Section F. 



HEPORTS OF RESEARCH COMMITTEES. 



(a) SPELLING OF AUSTRALIAN PLACE-NAMES. 

 (See Vol. XIII., p. Iviii). 



The following Report on the subject was kindly furnished by 

 the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, under date 29th June,. 

 1911: — 



COPY OF REPORTS. 

 G.4437/11. 



Sydney. 



Except when an office is opened at a railway station (when the 

 name of the railway station is always adopted), the State Lands 

 Department, in accordance with instructions, is always referred to 

 by this office before the name (including the correct spelling 

 thereof) proposed for a new office is decided upon. 



As regards the question whether there are any differences in 

 the spelling of Australian names by this and other Commonwealth 

 and State Departments, the Lands Department was, however, 

 referred to in the matter, in order to ascertain the desired informa- 

 tion, and the following reply has been received, viz. : — 



" Referring to your letter, inquiring as to the practice 

 adopted in New South Wales regarding the spelling of Aus- 

 tralian names for post offices, I have the honour to inform 

 you that the practice in New South Wales regarding the 

 spelling of Australian and other names for post offices now is 

 to adopt the spelling shown upon the maps, and by the records 

 of this Department, if such a name exists thereon, but if the 

 name suggested does not so exist, but has not been used before 

 within the Commonwealth, it is considered eligible, and the 

 proposed spelling is adopted. 



All names proposed for postal offices, railway stations, &c., 

 in this State are now, by arrangement, submitted for approval 

 by this Department, but owing to no such control obtaining 

 until the present arrangement was brought into operation,, 

 many differences, unfortunately, do occur in the spelling of 

 place names by the different Departments." 



I enclose a schedule showing the spelling in use by various 

 Departments and public bodies of certain place names. It cannot 

 be stated definitely, at this distant date, what were the reasons 

 for adopting the present spelling of the names referred to. As, 



