High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! During World War I, many German-sounding place names in Australia were changed because of Anti-German sentiment. The new names were often Anglicized (Peterborough), given Aboriginal names (Kobandilla, Karawirra), names of famous people (Kitchener and Holbrook), or battlefields (Verdun, The Somme). This was done through an Act of Parliament, as well as by petition. The presence of German derived place names was seen as an affront to the war efforts, and to the sensibilities of many in the Australian population at the time.