References for defining Australian locations, geospatial regions, and geographic place names

This dataset comprises a collection of references for defining locations, geospatial regions, and geographic place names in the region of Australia. The collection includes: online services, coordinating agencies, dataset descriptions (metadata), and publications.

Online services

Placename Search (Gazetteer of Australia)
- http://www.ga.gov.au/map/names/
- Enter an Australian place name, receive a list of matching localities. Select one, get a detailed map showing your location, together with a list of details. Interactive maps lead on to available topographic data.
- Master Names File
- Service at Geoscience Australia
Australian Antarctic Gazetteer
- http://aadc-db.aad.gov.au/pls/dataaccess/gaz_search
- Enter an Antarctic place name, get a list of matching names with details (latitude, longitude, locality image, etc.) and links to locality maps and related info.
- Service at Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AADC)
Topographic Map and Data Index
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/mapping/index/mapind.htm
- Click on a map to get details of various topographic map series
- Service at AUSLIG
As the Cocky Flies
- http://www.ga.gov.au/map/names/distance.jsp
- Calculate the direct distance between two Australian place names
- Great circle distance
- Service at Geoscience Australia
Find which catchment
- Enter a point location, receive a list of Australian "Drainage Divisions and Major River Basins" in which your location resides
- Optionally plot the location on a locality map
Australian Point Transformations
- http://www.environment.gov.au/psg/erin/data_mgmnt/tools/transform/transform.html
- transform map coordinates between various systems
- Geographical (latitude and longitude), AMG (Australian Map Grid), Albers, Lambert
- Service at Environment Australia
Australian Postcode Search
- http://www.auspost.com.au/
- search for postcodes and post office locations
- Service at Australia Post
Australian Public Lands and Protected Areas Query
- http://www.environment.gov.au/database/MAN100R.html
- Find where State Forests, Forest Reserves, National Parks, etc. are located
- Service at Environment Australia
Australian Topographic Mapsheet Lookup
- http://www.environment.gov.au/psg/erin/gis/mapsheet/contents.html
- Enter a map sheet name or number, get mapsheet details (geographic extents, other relevant mapsheets, locality map)
- Service at Environment Australia
Geographical Names Register of New South Wales (GNR)
- http://www.lic.gov.au/gnb/search.htm
Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA)
- http://www.environment.gov.au/psg/erin/land/monitoring/8191/ttrace/regions/ibra.html
- Select an IBRA region on the interactive map and find its name, code, description of the region, notes on the geology and vegetation types, notes on conservation planning and management, and other details
- Service at Environment Australia
- See IBRA documentation at ANCA
Land Search, Western Australia - Names and Places
- http://www.dola.wa.gov.au/lotl/names/
Nature Conservation Reserves Place Finder
- http://www.environment.gov.au/spatial/ncr/ncr_search.html
- Service at Environment Australia
Nomenclature Board of Tasmania
- http://www.delm.tas.gov.au/osg/nomenndx.html
Place Names in the Australian Capital Territory
- http://www.palm.act.gov.au/actlic/places/
Place Names in the Northern Territory
- http://www.lpe.nt.gov.au/place/
Place Names in Queensland
- http://www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/land/landservices/placenames/
Register of the National Estate Place Finder
- http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/register/easydatabase/database.html
- Service at Australian Heritage Commission
South Australian Gazetteer
- http://www.placenames.sa.gov.au/
SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica
- http://www.pnra.it/SCAR_GAZE
- Service at SCAR - Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
VICNAMES - Geographic Place Names Register of Victoria
- http://www.vicnames.vic.gov.au/

Coordinating agencies

Committee for Geographical Names in Australasia (CGNA)
- http://www.anzlic.org.au/icsm/cgna/
- Provides a coordinating role in Australasian place naming activities
Commonwealth Spatial Data Committee (CSDC)
- http://www.csdc.gov.au/
- CSDC addresses spatial data issues affecting the Commonwealth of Australia.
Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping (ICSM)
- http://www.anzlic.org.au/icsm/
- ICSM's core function is to coordinate and promote the development and maintenance of key national spatial data including geodetic, topographic, cadastral and geographical names.
Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC)
- http://www.anzlic.org.au/
- ANZLIC's mission is to provide leadership for effective management and use of land and geographic information to support economic growth, and the social and environmental interests of Australia and New Zealand.
- ANZLIC's vision is that Australia and New Zealand will have the land and geographic data infrastructure needed to support their economic growth, and their social and environmental interests, backed by national standards, guidelines, and policies on community access to that data.

Geospatial datasets

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) Boundaries
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta1.htm
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
Australian Land Tenure Data - 1:5 Million Scale
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta3.htm
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
Australian Maritime Boundaries (AMBIS)
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta40.htm
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
- See also Australian Maritime Boundaries
Australia Post Postcode Boundaries
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta4.htm
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
- Produced in conjunction with Australia Post
Australian Water Resources Commission Drainage Divisions and Basins
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta5.htm
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
Commonwealth Electoral Divisions
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta9.htm
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
- Produced in conjunction with the Australian Electoral Commission
Gazetteer of Australia
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta14.htm
- Custodian: respective State, Territory and Commonwealth governments
GEODATA COAST-100K Coastline and Borders
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta16.htm
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
IBRA - Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia
- IBRA dataset description
- http://www.environment.gov.au/bg/nrs/ibraimcr/ibra_95/index2.htm
- Custodian: National Reserve System (NRS) Environment Australia Biodiversity Group
IMCRA - Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia
- IMCRA dataset description
- http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/marine_protected/nrsmpa/main.html
- Custodian: National Reserve System (NRS) Environment Australia Biodiversity Group
- See also http://www.environment.gov.au/net/imcra.html
Master Names File
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta13.htm
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
National Public and Aboriginal Lands 1:250 000 Scale
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta26.htm
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
Register of the National Estate Database (RNEDB)
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta24.htm
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
- Produced in conjunction with the Australian Heritage Commission
Australian Surface Water Management Areas
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta000048.htm
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)
Topographic Map Sheet Names
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/meta/meta42.htm
- see also AUSLIG Free Data Download page
- Custodian: Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG)

Publications

Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC)
- The ASGC is the main Australia-wide area classification and coding scheme for use in classifying statistics by geographical areas.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) publication 1016.0
Limits of Oceans and Seas
- International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB) Special Publication 23
Geographic Extent Names (GEN) Register for Australia
- http://www.auslig.gov.au/asdi/genreg.htm
- Official names for Australian regions, together with their Minimum Bounding Rectangles (MBR)
- The GEN Register provides authority lists for the development of consistent metadata management applications
- These controlled vocabularies are for use with ANZMETA XML geospatial metadata documents

Other useful resources

Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS)
- AHS is part of the Royal Australian Navy and is responsible for providing Australia's national charting service.
- Index of Australian Navigation Charts
Aboriginal Languages of Australia - place names
- Australian aboriginal place names, wordlists, dictionaries
ICSM - Aboriginal place names - guidelines and policy
- Policy guidelines for the recording and use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Place Names
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
International Boundaries Research Unit (IBRU) at the University of Durham U.K.
UNGEGN - United Nations and Geographical Names Standardization Around the World
Geoscience Australia: Online Tools - such as distance calculations and online mapping

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If you have any suggestions for updates or additions to this collection, then please contact IndexGeo.

URL:http://www.indexgeo.com.au/data/region/
Last Modified: 30 October 2003