Geographic Names Frequently Asked Questions
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Listed below are some of the most frequently asked questions about Geographic Names, the Geographic Names Committee of Western Australia and GEONOMA, the computer database on all named roads and places in the state. If you can not find the information you need below or have additional questions, send an email message to The Secretary at GeographicNames@landgate.wa.gov.au or to Landgate, PO Box 2222, Midland WA 6936.
1. Why can’t I find a name in the GEONOMA Database?
Sometimes the official form of the name can be slightly different, so a wildcard search should be conducted. Eg: a search for Mill Brook will not find Millbrook (spaces are valid characters). However, simply searching for Mill* would find the desired entry, and then extraneous entries could be eliminated by then refining the search. Also searching on *Mill will provide results not commencing with Mill. Eg: Deanmill
If the name for which you are searching is historical it will not be found. Names that are no longer in use are stored in GEONOMA but are not considered as current approved names. If you require the historical name of a road or feature please contact The Secretary.
An historical name is considered to apply where the relevant feature no longer exists or the name has changed in the course of time to be different to the currently approved name.
2. I think I have found an error in the GEONOMA Database. How do I report it?
Send the information indicating precisely what you believe is the “error”. Your advice will be investigated and we will advise you accordingly of the outcome. Please contact the The Secretary.
3. How can I name an unnamed natural feature or road?
The Geographic Names Committee is responsible for standardizing geographic names throughout Western Australia. There are policies governing issues, such as commemorative naming, derogatory names, road names and names in remote areas, but generally the most important policy is local use and acceptance. Please note that no road or natural feature may be named after a living person. A potential honouree must have been deceased, and must have had a direct and long-term association with the feature or must have made notable civic contributions. Upon receipt of a proposal, we shall ask all interested parties to comment. The Geographic Names Committee never makes a decision without a recommendation from the local government, and all appropriate land management agencies.
There are two methods to submit a proposal for a new name. By submitting a letter with the required information to The Secretary or by completing the on-line version found at our website for road names and feature names. Please read the Principles, Policies, and Procedures (PDF - 428 kb) before submitting a proposal. For more information contact The Secretary.
4. How can I propose to change the name of a natural feature?
You can propose to change the name of a feature, but there must be a compelling reason. Geographic names are usually well established on maps, other documents, and on signs. The product showing the name will not be reprinted, revised, or re-issued simply to show a name change, as this is too costly. Although any approved name change will be reflected immediately in the GEONOMA Database, maps, other documents, and signs will only be changed during the normal maintenance cycle.
The Geographic Names Committee is responsible for standardizing geographic names throughout Western Australia, and discourages name changes unless necessary. Further, changing a name merely to correct or re-establish historical usage is not in itself a reason to change a name. This is because names evolve, and even through cartographic recording errors, these evolved names become the name, and become enshrined in the local toponymic language.
There are some policies governing issues on naming features but generally the most important policy is local use and acceptance. Upon receipt of a proposal the Committee will ask all interested parties to comment. No decision will be made without a recommendation from the local government and all appropriate land management agencies.
There are two methods to submit a proposal for a new name. By submitting a letter with the required information to The Secretary or by completing the on-line version found at our website. Please read the Principles, Policies, and Procedures (PDF - 428 kb) before submitting a proposal. For more information contact The Secretary.
5. Can I add new entries for manmade and administrative features, such as churches, cemeteries, schools, shopping centres, etc.?
Yes, for names that are not natural features, simply submit to us at this website the official name of the feature, its precise location, and a bibliographic reference, that is, a reference to a written source such as a map, pamphlet, other document, Web site, sign, etc. on which the name is published. Upon verification, the name will be entered into the GEONOMA Database. For more information contact The Secretary.
6. Why are some manmade and natural features not listed?
We strive to be as complete as possible, but this is not always the case. The GEONOMA Database compilation program is on-going with staff constantly collecting and recording names. We cannot guarantee that every name is recorded due to the volume and quality of data. Therefore, while we endeavour to maintain a complete nomenclature record there will always be those that escape detection. To submit a feature name see FAQ #3, or if you think you have found an error see FAQ #2. For more information contact The Secretary.
