The naming of geographical places in South Australia is regulated by the Geographical Names Act 1991. Under the Act, interested people can make submissions on proposed name changes.
Geographic places include:
- places or buildings that may be of historical interest.
For more information on naming policy see Geographical names guidelines.
More information on Place names is given below
Place Names Online was a simple search tool for obtaining information from the State Gazetteer. This has now been replaced by a function within the South Australian Property and Planning Atlas (SAPPA).
Place names information from the State Gazetteer and boundaries of suburbs and rural localities can be located using maps and reports in SAPPA.
To access State Gazetteer information from SAPPA follow these steps:
- open South Australian Property and Planning Atlas
- click X in the top right hand corner of the ‘Getting started with SA Property & Planning Atlas pop-up
- select the ‘Layers’ button located near the top left corner of your screen
- from the list of layer groups click on ‘Place names’ then check the box next to ‘Place names (Gazetteer)' to display the place names layer in the map
- to locate a place name on the map, select the ‘Find’ button located near the top left corner of your screen
- from the ‘Find’ menu click on ‘Place Names’ and enter ‘Place name’ or ‘Place name code’, then click the ‘View results’ button. The map will zoom to the location of the Place Name.
- to print a placename report (PDF or HTML), select a row from the ‘Place names’ report table at the bottom of your screen then click the ‘Print’ icon above the table
- from the ‘Print placename report’ pop-up select your desired output (PDF or HTML) and map scale, then click the ‘Print’ button in the pop-up.
For more information contact the Office of the Surveyor-General (OSG)
The State Gazetteer is a database of place names in South Australia. It records any place name that is or has been, used in South Australia. The gazetteer provides an accurate and definitive list of place names for:
- mapping purposes
- emergency services
- general enquiries.
Road names are not recorded in the State Gazetteer.
Each place name is associated with up to 38 fields of information relating to:
- feature type
- cross-reference to current, previous and alternative names.
Download the State Gazetteer
The State Gazetteer is free to download. The data is licensed under Creative Commons 3.0 licence in accordance with the AusGOAL framework. You should familiarise yourself with the license conditions before downloading.
The suburbs list is an updated list of South Australia's official suburbs and rural localities. If the name is not on this list then it's not official and shouldn't be used - eg Blackwood Park is officially Craigburn Farm so Blackwood Park should not be used. Blackwood Park is an estate name only and not an official address
Contact the Office of the Surveyor-General (OSG) if you:
- need more information about Place Names
- have information to add to the State Gazetteer
- have suggestions for improvements.
All proposals must comply with the Geographical names guidelines. If a proposal doesn't meet the guidelines it is unlikely to be successful. These guidelines cover proposals to:
- assign a name to a place
- alter an existing name
- assign or alter suburb and locality names or boundaries.
Submissions other than for suburbs or localities should be in writing to the Surveyor-General and lodged with the Geographical Names Unit.
Proposals to assign a new suburb or locality name or alter an existing suburb or locality name or boundary should be discussed with the local council or local authority if not within a council area. It is preferred the council or authority submit the proposal on behalf of the proposer, together with its comments, to the Surveyor-General.
A new proposal should include:
- the name, address, contact number and email address (if available) of the person making the submission
- a detailed justification for the proposal
- a map or plan showing the location and extent of the proposal
- an indication of the level of community support for the proposal and how this was determined - eg community meeting or petition
- the views of the council (or local authority if not in a council area)
- any comments from affected individuals, agencies or interest groups.
The Surveyor-General is responsible for investigating naming proposals and makes recommendations to the minister.
Written submissions relating to a current naming proposal are welcome from anyone around the world.
A submission must include:
- the name and address of the person making the submission
- details of your support or opposition to the proposal
- any counter proposal relating to the situation
- any general comments.
Postal Address: GPO Box 1354, Adelaide SA 5001
Current and past naming proposals
To view current naming proposals and past naming proposals, click here