Bearbrass was once considered as an alternative name for the capital city today known as what?

Bearbrass was an early alternative name for the settlement that became Melbourne, the capital of the Australian state of Victoria. The name appeared during the settlement’s first years beside other temporary names, including Batmania and Dutergalla.

The settlement grew around the Yarra River after John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner established competing claims in 1835. The name Bearbrass is associated with the early European description of the place and its river surroundings, although the exact history and spelling of several early names vary in historical accounts.

Governor Richard Bourke officially named the settlement Melbourne on April 10, 1837. The name honored William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, who was then the British prime minister. Melbourne later became Victoria’s political and commercial center and remains the state capital.

A common mix-up is calling Melbourne Australia’s national capital. Australia’s federal capital is Canberra, while Melbourne is the capital of Victoria. Melbourne also served temporarily as the seat of Australia’s federal government after Federation.