Naming places in Queensland
Who names what places?
,While the Department of Resources names some geographical features and areas, other agencies name other places in Queensland.
These tables show the naming authority for specific types of places in Queensland.
Natural places
| Type of place | Naming authority |
|---|---|
| Anchorages, bars, bays, beaches, capes, caves, cays, channels, cliffs, craters, deserts, dunes, escarpments, fords, forests (unprotected), gorges, gulfs, harbours, hills, inlets, islands, isthmuses, lagoons, lakes, lookouts, mountains, pans, passages, passes, peaks, peninsulas, plains, plateaus, pockets, points, ranges, rapids, reaches, reefs, reservoirs, ridges, rock holes, rocks, sand banks, scrubs, shoals, soaks, sounds, spits, springs, valleys, watercourses (including rivers, creeks, gullies, brooks, etc), waterfalls, waterholes, wetlands, etc. | Department of Resources |
Constructed places
The following places can be owned and operated by multiple levels of government and private entities.
Type of place | Naming authority |
|---|---|
| Bikeways, bridges, car parks, cattle grids, culverts, cuttings, fords, overpasses, public transport infrastructure (e.g. busways, busway stations and bus stops, park n ride facilities, light rail stations), railway crossings, rest areas, roads, tunnels, viaducts, walkways, etc. | State level – Department of Transport and Main Roads for the naming of roads, and Translink for the naming of public transport infrastructure Local level – Local Governments name roads |
| Buildings and similar structures (including schools, correction centres and hospitals) |
Department of Education for educational institutions Queensland Corrective Services for corrections centres Queensland Health for hospitals and health facilities |
| Railway infrastructure such as stations, railway stops (excluding public transport light rail stations) | Queensland Rail |
| Sports fields/grounds, courts, racing tracks, raceways and similar | Stadiums Queensland have naming power for major sports facilities |
| Boat ramps, jetties, marinas, pontoons, harbour infrastructure | Department of Transport and Main Roads |
| Dam walls and similar structures | Seqwater and Sunwater |
| Vehicles, boats, aircraft and other mobile assets | Queensland Corrective Services for the naming of vehicles, or Maritime Safety Queensland for the naming of its vessels |
| Canals and open drains, except where they connect parts of a predominantly natural watercourse | No identified naming authority |
| Statues, monuments and commemorative plaques | No identified naming authority |
| Survey marks, trigonometric stations, telecommunication towers, water towers, electrical infrastructure and similar | No identified naming authority |
| Mines, mine fields, oil fields, quarries and similar | No identified naming authority |
| Airports, airfields, landing strips, runways, heliports, helipads and similar | No identified naming authority |
| Homesteads and houses | No identified naming authority |
| Stations and other similar significant properties | No identified naming authority |
| Rural properties | No identified naming authority |
Administrative places
| Type of place | Naming authority |
|---|---|
| Towns and cities | Department of Resources |
| Addressable localities (bounded localities and suburbs) | Department of Resources |
| Local Government Areas | Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works, and Local Government Change Commission |
| The State of Queensland | Requires a change to The Australian Constitution |
| Electorates (including local and federal government Divisions /Wards) | Local electorates – Queensland Redistribution Commission State electorates – Queensland Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works / Local Government Change Commission Federal electorates – Australian Electoral Commission |
| National parks, conservation parks, resources reserves, special wildlife reserves, nature refuges, coordinated conservation areas and Indigenous Joint Management Areas | Department of Environment, Science and Innovation |
| Marine Parks | Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation |
| World and other Heritage Areas | There is no single naming authority for these places. They can be owned and operated by multiple levels of government. At a state level. the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts is responsible for cultural heritage areas Heritage is the responsibility of the Australian Government. |
| Timber reserves and state forests | Department of Environment, Science and Innovation Department of Agriculture and Fisheries |
| Municipal parks and reserves | Local Governments |
| River Improvement Trust Areas | Queensland Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water |
| Tourism regions, business districts, pastoral districts, agricultural regions, irrigation regions, administrative regions and similar |
There is no single naming authority for these places. They can be owned and operated by multiple levels of government. At a state level some examples include Tourism and Events Queensland for tourism regions, Queensland Health for Health Service Areas and Queensland Fire and Emergency Service for Fire Levy Districts. |
| Industrial estates, residential estates, business parks and similar | There is no single naming authority for these places. They can be owned and operated by multiple levels of government. Development Queensland is responsible for commercial estates |
| Ports | Department of Transport and Main Roads and various Ports Corporations |
| Community title schemes | Titles Queensland |
In this guide:
- Who names what places?
- Naming processes
- Place name suggestions
- Naming considerations
- Defining boundaries and extent
- Indigenous languages and their relevance to place naming