A geographical feature is able to be named under the Public Place Names Act 1989 if it falls within the definition of "public place" as "any unleased land..." (section 3) and if it is identified as "Territory land" (section 4).

Reason for policy

This policy has been prepared to maintain the integrity of the commemorative nature of place names in the ACT in relation to geographical feature naming, enable consistency in approach to geographical naming issues, and conform to both ACT general place names practices and national standards on geographical feature naming.

Policy references

This policy takes into account:

• the Public Place Names Act 1989;
• the national standards on geographical feature naming endorsed by the Committee for Geographical Names in Australia (CGNA) in their Toponymic Guidelines for Australia;
• the CGNA's national Policy Guidelines for the Recording and Use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Place Names ;
• the long-standing place names general practice; and
• the list of accepted feature identifiers.

Preferred source of name

Where no previous official name exists for a geographical feature or locality, preference will be given to a name that:

• if such a name exists, is the local Aboriginal name that was originally applied to identify the geographical feature, provided that the wishes of the relevant Aboriginal community are respected regarding the use of the name (see the sections Consultation and Use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Place Names below for specific guidelines);
• is in keeping with the character and tradition of the locality;
• has historical or local significance; or
• is suggestive of the peculiarity of the geographical feature, eg shape, vegetation, etc.

Personal names

It is preferred that the name of any person proposed for commemoration should have contributed significantly to the area where the feature is located. When such a name is applied, it should be given posthumously.

Features that cross a State/Territory boundary

The name for any feature that crosses a State/Territory boundary should be the same on both sides of that boundary. The basis for the selection of a name for such a feature should be consensus between the ACT Place Names Committee and the Geographical Names Board of NSW, and primary responsibility for obtaining consensus should rest with the authority in the State or Territory in which the feature was first named.

Qualifying terms

Qualifying terms such as "upper", "new" or their opposites, in addition to cardinal indicators, may be used in Australian place naming, but wherever possible, more distinctive names should be used.

Duplication

Duplication of place names within the ACT is to be avoided, because of the inevitable confusion this will cause. Use of a name in the ACT which is already in use as a specific name in another State or Territory should be avoided wherever possible. Duplication of names in the past has led to the danger involved with emergency service providers being directed to a wrong location.

Accepted feature identifiers

A comprehensive list of the accepted geographical feature identifiers is located on the ACT Place Names Committee file (97/3978) folios 50 to 54.

Possessive 's'

The possessive form should be avoided whenever possible without destroying the sound of the name or changing its descriptive application, eg Howes Valley should be written without the apostrophe.

Hyphens

The use of hyphens in connecting parts of names should, as far as possible, be avoided.

Offensive names

Offensive names, or names considered likely to cause offence, are to be avoided in all circumstances.

Consultation

New names for geographical features are to be invited and sought from a variety of sources when naming issues arise. Any names proposed for geographical features should be researched thoroughly and then referred to relevant authorities for consultation, including:

• the Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, the ACT Heritage Unit, and any other relevant reference centre;
• the Conservator, Parks and Conservation Service;
• the relevant planning authority (National Capital Authority or the ACT Planning and Land Authority) for confirmation of the land use zone in which the feature is located.

Use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander place names

The following guidelines have been extracted from the CGNA's Policy Guidelines for the Recording and Use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Place Names:

• Authorisation is to be obtained from the relevant community, if possible, or the Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, for the use of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander name or word taken from any source for proposed use in official geographical feature naming.
• A dual naming system, or use of alternative names, may be used as a management and educative tool for the naming of physical and environmental features of significance to the local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community when an official name already exists and when a name change is not possible or acceptable.
• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander names or terms from one particular area are not to be applied to other areas for official naming purposes.
• Local historical and cultural information relating to the meaning and origin of the place names should be collected whenever possible.
• Where alternative spellings of a specific Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander name exists, only one official spelling should be used following consultation with the relevant community.