Language Planning and Placenaming in Australia

Abstract

Before colonisation Australia was fully named by its Indigenous population, but that complex network of naming was largely overlooked as Europeans introduced their own names for features and settlements. Each of Australia's states and territories now has a nomenclature authority, whose activities are coordinated through the Committee for Geographical Names in Australasia. Recently there has been a focus on increasing the number of placenames of Indigenous origin within the Introduced system through assigning Indigenous names to places hitherto lacking official names; using dual names; and replacing Introduced names regarded as offensive by members of Indigenous communities.