Place names

Conversations are continuing with the Permanent Committee on Place Names (now known as the Australia and New Zealand Working Group on Place Names, WGPN) to establish protocols for reviewing existing materials in the public databases and adding new information. A pilot project in Central Queensland has been proposed to calculate the amount of work required to; review the names currently listed in the national database, identify traditional names from community sources and approve names for inclusion in the government database where appropriate.

At the same time, the ABC has committed to continue the This Place series and will collaborate with communities where there is interest in sharing place stories and videos. There are currently 70 films in the This Place collection available at https://gambay.com.au/placenames.
If you would like to share place stories in your region, please contact us.

Where communities have already undertaken or are working on place names across their region, our place names page on Gambay links directly to local sources.

For example, if you look at lutruwita (Tasmania), you will be linked directly to pulingina lutruwita – the online interactive map on the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre’s website. pulingina to lutruwita highlights over 200 original names for places in lutruwita, allowing you to scroll over each name to hear it said and to open the link to learn some history of the name.

Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre – pulingina to lutruwita Place Names Map (tacinc.com.au)