7. What datum applies to the geographic coordinates in the GEONOMA Database?
The coordinates for every entry in the database is GDA94. For more information contact The Secretary.
8. Do you have data I can download?
The Western Australian digital gazetteer will be available soon. In the meantime you may access the National Gazetteer. For more information contact The Secretary.
9. Can I obtain driving directions to a feature recorded as an entry in the GNIS database?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide driving directions or any locative information other than that which is provided in the GEONOMA listing (locality, local government, map, latitude/longitude and grid references). For that type of information, we can only suggest contacting agencies external to the Landgate. For more information contact The Secretary.
10. Why are there only a few entries for caves in the GEONOMA Database?
There are entries for these categories in the database, but they are generally not available at the public Website.
Due to the sensitivity of releasing information on cave locations the access to GEONOMA for this detail is restricted to maintenance staff. A karst index is maintained on all known caves in Australia by the Australian Speleological Federation. For more information contact The Secretary.
11. Is there a compact disc (CD) product available for the GEONOMA Database?
GEONOMA downloads onto CD can be requested for textual data. Submit your request by email (Geodata@landgate.wa.gov.au), or phone 08 9273 0745 or fax 08 9273 7655.
12. How accurate is the elevation data in the GEONOMA Database? How was it measured?
The elevation data in GEONOMA is not official.
Only the geographic name and locative attributes are official. All other attribute data are for enhancement only.
In recording elevation data, if the elevation of a feature was actually published on the topographic map, it meant that the elevation data represented an actual, precisely surveyed point, and there was often a benchmark or triangle at the location on the map, and also for these there is actually a benchmark seal physically located and anchored into the ground at the site.
If there was no surveyed point, then for use in GEONOMA, the elevation was determined by interpolation of contour lines. These lines are the brown lines on topographic maps that are drawn to connect points of equal elevation thereby providing a general schematic of landforms or the "lay of the land."
The elevation for features classified as summit (all uplifted features), is recorded at the highest point. For more information contact The Secretary.
13. What is the difference between mountain/hill/peak; lake/pond; or river/creek?
There are no official definitions for generic terms as applied to geographic names. Every organization will have a definition that is application driven, and no one office definition is accepted as official. The difference is thematic and beyond that it is highly perceptive.
The difference between lake and pond is an example. The United States Geological Surveys (USGS) Geographic Names Office, in developing the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) database, has define lake as “natural body of inland water,” and not necessarily applicable to another’s needs. The only area of general agreement is that perceptibly, a pond is smaller than a lake, but even this is not always true.
The USGS classify all “linear flowing bodies of water” as stream, a rather neutral term for our use. Many perceptibly insist that a creek must flow into a river but there are many examples where a river flows into a creek.
Many controversies exist with mountain/hill. A mountain is generally a natural elevation of the earth's surface rising more or less abruptly from the surrounding level, and attaining an altitude which, relative to adjacent elevations, is impressive or notable. In general the elevation of a mountain is more than 300 metres from foot to summit, but this distinction is arbitrary. For reasons of euphony and local usage "Mount" is usually used when the generic term precedes the specific term and "Mountain" when it succeeds it. A hill is a small portion of the earth's surface elevated above its surroundings, of lower altitude than a mountain. Generally its altitude is less than 300 metres above the surrounding country but this can change in areas of low relief. For more information contact The Secretary.
14. I have heard that the use of the apostrophe “s”, such as St George’s Terrace (St Georges Terrace in the database) to show possession is not allowed in geographic names. Why?
The Geographic Names Committee (GNC) of Western Australia has since its inception discouraged the use of the possessive form, which includes the apostrophe and the s. The possessive form using an s is allowed, but the apostrophe is removed.
The reason is simply that the GNC does not want to show possession for natural features because “ownership of a feature is not in and of itself a reason to name a feature or change its name.
The possessive form should be avoided wherever possible without destroying the euphony of the name or changing the descriptive application. For more information contact The Secretary.
15. Does the GEONOMA Database contain entries for geographic features that are historical?
Yes, Geographic Names Committee of Western Australia actively seeks names of features that no longer exist. There are many such entries in the GEONOMA database now but they are not accessible over the web. If you wish to search for historical names please contact The Secretary.
