Named by Chas Winnecke after George Woodroffe Goyder (24 June 1826 – 2 November 1898), South Australian Surveyor General.
Winnecke in his report of his 2nd expedition (1883) wrote:
"These hills, when viewed from a distance, have the appearance of white pillars; they are crowned by perpendicular Koaline rocks. During my previous exploration I named them Goyder's Pillars, after G.W. Goyder, Esq., the Surveyor-General of South Australia."
Goyder is known for having fixed the limits of sustainable agriculture in SA with extraordinary accuracy.
Known as Goyders Line, he advised the most northerly point at which agriculture would prove unsustainable (eg. north of
Burra).
Also named for him are a large river in Arnhem Land and electorates in both the Northern Territory and South Australia. Mount Woodroffe, the highest peak in South Australia at 1,435 metres (4,710 ft) is named after him (George Woodroffe Goyder).