The Convincing Ground, Portland Bay, Victoria, Australia: An Exploration of the Controversy Surrounding its Onomastic History. (March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Clark, Ian D.
• Is Part Of: Names. Volume 62:Number 1(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 3
• Page End: 12
• Publication Date: 2014-03
• Subjects: Onomastics -- Periodicals; Names -- Periodicals; 929.9705
• DOI: 10.1179/0027773813Z.00000000059
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0027-7738

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x content-type="archive" xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>This paper presents the results of a case study into the historiography of the Convincing Ground toponym at Portland Bay, Victoria, Australia. This study shows that research by <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="rf21">Connor (2005a)</xref> into the usage of the phrase "convincing ground" in nineteenth-century Australia is superficial, and his preference for one explanation of the origin of the Convincing Ground toponym that relates to intra-whaler conflict resolution is superficial and inadequate. This analysis supports the alternative narrative that the toponym has its origin in a dispute between whalers and Aborigines over possession of a beached whale. Furthermore, Connor failed to consider the possibility that the phrase "convincing ground" is polysemous, which means that we should not expect to find a singular homogenous explanation or application in the literature. He also failed to discuss the real possibility that the Convincing Ground may also be a onomastic palimpsest and that both the Aboriginal-whaler dispute narrative and the intra-whaler dispute narrative may be legitimate explanations relevant at particular moments in the place's history.</p> </abstract>