Place Names
This guide will help in researching the history of the naming of townsites, districts, localities, roads, streets, parks, reserves and other geographical features (also some plant names).
References To Place Names
- Gazetteer of place names in Australia (Master Names File) on microfiche (at the Battye Library enquiry desk).
- Lands and Surveys Department – Nomenclature Record Cards (microfiche).
- Geographic name approvals in Western Australia (919.41 GEO) 1985-2000. Published quarterly and containing official decisions on geographic names during the time specified on the cover.
- Nomenclature (Q919.41 NOM). A description of the work of the Geographic Names Section of Landgate. Includes definitions, some place and street names.
- Yarrow, Stephen City of light: the stories behind 265 place names in metropolitan Perth (994.11 YAR)
- Yarrow, Stephen Every name tells a story: the origin of major town names in Western Australia (994.1 YAR)
- Murray, Ian & Goodchild, Brian Araluen to Zanthus: a gazetteer of Perth Suburbs and Western Australian towns (Q919.41 MUR)
References to Street Names
- Perth
Yarrow, Stephen Every name tells a story: the origin of major town names in Western Australia (994.1 YAR) - Fremantle
Ewers, John The western gateway: a history of Fremantle (994.1 FRE) - Bassendean, Eden Hill & Ashfield
Carter, Jennie Bassendean: a social history, 1829-1979 (994.11 BAS) pp. 309-312. - Cockburn
Berson, Michael Cockburn: the making of a community (994.11 COC) pp. 207-223. - Nedlands
Williams, A. E. Nedlands: from campsite to city (994.11 NED) pp. 317-326.
These are some examples of sources for the metropolitan area. See local histories, catalogues and indexes for other street names and the Lands and Surveys Department Road Names Index (microfiche).
References To Indigenous Names
- Aboriginal names of places in Western Australia (PR 1001)
- Glauert, L. Provisional list of Aboriginal place names and their meanings in Early Days vol. IV, pt 2, pp. 83-86. (994.1 WES)
- Milne, Rod Ups and ings: Aboriginal place names of south western WA (Q910.3 MIL)
- Reed, A. W. Aboriginal place names and their meanings (449.15 REE)
References To Plant Names
- Abbott, Ian Aboriginal names for plant species in south western Australia (Q581.9941 ABB)
- Sharr, F. A. Western Australian plant names and their meanings: a glossary (581.9941 SHA)
Local Histories
Many local histories include nomenclature details for the district. References can be found in the online catalogue searching by place name.
In the Catalogues and Indexes
Nomenclature details about individual places may be found in our various catalogues and indexes.
Look in the General Index (Battye) - microfiche - for newspaper and serial articles indexed before 1984 under the headings
- Place name – Nomenclature
- Place name – Naming of
- Place name – Street names
- Aborigines – Place names
Search in the online catalogue under the subject heading Names Western Australia.
Department of Land Information (Landgate)
The Geographic Names Section of Landgate has an on-line database providing information on the naming of Western Australian country towns, metropolitan suburbs, metropolitan street names and river names.
Address: Department of Land Information
1 Midland Square
Morrison Road
Midland WA 6056
Telephone: (08) 9273 7373
Remember, if you require assistance, ask at the Battye Library Enquiry Desk.
Page last updated: Thursday 1 September 2011
