Whenever the origin of names are discussed, there is vigorous debate on the authenticity of the evidence presented by various groups. I have kept an article on this very subject, that appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1967 written by L.G. Cnitchley.

When I received my copy of the postcode booklet, one of the first names I looked up was Nimmitabel. This little Monaro town has such a record of confused names that I quite expected to see yet another variation.

But no, the Post Office people had got it right this time, that is, if you can call Nimmitabel right. You see, it's a matter of opinion.

Sometime about 1830, the settlers spelt it Nimoitebool, this being their translation of the native word meaning "The source of many streams". A draftsman in the Surveyor-General's Department started all the trouble when he wrongly recorded it as Nimoitehool.

Sir Thomas Mitchell, who was then Surveyor-Generat and, fortunately, a stickler for keeping to the original place-names, switched it back to Nimititabool. Then four years later, just to be helpful, Assistant SurveyorGeneral Townsend drew up a fresh plan of the Monaro and spelt the name Nimmitabel.

Other towns and localities in the area were getting similar treatment. Cooma had appeared as Coombah, Adaminaby as Adamindumee, Eucumbene as Ucumbean and Ewecumbene, to say nothing of Bika (Bega) Micelego (Michelago) Gerangle (Jerangle) and Maneroo which evolved through Manaro to the present Monaro.

In 1848, with the object of correcting these and other irregularities, all occupiers of pastoral land were called on to make formal application for the lands claimed by them as a preliminary to obtaining pastoral leases from the Crown. As a result the following applications were gazetted:

No99 Nimitybelle Run: Dugald Mcdonald 8000 acres: No 104. Nimitybell Run: Hugh O'Hara 8000 acres

No 124 Nimitybale Run : John Stanton. 4000 acres. Evidently the landholders had manufactured his own variation to distinguish his property from that of his neighbours.

Anyway to clear the matter up, Mr Townsend recommended that a detailed survey be made of the locality, which, in his note to the Surveyor-General, he referred to as Nimmittabel.

Five years later, the survey not having transpired, some local residents petitioned the Surveyor- General to lay out what they called Nimitty Bell Reserve into a town and suburban allotments. This was on the I Oth of March 1856, and on the l4th March there came a petition from another group setting forth the urgent need of a township at a place they referred to as Nimittabelle.

Surveyor Arnheim was given the job of making a report on the petition-the records do not say which one, and off he went to solve the problem once and for all. A few weeks later, he returned and handed in a recommendation that a detailed survey be postponed until a later date, and in the meantime a few farm allotments should be laid down in a place called Nimmitabille.