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| Nomenclature Board of Tasmania
The first constructive move towards the establishment of a body to regulate the nomenclature of geographical features in Tasmania was made in 1950 when an Advisory Board was set up to assist the Surveyor-General on matters of nomenclature arising from the State's developing mapping programs.
In 1953 an amendment to the Survey Co-ordination Act 1944 formally recognised the Advisory Board, and established it on a permanent basis as the Nomenclature Board of Tasmania. The new Board held its first meeting in February 1954.
The Board consists of ten members, including the Surveyor-General as Chairman. Five members are senior officers appointed from the Government Agencies responsible for State Mapping, Planning, Forestry, Mines and Hydro Electricity. Four other persons are appointed for a three year term on the nomination of the relevant Minister.
The Board is served by a Secretary appointed from within the establishment of the Surveyor-General within the Department of' Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment.
It is the responsibility of the Board to:- consider matters concerning geographical nomenclature within Tasmania including the origin, priority and usage of geographical names;
- adopt rules of toponymy, orthography and nomenclature.
The Board is also authorised to:- assign names to any places (such as geographic features or areas) in the State;
- determine the spelling to be adopted;
- determine names to be included or omitted as the case may be from official maps and records; and
- compile and maintain a register of place names.
Although the Board's statutory responsibilities and functions are extensive in certain circumstances, it retains only a residual power to assign a name. For example, "place names" created as a result of specific legislation take precedence over the Board’s more general statutory powers. The Board is not responsible for naming urban streets which are situated within a proclaimed city or town.
Following examination of any proposal for the assignment or alteration of a name and should the Board approve the proposed name, formal notice of the Board’s intentions is published in the Tasmanian Government Gazette. Following gazettal, any person may object to the proposed assignment of a new name or to any alteration of an existing official name. Summaries of lists advertised in the Tasmanian Government Gazette are also published as a courtesy in the major three Saturday Tasmanian newspapers.
Any person wishing to object to a decision of the Board, must do so in writing stating the grounds for objection, and must lodge the objection with the Secretary within one month following the publication of the Board’s Notice of Intention to assign or alter that place name.
In the event that no objection is received, the Board will subsequently publish a formal confirmation of its decision to assign or alter the name.
Objections are considered by the Board at its earliest opportunity, and the details of the objection, together with the Board’s recommendation, are submitted to the Minister for final decision. The Minister's decision is subsequently gazetted and is not subject to appeal.
Notwithstanding the completion of formalities in relation to any name, subsequent submissions may be received from time to time by the Secretary. These are brought to the attention of the Board as a matter of course, and the Board may decide to reconsider the matter as a normal proposal to alter a name.
All final decisions, whether made by the Board or by the Minister, are subsequently published in the Tasmanian Government Gazette, advertised and made available on the website and are not subject to appeal.
The Board has adopted over the years the following principles:
Official and Published Names
Unless there is good reason to the contrary, primary consideration is given to names mentioned in authentic works, such as reference books, historic records, maps, charts, etc. or names widely established by community usage. Names created by appropriate legislation cannot be altered by the Nomenclature Board.
New Names
New names submitted for consideration by the Board should comply with these guiding principles, and in general will be considered only if adequate information on their origin and usage is provided.
When no previous names exist, primary consideration will be given to a name in keeping with the character and tradition of the area; with historical or local significance; being suggestive of any peculiarity of a topographical feature; or being of aboriginal derivation, and having an appropriate meaning.
Uniformity of Names
Names applying to features in a given area should be conforming. For instance: - the same name should apply for the post office, railway station, etc. as for the Town or Locality.
- the same name should apply for different parts of the same natural feature, as with a stream from its source to its mouth via the principal branch, even though it may be interrupted by a lake, reservoir, etc.
Duplication of names is highly undesirable, however in some cases is unavoidable, particularly where names have long standing public acceptance. In these cases the Board may seek to modify a name to avoid continuing confusion.
Personal Names
Personal names are not acceptable unless it is in the public interest to honour a person by applying his/her name to an appropriate geographical feature. The application of a personal name during the lifetime of the person concerned is made only in exceptional circumstances where: - it can be shown that a person's name has been in general use for a significant period; or
- where it commemorates exploration or a particular feat by that person; and
- where the Board is satisfied that approval of the name will not be beneficial to the person in the public sphere, and does not contravene other guidelines and principles.
