Place Names Pilot Project

Help celebrate local people, stories and places.

Camden Council is inviting schools and educators to partner in a special initiative that empowers students to nominate names for future places and roads across our growing region.

Place names help shape the identity of our suburbs - they honour individuals, reflect our diverse heritage, and preserve the stories which make the Camden area unique. They also ensure streets, parks and other locations can be clearly and safely identified.

As our district continues to grow, identifying new and suitable names is becoming increasingly challenging. To support this need, Camden Council and the NSW Geographical Names Board are piloting a program that engages students in researching local individuals and suggesting future place names.

What's involved?

Participating schools will receive resource packs to support teaching and engagement.
Schools can simply promote the initiative to students and their families or use this as an opportunity to enhance learning already part of the curriculum.
Students will submit their nominations via the Camden Council website.
Student nominations will help us build a local Word Bank of meaningful policy-compliant names to use in future naming projects.
Suggestions that celebrate local history, recognise First nations peoples, and reflect the diversity of our community are welcome. We’re particularly interested in people who made a positive difference in everyday ways — someone who coached a local sport, taught art, provided music lessons, grew things, or volunteered to make meals for the elderly and unwell.

Rewards for participation:

Outstanding student nominations will be recognised with awards 👏🎉

This page will be updated with supporting resources and other information as the project progresses. Thanks for helping us to shape how our places are known and recognised for generations to come.

Please complete the Expression of Interest Form below.

We’re inviting schools and educators to let us know if they are interested in taking part in this project.

Submitting an EOI does not commit you to participating — it simply helps us understand who would like more information. We will share further details based on the responses we receive.

Naming Places and Spaces

Project Contacts

Please reach out to the project team if you have questions:

Contact Information
Name	Charmaine Cooper \| Camden Council \| Team Leader Community & Stakeholder Engagement
Phone	13 22 63
Email	charmaine.cooper@camden.nsw.gov.au

Contact Information
Name	Lisa Powell \| Geographical Names Board \| Place Names Manager
Email	lisa.powell@customerservice.nsw.gov.au

Camden Council is proudly partnering with the NSW Government to deliver this pilot project.

The Geographical Names Board is the official body for naming and recording details of places and geographical names in the state. Learn more at Geographical Names Board | NSW Government.

Council follows a Place Naming Policy and Procedure to name sites. Upon submission, Council will review the name against the policy and GNB guidelines and follow the process (includes internal approvals, consultation with Heritage Advisory, Aboriginal land Council etc) and submit the name to GNB for approval.

SECONDARY

This initiative aligns with Stage 4 outcomes across Geography, English, History, and Civics & Citizenship.

Geography: Spatial pattern, place management

History: Historical significance, sequencing events

English: Text analysis, creative writing

Civics and Citizenship: Democratic participation, identity

Each outcome supports students in developing analytical, research, and communication skills through the lens of local place naming.

An assessment suggestion: Submit a nomination via the ‘Name a place’ campaign on Camden Council’s website.

Geography
Encourages exploration of spatial patterns, mapping tools, and understanding of place management and communication.
English
Develops critical and creative engagement with texts, using place names as inspiration for writing and analysis.
History
Focuses on historical significance, sequencing events, and evaluating actions of individuals and groups.
Civics & Citizenship
Examines naming practices as reflections of community identity and democratic participation.

Students will be provided with participation certificates and prizes will be offered to a name selected to be assigned to a site.

If schools are interested, we may provide guest speakers upon request.

Council is targeting April – June 2026 for the first pilot project.

Road names are decided by the authority responsible for the road – either local council or Transport for NSW. The Geographical Names Board sets the guidelines for road names in NSW.

Learn more at How road names are decided | NSW Government

The NSW Geographical Names Board does not approve names that honour living people. Such proposals frequently cause community division, which is why many naming boards worldwide avoid naming places after people who are still alive. A person must have passed away at least 12 months before they can be commemorated in this way.

If you want to honour a living person, consider naming a community facility after them, or dedicating a commemorative plaque.

Members of the public can research existing place names using the Place name search.

You can help update records if you have information about a feature's history, origin, meaning or pronunciation. Go to Place name search/search a place name/click on view info/add place name information.

The following paragraphs outline the process and requirements that adults follow. We will provide advice and resources for schools to simplify the process.

Before you choose a name, make sure you:

select a name that aligns with the GNB Place Naming policy, section 9.2 selection of names
check the name complies with the rules for language in section 6.1 of the Place Naming policy
find out if the place already has a name, using our Place name search
avoid using the names of any living persons
don't use an active commercial or business name.

Before you begin your proposal, make sure you've gathered the documents or files you need:

information about the origin of the name and any multicultural, Aboriginal, or other dimensions.
date of birth and death for people being commemorated, if known.
the name and contact details of any organisation associated with a person being commemorated
any other source of information about a person being commemorated.
evidence of endorsement by the Local Aboriginal Land Council and the local Aboriginal community for names using Aboriginal language, or other relevant authorities, if applicable.

Names that Tell a Story : Place Names Pilot Project for Camden Council

Help celebrate local people, stories and places.

Camden Council is inviting schools and educators to partner in a special initiative that empowers students to nominate names for future places and roads across our growing region.

What's involved?

Rewards for participation:

Please complete the Expression of Interest Form below.

Camden Council