Naming of Poowong Roads
South Gippsland Shire Council has received a request to name of two new roads to be created as part of the approved plans for Planning Permit - 2021/321 for 14 Brisbane Street, Poowong, near the corner of Ranceby Road and Gardners Lane, Poowong.
Council at its meeting held on the 21 May 2025 resolved to undertake community consultation on the following proposed name changes.
Road 1 – Proposed Name – Beckett Street
This name is to commemorate Daniel Beckett. Daniel Beckett was a resident of Poowong when Poowong was first surveyed in 1878. David Beckett was the first selector of original crown allotment for the land in question at 14 Brisbane Street, Poowong.
References:
Poowong The First 30 Years The story of its Early History, Published by Joseph White. (Page 140)
History of the Shire of Korumburra, Published by Joseph White. (Page 53)
Road 2 - Proposed Name – Horsley Street
This name is to commemorate the Horsley Family who ran the first Post Office in Poowong in 1883, particularly Susan Horsley who oversaw the Post Office until 1890. To this day, descendants of the Horsley family still have a connection with the Poowong township.
References:
Poowong The First 30 Years The story of its Early History, Published by Joseph White. (Page 56)
Naming Rule Considerations
The Naming Rules require Council to consider 13 principles. For the two naming proposals in this report, four principles are particularly relevant:
Principle C - Linking the name to place
Names should have a link to place to ensure the preservation of our cultural heritage. Naming authorities play an important role in recognising and promoting our cultural heritage, as do surveyors, developers and the general public in suggesting names.
Names that link the name to the place could relate to Traditional Owner culture and occupation of the land. Other examples include local flora and fauna, Australian war contributions, past exploration and settlement, local geography and geology, significant events, the cultural diversity of past and current inhabitants, or patterns of land usage and industrial/mineral/agricultural production.
Both naming proposals have a link to the settlement of the township of Poowong.
Principle D - Ensuring names are not duplicated
Proposed names must not duplicate another name within a locality, or the distances set by the rules, irrespective of Council boundaries.
Whilst there are no other roads named Beckett or Horsley within the Shire, there is a A’Beckett Street in Leongatha located 22kms away from the proposed site which is within the 30kms radius for rural or remote areas.
As part of the community consultation, Council will seek the views of the community if they feel A’Beckett and Beckett are too similar and should be considered duplicate names.
Principle G - Gender Equality
Gender equality in the naming of roads, features and localities is encouraged. When developing a naming proposal consideration should be given to gender equality.
The naming proposals commemorate both a female and male settler.
Principle I - Using commemorative names
Naming often commemorates an event, person or place. When considering a commemorative name, the following must be considered:
the person should be or have been held in strong regard by the community;
the person’s achievements;
the relevant history and association to the area; and
the significance of the family/person to the area/land. For example, a family that has been associated with an area for at least 25 years.
Both naming proposals have a connection to the township of Poowong, and its history is included in books related to the history of Poowong.
Consultation is open until 23 June 2025
We are now looking to our community to let us know if this name is suitable. Whether you support the proposal or not, please complete the survey below.
