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What is the smallest city in your country that everyone can still instantly recognise the name of? What is it famous for? (lemmy.world)

submitted 6 days ago by NateNate60@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

251 comments fedilink hide all child comments

In the United States, I'd probably name Oregon City, the famous end of the Oregon Trail and the first city founded west of the Rocky Mountains during the pioneer era. Its population is only 37,000.

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[–] A1kmm@lemmy.amxl.com 15 points 5 days ago (4 children)

By population, and not land area, certain more remote geographic places are well known but have quite a low population. 'Everyone' is a high bar, but most adults in Australia would know the following places (ordered from smaller population but slightly less known to higher population):

Wittenoom, WA - population 0 - well known in Australia for being heavily contaminated with dangerous blue asbestos (which used to be mined there until the 60s), and having been de-gazetted and removed from maps to discourage tourism to it.
Coober Pedy, SA - population 1437 - well known in Australia for its underground homes and opal production.
Alice Springs, NT - population 25,912 - well known for being near the centre of Australia in the rangelands (outback) - most larger population centres in Australia are coastal.

[–] gnu@lemmy.zip 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I reckon Port Arthur is a solid contender with its low population of 251 (known for being the site of a mass shooting that led to significant changes in Australian gun laws). It is fading in name recognition as time goes on though, after all that was approaching 30 years ago and lots of people have been born since then.

My top pick however would be Bega with its population of 5013 and the name recognition the cheese factory has brought. It's hard to go past a name that's printed on cheese (and assorted other products now) in the vast majority of supermarkets across Australia, and they even export overseas to get a bit of international cachet.

[–] MrBogus@midwest.social 2 points 5 days ago

Bega is sister city to Littleton, CO. A town famous for the Columbine school shooting in 1998.

[–] zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Wittenoom, WA - population 0

I didn't instantly recognise the name, but I've heard the story.

Coober Pedy, SA - population 1437

This is a very solid one.

@gnu@lemmy.zip beat me to the punch with Port Arthur, and I think they've hit the nail on the head there. Although, as they note, maybe the name recognition isn't there for younger generations.

Here's some suggestions that haven't been made yet:

Gundegai - population 2,057 (2021 census) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gundagai
- Featured in songs and poetry, most famously Along the Road to Gundegai
- 'The Dog on the Tucker Box' sits on the road outside the town (and is itself a reference to a poem mentioning Gundegai)
Betoota - population 3 (2023) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betoota,_Queensland
- Known because its name was adopted by the satirical news website The Betoota Advocate

[–] evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

As a non Australian, I didn't know wittenoom, but I'm pretty sure I know of it from the old videos of asbestos shoveling competitions that went around a few years back.

I think the smallest Australian town I know is oodnadatta, but I don't know why I know it. I also had to look up if "nullarbor" was a city, or just a place name, so idk if that counts.

[–] zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 2 points 5 days ago

I'm an Australian, and I also don't know why I know Oodnadatta! Probably it's just one of those words that sticks in the brain, and it comes up every so often because it is a key point between Adelaide and Darwin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oodnadatta (population 102)

[–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 1 points 5 days ago

coober pedy was my best guess too!