Lugarno is named after Lugano in the Ticino region of Switzerland. Originally the spelling of the two places was the same. The later difference in spelling may be due to an error, or it may be a reflection of the Australian accent.
Lugano is not a typical Swiss town. It is in the Italian speaking area of Switzerland, the weather is warm, and palm trees are scattered among villas reminiscent of the French Riviera. Lugano is beside Lake Lugano, and a short distance from the town the Italian border passes through the lake. Looking across the lake, steep mountains rise out of the water. There is a similarity with the view across the broad expanse of the George's River to the steep rocky hillsides - only the smaller scale and the distinctive vegetation of Australia distinguishes the two scenes.
James Murphy, the principal assistant to Thomas Holt worked at various times as the secretary, manager, or director of the Holt-Sutherland Estate Company. He held a large amount of land at Como, where he ran the Murphy's Pleasure Grounds from the 1880's to World War I. He built a Swiss style chalet at Como, overlooking the George's and Woronora Rivers, but chose to live in a one roomed tin shed, and had a caretaker occupy the house, which was later burnt down.
It is not known if James Murphy travelled overseas, or if he was inspired by accounts of the travels of Thomas Holt, but he is thought to be responsible for many Swiss and Italian names in the district, including that of Lugano.
The earliest recorded use of the name Lugano is in the Government Gazette of the 10th June, 1887, announcing the re-establishment of the ferry at "a point on the George's River known as the Old George's River crossing, now known as Lugano"
The name Lugano appears to have originally been applied to that stretch of the river, and to the land on both sides of the river where the ferry crossed. Indeed the area now known as Illawong had the stronger claim to the name Lugarno. In the 1890's a paddle steamer operated by the Sanbrook Brothers, running from Como to the Parkesvale pleasure grounds opposite Picnic Point, called at the Lugarno wharf at what is now known as Illawong. Sands Directories refer to Griffin Parade, Lugarno, George's River, and the Lugarno Pleasure Grounds in Griffin Parade, however nearby Fowler Road and Bignell Street were classified as being in Como.
A subdivision known as the Lugano Ferry Estate on the western side of the Illawarra Road near the ferry produced a series of L shaped blocks with river frontages, and access from Illawarra Road in 1913.
The area presently known as Lugarno was referred to as Peakhurst until the late 1920's-early 1930's, except for the area where the ferry landed, and a few references to Soily Bottom. Soily Bottom is that part of George's River near the mouth of Salt Pan Creek, and the nearby land granted to Thomas G. Lawrence was sometimes described as being at Soily Bottom. The Moons, the crescent shaped windings of the George's River, gave its name to the Moons Estate, and Moons Avenue in 1919. The early address for Otto Matthei was Como, as he would have gone to Como to collect his mail.
The first recorded spelling of Lugarno with an "r" is in advertisements for the Lugarno Bay Estate in 1919. This was followed by the subdivision of the Matthei land around Boronia Parade as the Lugarno Estate in 1920.
The formation of the Lugarno and District Progress Association in 1922 further established the name Lugarno, and the efforts of the Progress Association led to the establishment of the Lugarno Post Office in 1926, and Lugarno Public School in 1933. The existence of the Post office meant that Lugarno was now a postal address, and that important public institution - the school - set the final seal on the name. The area served by the Post Office and school helped to define the area known as Lugarno as being from the bottom of Chivers Hill to the Ferry.
The use of the name Lugarno for the other side of the river correspondingly declined. It was usually referred to as being part of Menai until the name Illawong was introduced in 1967.