11 November

VICNAMES is Victoria’s official place names database. It holds approximately 200,000 road names and 45,000 place names. This includes geographic features such as mountains, rivers, bounded localities such as suburbs and towns and physical infrastructure such as roads, reserves and schools.

VICNAMES is used to ensure that names are not duplicated, provide details on the location and extent on geographic features, localities and roads and to record or find historical information on place names. The place name information contained in VICNAMES is Victoria’s most authoritative and official source.

VICNAMES has recently had 2 new features added to make the service even more informative, with a third also in production. Additions include:

Gender information

You can now record gender information as it relates to names of people to be recorded in the system. Gender information will be recorded at the time names are registered and can be added to existing registered names as well.

This feature is available now and more names will be classified gradually.

Bespoke polygons

VICNAMES users can now request GNV to create bespoke polygons around specific geographical areas. This will help naming authorities ensure that names are not duplicated.

This new feature will allow GNV and local councils to create specific duplication polygons using different shapes so that different radii can be applied within the same locality.

Bespoke polygons will be of particular interest to growth area councils because the change allows users to draw a shape around a heavily developed or developing area. This can then be deemed metropolitan and have a 5km radius, while allowing the rest of the area to remain semi metropolitan or rural (15km or 30km radius).

For more information on the different radii refer to the naming rules.

Sound files

Sound files will soon be introduced to allow users to hear a name in the spoken language. This will assist with the pronunciation of place names. The new feature will initially focus on the Aboriginal language and the recordings will be spoken by Traditional Owners.

VICNAMES is open to everyone to discover and add historical information on place names, or submit details on geographic features, localities and roads.

All historical data should relate to an approved source of information and will be verified by a historical content administrator. For more information see contributing historical information.

Page last updated: 11/07/23