The Committee
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Although places were named by explorers and recorded by Government since the commencement of European exploration of Australia, the Northern Territory did not have an Act or Ordinance of Parliament until 1945 when the Nomenclature (Public Places) Ordinance was enacted. A brief explanation of Legislative changes since 1945 can be found here.
The Place Names Committee for the Northern Territory is established under section 5 of the Place Names Act, to make recommendations to the Minister for Planning and Lands for the naming of a place (place name) within the Territory.
Research and administrative support for the Committee is provided by the Place Names Unit, Office of Surveyor-General, within the Department of Planning and Infrastructure.
Current Committee Members
The Committee consists of 4 members. Two members are directly appointed by the Minister with one appointed as the Chairman. A third member is appointed by the Minister from three persons nominated by the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory. The Surveyor-General is the fourth member of the Committee.
Members of the current Committee, whose term concludes on 18th August 2011, are
| Position | Name | Representation |
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Dr Mickey Dewar | |
| Acting Chairman | Mr Garry West | Member (ex-officio as Surveyor-General) |
| Member | Mrs Toni Tapp Coutts | |
| Member | Alderman Allan Mitchell | Representative of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory |
The Committee meets 5 or 6 times each year.
The Department of Planning and Infrastructure provides administrative support to the Committee through the Place Names Unit .
