Road naming

Street sign reading 'Trawalla 6' and 'Trawalla Waterloo Road'

New roads need road names and sometimes old roads need to be renamed. Geographic Names Victoria oversees the naming of roads and places in Victoria following the naming rules.

The naming rules are based on national standards and policies. They provide a strong basis for standardised and clear naming procedures across the state.

Proposed road naming

Mabel Court

Council has proposed naming an as-yet unnamed road off Hill and Callister Streets as Mabel Court.

The proposed name commemorates Mabel Thomas (1870–1956), an Australian community leader and philanthropist born in Beaufort, Victoria. Educated at Queen’s College, Ballarat, she was the granddaughter of Dr James McNab Johnston and became widely recognised for her extensive charitable work in Melbourne.

Thomas served as Senior Vice-President of the Austin Hospital and was a Life Governor of both the Austin and Williamstown Hospitals. During World War I, she worked with the Red Cross in Williamstown and at the Pioneer Depot in Flinders Lane. She was also involved with the Australian Women’s National League and actively supported community initiatives, including free kindergartens in St Kilda and Balaclava.

A committed advocate for charitable causes, Thomas combined leadership with active community engagement throughout her life. Her personal interests included music, needlework and bridge. She passed away in Glen Iris, Melbourne, in 1956, leaving a lasting legacy of civic service and philanthropic commitment.

The proposed use of a female commemorative name aligns with the Victorian Government’s Gender Equality Strategy, which sets a target that 70 per cent of new commemorative place names honour women, consistent with Principle G of the Naming Rules for Places in Victoria (2022).

Map of Beaufort town with lots outlined in green and a street market in yellow

 

Suggestions

Do you have a suggestion for a road name in the Pyrenees? Please complete the Road Naming Proposal Application Form and send to pyrenees@pyrenees.vic.gov.au along with any associated documentation.

Road Naming Proposal Application Form(PDF, 125KB)

Please contact Council to request a hardcopy of the form.

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