Mulareenya Creek at Yapa (Mulgowan) Aboriginal art site, Gundabooka National Park, near Bourke.
Leah Pippos/DCCEEW.
Naming reflects the diversity of our communities, acknowledges and celebrates the Traditional Custodians of the land, and connects the community. It makes people feel safe and included.
Not only do place names help us communicate where we are, but they can also capture the history and story of a place, and create a sense of community and belonging.
About place names
A place name is the most common way to identify your location or where you live. It connects people to a place.
Official names help for many reasons, including emergency services and postal delivery, disaster recovery, economic development, preserving history and creating community.
Features that can be named by the GNB
Examples of geographical features that can be officially named by the GNB include:
- rivers and creeks
- mountains, hills, peaks and valleys
- lakes, lagoons and swamps
- beaches, bays and islands
- ridges, points and peninsulas
- parks and reserves
- suburbs an localities
- railway stations.
Visit the About page to find out about our mission.
Unnamed features
Over 65,000 geographical features are currently named in NSW. However, many features remain unnamed. We encourage community members and authorities to propose names for unnamed features.
The GNB prefers to use traditional Aboriginal place names for geographical features in NSW. See Aboriginal place naming.
For a full list of what can be named, refer to the Place naming glossary.
Authority to name a place
Anyone can submit a proposal to name or rename a place in NSW.
Place names are expected to be enduring and changes are discouraged unless the name is offensive or for safety reasons.
The GNB is the official body for naming and recording details of places and geographical names in NSW. This includes determining the spelling, pronunciation, origin and history of geographical names.
Our policies are aimed at ensuring community input, giving all interested parties a say in a naming decision and minimising double up of names.
The end result means we can clearly identify what name applies to which place or feature.
Commemorative naming
Naming geographical features after people who've done great things for their community is a way to honour them.
The GNB has used commemorative naming to recognise outstanding achievements such as acts of bravery, community service and exceptional accomplishments by individuals or groups.
People who've been honoured include servicemen and women who've given their lives in service of their country, sporting identities, educators, industry leaders, former elected civic officials, notable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and community leaders.
As with all naming proposals, we encourage local councils to consult with the community before submitting a proposal to us.
Living persons
We do not approve names that honour living people. Such proposals frequently cause community division, which is why many naming boards worldwide avoid naming places after people who are still alive. A person must have passed away at least 12 months before they can be commemorated in this way.
If you want to honour a living person, consider naming a community facility after them, or dedicating a commemorative plaque.
Propose a name
Place naming authorities, propose a place name using our proposal system.
We strongly encourage members of the public who wish to propose a place name to work with the relevant local council or government authority before using this form: Submit a place name proposal
Geographical Names Board
Comment on current proposals
The Geographical Names Board (GNB) wants to hear what you think about the latest place name proposals.
Click on the button below to:
- tell us about your interest in the place
- view maps
- be advised of decisions.
We will consider all submissions before a place name is officially assigned.
