A NATIONAL PROJECT
under the auspices of
Initiated by
Australian Academy of the Humanities
In cooperation with
Working Group on Place Names
Understanding Australia
Through Its Placenames
National Database
Cultural & Historical Research
Public Access & Publications
Australia’s Placenames,
Documented and Preserved
Explore the stories, meanings, and history behind over 280,000 recorded placenames across Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Australian National Placenames Survey (ANPS) researches and documents the origin, meaning, and cultural significance of placenames across Australia.
It serves as the research foundation for a comprehensive and authoritative online dictionary of Australian placenames, covering both contemporary and historical usage.
Placenames reflect Australia’s history, languages, and identity. They provide insight into Indigenous heritage, patterns of settlement, and cultural change over time.
By studying placenames, ANPS helps preserve knowledge that forms part of Australia’s cultural history.
The Survey is intended to complement major national reference works such as the Australian National Dictionary and the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
Its role is to contribute to a broader understanding of Australia’s cultural and historical development through the study of placenames.
ANPS studies placenames associated with geographic features and inhabited localities across Australia and its territories (excluding the Australian Antarctic Territory).
The Survey also includes selected historical and cultural features such as:
- Railway stations
- Post offices
- Rural properties and homesteads
- Survey points such as trig stations
These are included to better understand the history and development of settlement in Australia.
Placenames documented nationwide
Research Network
Australia-wide
Collaborating with authorities, researchers, and communities
A National Research Initiative
ANPS works in collaboration with state and territory naming authorities, academic institutions, and volunteer researchers across Australia.
Its goal is to investigate the history and meaning behind placenames—both Indigenous and introduced—and make this information publicly accessible through a growing national database.
The project supports not only cultural preservation but also practical functions in government, communication, and mapping.
“Placenames are among the most enduring records of a nation’s history. Understanding them helps us understand who we are and where we come from.”
Research, Reports & Insights
ANPS Placenames Report No 1:
James Cook's toponyms: Placenames of eastern Australia, April-August 1770 (2014; 2017), by David Blair
ANPS Data Report No 1:
Norfolk Island [2016], by Joshua Nash
ANPS Occasional Paper No 1:
Trunketabella: 'pretty trinkets'? (December 2015), by Jeremy Steele