We also are very proactive in searching for and capturing information regarding historical names for features that still exist. We term these variant names. They are associated with each entry and official name. Although each geographic feature can have only one official name, the entry for that name may list numerous variant names. For more information contact The Secretary.
16. What does the classification “historical” mean?
The term can often be misleading because here it means specifically that the feature no longer exists rather than diminished use of the feature or use of the name. So, a ghost town is not historical, only abandoned, etc. Historical features mostly refer to man-made features, but can be natural such as shoals, etc. For more information contact The Secretary.
17. What is a variant name?
A variant is any other name by which a feature is or was known. Such names can be historical or no longer used, or can be in use, but less widespread. There is only one official name for public usage for any feature. For more information contact The Secretary.
18. How are Australian topographic maps named?
Topographic maps published in Australia are named by the regional mapping centre responsible for the production or revision of maps within the State assigned to their region. The name selected should identify the area mapped, so the most well known and centrally located feature on the map is chosen.
The name assigned to the map may also be scale dependent, that is, the smaller the scale, the larger the area shown, and therefore, the more potentially named features available to satisfy the procedure for selecting the name. Generally, the map is named for the most centrally located, and well-known or largest community shown and named on the map. Even though centrality is important, the community for which the map is named may not be centrally located because the largest, most well known community may not be centrally located. Also, it is important that the community be, to the extent possible, wholly located within the map.
If there are no communities on the map or they are very rural, small, and scattered, the map can be named for the most, prominent and centrally located well-known physical or natural feature such as a mountain or some similar feature. As with communities, the feature should be wholly located on the map. Naming maps for linear features such as streams is avoided unless absolutely necessary because they usually pass through maps or meander on and off the maps.
Occasionally, a map area is so devoid of named topography that a directional might be used, as in adding NW or SE to the name of an adjacent map, or even using the map name from a smaller scale series and applying the directional term. For more information contact The Secretary.
19. I need to know the extents of regions in Western Australia. For example, the Pilbara, Kimberley, South West etc?
There are no official designations for regions that are consistent with all levels of government. The Geographic Names Committee of Western Australia which is responsible for standardizing geographic name usage throughout the state is often asked for official names and boundaries of regions. However, they vary between department or agency. Regions are application driven and highly susceptible to perception. Sometimes, people might agree on the core of a region, but agreement deteriorates rapidly outward from that core. The criteria or application would have to be defined, such as physiographic; political; cultural; and other applications. Generally, geographers use four (4) generic requirements for a region to be formed: area, boundary (or transition zone), at least one factor of homogeneity or sameness, and a process to drive the region or to keep it functioning as a region. One can be sure that if anyone or any organization announces standards for regions, it is only their own based upon their own needs or application. For more information contact The Secretary.
20. Are there Postcodes in the GEONOMA Database?
Postcodes are official codes developed and managed by Australia Post solely for the purpose of delivering mail. Often the postcode represents a community defining the extent of services and interests within that community. Also to understand is that there may be numerous communities within a postcode area in rural areas, and many postcode areas for one community in urban areas.
The postcode area is named after the most prominent community or feature in the area. Although the postcode number is assigned by Australia Post the Geographical Names Committee of Western Australia manages the names and boundaries. Postcodes are recorded in GEONOMA for geographical names and are available graphically by contacting Landgate’s sales staff (http://www.Landgate.wa.gov.au/corporate.nsf/web/Contact+Us#Map). For more information contact The Secretary.
21. How often is the GEONOMA Database updated?
The GEONOMA database is maintained continuously, and the information is updated to the Website weekly. For more information contact The Secretary.
22. What is the accepted abbreviation of SAINT for roads and feature names.
The practice of the Geographic Names Committee and most other Committee's in Australia is St, not Saint. Almost all maps show St and not Saint, although it could be argued this is only for economy of space on the map face. Almost all street signs have the St form, and whilst the space argument is again valid, this has the effect of informing the public that this is the accepted form of the name. Also, it is usual for the public to use the simplest form of a name on letters etc, and thus the St form is more likely to be used in almost every instance.