heard any better explanation than “eh, it just sounds right” To me, it sounds like civil war in Wales, or perhaps some kind of regional snobbery. The two w’s aren’t that jarring to the tongue or ear. You could even jam them together, as Aussies tend to do, as with “Australian = Striyne”. “New Wales = NeWahls”. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-south-wales/847605/6 "2020-02-08T02:59:57Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > The two w’s aren’t that jarring to the tongue or ear. I believe **ctnguy** ’s cite did cover this point rather well 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-south-wales/847605/7 "2020-02-08T03:12:43Z")
Looking out my window at New South Wales right now I can confirm it look absolutely nothing like Old North Wales, so its accurate. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-south-wales/847605/8 "2020-02-08T03:28:42Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > You could even jam them together, as Aussies tend to do, as with “Australian = Striyne”. “New Wales = NeWahls”. The context and construction is fine but in Strine (please note spelling, an “I” **or** a “Y”, never both) that would be NuWahls and as the [Narwhal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narwhal) would already be familiar to Cook then NuSuthWahls is just lexicologically more apt. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-south-wales/847605/9 "2020-02-08T13:46:54Z")
Could be worse for naming a region… Sort of like “why are they called Kangaroos?” the name Canada allegedly means “that village over there”. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nfKr-D5VDBU/maxresdefault.jpg "Heritage Minutes: Jacques Cartier") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfKr-D5VDBU)