Place Names

in the Northern Territory

The allocation of official names of a place in the Northern Territory (be it a locality, suburb, town, community, road, residential park, cemetery, building or natural feature) is the responsibility of the Northern Territory Government under the Place Names Act The Act allows the Place Names Committee for the Northern Territory to make recommendations to the Minister for Planning and Lands for the naming of a place. The Place Names Committee, prior to making a recommendation, seeks the views of the relevant Local Government Authority, and/or the Aboriginal Land Council, and if the place is on private land the owner of that land.

Darwin City Council

To assist the Place Names Committee in this process, Elected Members are seeking feedback from the Darwin community on possible place names.

If you have a relative or know of someone that has made a significant contribution to Darwin and would like to propose their name, please fill in a DCC Online Feedback Form detailing the reason for the nomination.

The following are guidelines from Council’s Place Names Policy to assist you:

1. Council will consider place names which reflect existing themes associated with the history and character of Darwin as listed by the Place Names Committee.

2. Where no established theme exists, or where new names are sought to replace existing names, Council will consider names associated with the history and character of Darwin and the Northern Territory, including, but not limited to, the themes outlined below.

• Administrators of the Northern Territory.Elected members from all levels of government who have served the Northern Territory
• Darwin’s multicultural community, including her Sister City associations
• Prominent Territorians - people who have demonstrated outstanding merit OR people who have made an outstanding contribution to Darwin and the Northern Territory particularly in the areas of service, community, industry, leadership and personal bravery or who have achieved outstanding success in their chosen field of endeavour
• Defence – reflecting Darwin’s role in the defence of Australia

3. Council will consider names of Aboriginal origin in any area. Such names will be required to have their origin in the area and their use supported by the Larrakia people.

4. Council will require any Estate Names advertised on public land to include the originating suburb name (eg. City Valley, Woolner). The inclusion of the originating suburb name is to ensure the identity of the suburb is not lost by the marketing name of the estate. Developers are encouraged to consult with Council about Estate Names prior to applying to the NT Place Names Committee.

5. Council generally prefers names to be of deceased persons. In exceptional circumstances, Council will support a name which honours a living person where that person’s contribution to the Darwin community has been of outstanding benefit.

6. Council will allow the naming of areas within parks and reserves only where there is a recognisable and distinctive feature or a distinctive area of cultural or historical significance.

7. Council will consider the use of dual names (both given name/s and family name) in the naming of parks and features.

8. Council will only consider the use of dual names for streets and roads where it considers exceptional circumstances apply.

9. Names should not duplicate or nearly duplicate either in sound or spelling an existing name in the area, to avoid postal confusion.

10. Names should not be duplicated by using a different generic term for the road eg a court off a street of the same name.

11. Council will consider names which otherwise do not fit into this policy only if:
The non-complying name in no way undermines the themes of the area of the policy; and
There is strong reason why the non-complying name should be used in place of a name that complies with the principles of this policy.

The Place Names Committee

Within the Northern Territory, the allocation of an official name to a place (be it a locality, suburb, town, community, road, residential park, cemetery, building or natural feature) is the responsibility of the Northern Territory Government under the Place Names Act which allows the Place Names Committee for the Northern Territory to make recommendations to the Minister for Planning and Lands for the naming of a place.

The Act requires the Place Names Committee to add approved place names to the Place Names Register. You can Search the Register for place names in the Northern Territory by name or part name and / or place names type / category.

The Place Names Committee, prior to making a recommendation, seeks the views of the relevant local government Authority and/or the Aboriginal Land Council and where the place is on private land the owner of that land.

The Committee abides by the Committee for Geographical Names of Australia's (CGNA) Toponymic Guidelines and has devised its own policies, procedures, rules and guidelines for when considering a name for a place.

The Committee maintains a list of people (Reserve List) it considers worthy of naming a place after. The Committee welcomes submissions from the public. Submissions can be forwarded to the Committee via Email, Fax, Mail or by completing and submitting a submission form. See also contact details.

The Committee maintains a database of all named places, whether they have been officially named or not. You are invited to search the Register

The Committee does not maintain or hold comprehensive biographical data on persons commemorated in the name of a place.

Further information and material on a name may be found at or in the resources listed.

Links to the Australian Gazetteer and Gazetteers of other nations, including data on UN Group of Experts on Geographical Names.

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