How do you spell Koo-Wee-Rup?

What's the correct way to spell Koo-Wee-Rup?  Any way you want apparently. In 1973 and 1974 the Koo-Wee-Rup Sun published three articles (transcribed below) on the topic and the role of the Shire of Cranbourne in establishing an official spelling.

From the Kooweerup Sun (that's how they spelt it) of March 14, 1973, p. 19

Kooweerup Sun, March 14, 1973, p. 19

All in a Name

Now it's official - Kooweerup is spelt "Kooweerup," not "Koo Wee Rup" or "Koo-wee-rup."

The office of Place Names Committee told last Friday's meeting of the Cranbourne Shire Council that their enquiries had shown three different spellings being used.

They asked council to indicate its preferences.

Cr Mac Bethune moved and Cr Noel Johnson seconded that the name "Kooweerup" be adopted as the official spelling.

From the Kooweerup Sun of March 21, 1973, p. 2

Kooweerup Sun,  March 21, 1973, p. 2

KooWee Rup, Koo-wee-rup or Kooweerup

"I read with dismay the news in your issue of March 14, that the Shire of Cranbourne Council had decided to recommend that the name "Kooweerup" be used for the name of this town and district in preference to "KooWeeRup" or "Koo-wee-rup", said Mr. C. Einsiedel of Rossiter Road, Kooweerup in a letter to the Editor.

And it is not pleasing to know that two local councillors moved the motion; I wonder if anyone voted against?

My thoughts are that the Council should have been pleased to accept the form selected by Dr N. Gunson, editor of the very excellent historical book produced by the Shire of Cranbourne, "The Good Country," in this passage on Page 15 of the Preface:

"...Koo-wee-rup is preferred to other forms though Koo Wee Rup would seem equally respectable. With both hyphens and capitals it is an absurdity and when run together it is either a mark of laziness or economy."

Late in 1971 the Shire commendably advertised its intention to give certain names to roads in the Shire; this latest case on a more important matter in my view, would have been a good opportunity for a continuance of that policy.

In conclusion, I must say that I am more than pleased that Nar-nar-goon is not in the Shire of Cranbourne.

From the Kooweerup Sun of August  21, 1974, p. 3

Kooweerup Sun, August  21, 1974, p. 3

"Koo-wee-rup" that's official. 

After months of argument it's now official. Koo-wee-rup is spelt with hyphens. Cr. Noel Johnson last year asked the Cranbourne Shire council to have the spelling of Koo-wee-rup clarified as it was causing confusion.

The State Government's place names committee wrote to tell council that they did not have an official spelling and asked council for suggestions. Council replied that they preferred Kooweerup (without the hyphens).

Following an uproar, led by Koo-wee-rup's Claude Einsiedel, council asked that it be spelt with the hyphens and now it has been proclaimed.

I was interviewed in the Pakenham Gazette about this very issue - here is the article from April 3, 2013. What I said was that my Birth Certificate has the town spelt as Koo-Wee-Rup and Kooweerup and that various documents from my time at the High School in the 1970s has the name spelt as Koo-wee-rup, Kooweerup and KooWeeRup, so  even Government organizations were having a bet both ways.

VicNames - the Register of Geographic Names lists it as Koo Wee Rup. You can access their website here https://maps.land.vic.gov.au/lassi/VicnamesUI.jsp

Whatever it is, I believe that it should be three words. The way I usually spell it, Koo-Wee-Rup, is as we found out, an absurdity according to Dr Niel Gunson, historian and author of The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire. It is a book that I admire and use frequently. However, I agree with Dr Gunson that running the word together is a mark of laziness.