Spelling
The spelling in local usage is preferred provided it conforms to accepted standards of orthography. If different spellings exist for related features, that spelling which is nearest the correct or original spelling is preferred. The use of the possessive “s” (apostrophe omitted) is to be avoided unless the omission would destroy the euphony of the name or its descriptive application.
Form and Character
Names should be concise, euphonious and in good taste. Forms which are to be avoided are: - names of two or more words, except where such can be combined.
- unnatural combinations of words.
- the use of hyphens, or other similar diacritical marks.
- the use of both given name and surname or a combination of the two.
- long and difficult aboriginal, botanic or scientific names.
- corrupted, contrived or modified names.
- alternative names. (eg Forsyth Island not "Forsyth or Penguin Island" as shown on one early plan)
- names that could be construed as advertising a particular commercial or industrial enterprise.
- names likely to give offence.
In order to assist Councils, community groups and individuals who submit proposed new names to the Nomenclature Board a dictionary of generic terms used in Tasmania has been established and is used as a guide when new names are being considered. Definitions of generic terms are categorised into roads, topographical features, and man-made features.
The Board is always prepared to receive and consider submissions relating to nomenclature from interested persons. Proposals for new names or name changes in the application of existing names, should be submitted in writing to the Secretary.
All such submissions should be properly documented with the location of the feature identified on a map, sketch or photograph. The submission should also include information on the spelling, origin and usage of the name.
It is inevitable that errors do occur in the assignment of official nomenclature, either through simple mistakes, or through decisions having been made on the basis of insufficient or inaccurate information. The Board encourages members of the public to notify it of apparent errors in official nomenclature, and welcomes any reliable documented information which will aid in the rectification of such errors.
The Nomenclature Data Base is maintained by the Secretary in the Nomenclature Office. Extracts from this data base can be supplied in various formats - the Board Secretary is able to arrange the provision of extracts tailored to specialist information demands where necessary.
In addition to the names of features throughout Tasmania, the Nomenclature Data Base contains AMG grid references, relevant 1:25,000 and 1:100,000 map sheet numbers, and information pertaining to when the name was assigned by the Nomenclature Board. In a growing number of instances, information relative to the derivation of the name is also included.
A list of unofficial and superseded names is also maintained, however, in order to avoid the risk of creating public confusion such information is not generally included in the gazetteer; enquiries into individual names may be directed to the Board Secretary.
Nomenclature is defined as a set or system of names or terms, as those used in a particular art or science by an individual or community. It stems from the Latin word "nomen" meaning name. The word has at least two pronunciations: One being with the emphasis on the first part of the word (as no men...) and the other with the main emphasis on the suffix (...clature).
Nomenclature in Tasmania was formalised as a direct result of the recognition of the need for detailed accurate maps of State, which in turn was appreciated during the second world war.
Orthography is defined as the art of writing words with the proper letters, according to accepted usage; correct spelling.
Toponymy is the practice of assigning names to places.
Place: Within the context of the nomenclature function, "Place" includes any town, township, mining district, area of land, locality, mountain, hill, peak, pass, glen, valley, forest, river, stream, creek, ford, lake, lagoon, marsh, bay, harbour, cape, promontory, railway station, road, or other topographical feature.
Places or areas such as districts or towns were often originally named by the community's perception of the area rather than by a specific assignment, or after a single predominant geographical feature. As a result of a recent program, Localities have been created Australia-wide to enable unique addressing of all properties. All Localities now have formal boundaries. Responsibility for Assigning Names to Urban Streets within the boundaries of proclaimed towns or cities is left to the local Council. However, when a new street name is assigned within a proclaimed town or city, the Council is bound to notify the Nomenclature Board of the assignment within forty days.
Lists of Proposed Names appear in the Government Gazette and made available through the Board’s website. Approximately four lists are published every year. The Board also maintains an email client list, whereby a party can be added by sending a message with the title Email Alert to Nomenclature.Office@dpipwe.tas.gov.au
Contact: Nomenclature BoardNomenclature Board
Secretary
Level 8/134 Macquarie Street
HOBART TAS 7000
Phone: 03 6233 2554
Fax: 03 6233 6775
Email: Nomenclature.Office@dpipwe.tas.gov.au
Department switchboard: 1300 368 550 (local call cost, Australia-wide)
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