• You can submit your enquiry, or feedback, about a place name using the Land, Planning and Building enquiries form.
  • ACTMapi allows you to search existing place names. You can also search suburbs.
  • The names of suburbs and public places are decided by the Minister. The process is managed by the Office of the Surveyor General and Land Information.

Naming our places

The ACT's suburb, street and place names are a tribute to Australia’s remarkable people, its geography, heritage and history.

Some commemorated people were well known, while others were quiet achievers. Our Indigenous heritage, our national treasures and wonderful stories are drawn together and reflected in the national capital's place names.

Canberra's place names are historic

In 1927 a committee was set up to name the streets and suburbs of Australia's new capital city. The National Memorials Committee proposed that street names in Canberra's suburbs follow a theme. That policy (one of the oldest in the ACT) is still in place.

Today, ACT Place Names, in consultation with the ACT Place Names Advisory Committee, undertakes research for new place names in accordance with the Public Place Names Act 1989.

Help us choose a place name

Public nominations to commemorate the names of notable Australians, places, flora, fauna or things important to the history of Australia are welcome. Fill in the Proposal for Commemoration form.

You can also suggest categories for naming themes for new suburbs, comment on a proposed theme or tell us what you think via the Land, Planning and Building enquiries form.

When naming places after people, the Public Place Names (Naming of Public Places) Guidelines 2021 advise that the person must be deceased and at least 12 months should elapse after their death before the person’s name can be determined as a place name.

Suggested names must be distinctive and should not be 'the same as an existing road name, similar in spelling to an existing road name or similar in sound to an existing road name.

You can use the ACTmapi search tool to check for place names that are already in use.

Once a name is chosen what happens next?

Once a place name is endorsed by the ACT Place Names Advisory Committee and approved by the Minister, it is notified on the ACT Legislation Register and tabled in the ACT Legislative Assembly for six sitting days. The ACT Place Names Advisory Committee supports the use of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander words in place naming.

Provide feedback

  • Do you have a name suggestion for an un-named place?
  • Is there a place name in the ACT you consider to be confusing or offensive? For information about changing a place name, first see our place names policies.
  • Do you have further information you are able to provide about an existing place name?
  • Is there a place name that you would like more information on? Remember to search names using the ACTmapi search tool first.
  • Do you have a suggestion for a new theme for a future suburb, or do you wish to comment on a theme that has been proposed?

Submit your enquiry, or feedback, using the Land, Planning and Building enquiries form.

More information

The ACTmapi search tool helps you research names by providing information on the origin and significance of official ACT place names and can be used to check if the name you are proposing has already been used.

Policies

The Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) is responsible for the naming of divisions (suburbs) and public places on Territory land in the ACT (nomenclature). Public places include streets, parks, and geographical features.

The National Capital Authority administers the naming of public places on National land in consultation with the Canberra National Memorials Committee under the Australian Capital Territory National Land (National Memorials, Territory Divisions and Public Places) Ordinance 2022. Policies have been prepared on:

The use of estate names

The names of development estates do not have any official recognition and are not included on ACTmapi maps.

Reason for policy

The existence of estate names undermines the intentions of the Public Place Names Act 1989 and creates potential for confusion to emergency service providers when trying to locate new areas of development. This policy has been developed to maintain the integrity of the place names nature of nomenclature in the ACT while at the same time accommodating the modern marketing preferences of developers and property owners.

Policy

Estate names may be used by developers/property owners in official documents in the early stages of a development as a means of identification and for marketing purposes.

The official division (suburb) name must always be used with the estate name (for example, Harcourt Hill Estate, Nicholls or Gleneagles Estate, Kambah) when advertising houses or land for sale and in general correspondence and signage.

Naming of geographical features and dual naming

Geographical features in the ACT, such as mountains and rivers, can be named under the Public Place Names Act 1989.

The Public Place Names (Naming of public places) Guidelines 2021 state that:

Where no previous official name exists for a geographical feature, preference should be given to a name that:

  • is the local Aboriginal name that was originally applied to identify the geographical feature, provided the wishes of the relevant Aboriginal community are respected regarding the use of the name
  • is in keeping with the character and tradition of the location
  • has historical or local significance or
  • is suggestive of the peculiarity of the geographical feature.

Where a geographical feature has an existing introduced name, consideration shall be given to restoring traditional Aboriginal language to the feature by giving it dual names that recognise the traditional Aboriginal place name alongside the long-standing introduced name.

Non-duplication of names

Duplication of street names may lead to confusion for members of the public and, critically, for emergency service providers. An emergency service's response to an incident may be impeded by attending an incorrect address. Therefore, the following policy has been developed to reduce the risk to the lives and property of ACT residents.

General advice

Duplication of street names is to be avoided in all instances.

Where a surname has already been used in a public place name in the ACT, and a person of the same name has been nominated for commemoration, consideration may be given to:

  • the use of both the first and last name of the person, except where this would lead to confusion, for example, similarly spelt names (John Smith Street and John Smyth Circuit) are to be avoided due to the potential for error and confusion
  • the person's name being included in a multiple commemoration or
  • commemoration through the naming of a park or other feature.

Building names

ACT Government does not have authority regarding naming private buildings in the Territory. The Public Place Names Act 1989 does not apply to buildings and there is no statutory requirement to name a building or to include details of the actual complex name in a development application.

EPSDD is responsible for the allocation of street addresses and public place names in the ACT. The directorate encourages property owners to consult with the ACT Place Names Unit before selecting a building name. This is to check that selected names do not have the potential to cause addressing confusion, which is particularly important to ensure the effective and timely delivery of emergency services. The addressing guidelines also require clear and correct signage of a development's approved street address.

The Place Names Officer can offer research assistance and provide advice by checking proposed names for uniqueness against others in the ACT address database. They can also offer advice about general place naming guidelines to assist with the selection of suitable names. Once the name is finalised, it can be added to the ACT Cadastral Database, and details distributed to relevant agencies, including ACT Emergency Services and Australia Post.