Naming places in Queensland

Place name suggestions

You can suggest to name, rename or remove a name for a geographical feature, city, town or locality (suburb). You can also suggest changes to locality boundaries.

To make a suggestion, you will need to provide the following information and supporting documentation:

  • the suggested name or change
  • reasons why the change is appropriate
  • a geographic description, map or diagram (for locality changes, the boundaries of localities must be clearly shown)
  • for new names – documentation about the origin and meaning of the name
  • a letter of support from the relevant local government (for locality changes, an acknowledgment that the council may need to reallocate location addresses and notify affected persons)
  • for locality changes – documentation showing widespread support from affected persons, including acknowledgement that they may need to change their location and postal address
  • for a name derived from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language – consent from the relevant Traditional Owners.
  • for a name that commemorates a deceased person or family – a biography (see below for details).

Names commemorating deceased persons or families

You will need to provide a biography with:

  • full name/s (including parents and children if known)
  • dates of any relevant births, deaths or marriages
  • information about their life (e.g. their occupation and education)
  • details of any civil and community contributions made by the person/s (e.g. membership of community organisations, terms of office and achievements)
  • details of any honours or decorations received by the person/s
  • consent of family or descendants (preferred but not mandatory)
  • any other historical information to support the suggestion.

In this guide:

  1. Who names what places?
  2. Naming processes
  3. Place name suggestions
  4. Naming considerations
  5. Defining boundaries and extent
  6. Indigenous languages and their relevance to place naming

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