Helping Canberra's future take shape

General enquiries
(02)6207 1923

ACTMAPi - ACT mapping online

View the Territory Plan - The key statutory planning document in the ACT

Send us your feedback

ACT Place Names Committee

The role and members of the ACT Place Names Committee

The ACT Place Names Committee sets the policy for naming of public places in the ACT.

Members

The committee is appointed by the Minister for Planning to advise on public place naming, geographical naming and contentious naming matters. The members are:

  • Professor Ken Taylor, Australian National University (chair);
  • Jill Waterhouse, historian; 
  • Alex Sloan, of ABC Radio;
  • Frank Blanchfield, Commissioner for Surveys for the ACT;
  • Dr David Headon, historian;
  • Dr Lenore Coltheart, historian;
  • Dr Jay Arthur, historian; and 
  • Dr Dianne Firth, Heritage Council of the ACT.

The ACT Place Names Officer at the ACT Planning and Land Authority provides secretariat support to the committee.

Committee responsibilities

The terms of reference for the Place Names Committee are to:

  • establish policies and guidelines for the determination of place names for territory land in the ACT, including divisions, roads, public places and geographic features; and 
  • provide recommendations to the Minister or his delegate on place names for territory land in the ACT.

The Committee meets on an as required basis or at least once a year. A meeting is arranged whenever issues arise that need a consensus of opinion from the  Committee. Issues that would require a meeting may include: 

  • discussion on and formulation of place names policies;
  • contentious issues; and
  • when new suburb names or themes need to be discussed and a recommendation reached for forwarding to the ACT Planning and Land Authority Executive.

Advice is sought from indigenous elders, nominated experts (historians and cultural experts) from external agencies, organisations and community groups when required.


Was the information on this page helpful?

Page content was useful
 Page content was not useful