Every town or district has its quirks, and often the name carries a story of its own. In the case of Dattening—sometimes mistakenly called Taylor’s Well—the history lingers in the words people still use. Here’s how that tangle came to be, shared by a correspondent of the time: 1
Most readers are wondering where “Dattening” is, writes a correspondent. Well it is erroneously known as “Taylor’s Well.”
There’s such a tangle here that a word of explanation would not be out of place. Look on the map 2; the place is named “Dattening,” and Dattening is the real name.
How it came to be called “Taylor’s Well” is thus. Years ago, old Norry Taylor dug a well there for use when travelling stock, and it was a real tip top supply of fresh water, and in those days, before much clearing was done, water was not too plentiful so the early pioneers used to cart their supply of “Adam’s Ale” from the well, and as they went to “Ole Norry Taylor’s Well” to get it, gradually became known as Taylor’s Well.
However, the post office and the telephone exchange are known as “Dattening,” it behoves you to get used to calling it “Dattening.”
Sources
- From the Papers (1924, July 3). The Albany Despatch (WA : 1919 – 1927), p. 1. Retrieved August 27, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251373898 ↩︎
- Dattening, Western Australia [cartographic material] / prepared under the direction of the Surveyor General, Department of Lands and Surveys, Western Australia. Retrieved August 27, 2025, from https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/5786516 ↩︎
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