Monday, Jan 20, 2020 at 16:27
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Warren,
The issue is not just "removal of apostrophes", it is removal of the possessive 's' together with the apostrophe. The absence of an apostrophe is of small consequence and does simplify signs and databases but removal of the 's' can completely change the essence of the name. i.e. 'Bulls Creek' became 'Bull Creek'. It is a both a creek and a township in South Australia.
In his book "What's in a Name", Rodney
Cockburn writes that this name "helps to keep green the name of
John Wrathall Bull, the author of some of the most interesting early recollections of South Australia." The current naming is more likely to be considered to be associated with a bovine animal. The history is lost. And there are many more examples.
The place name changes were not adopted Australia wide in concert. They are administered by the State Governments but the various States progressively followed NSW's lead in this matter. I think all States now adopt the procedure.
Your link takes us to the Permanent Committee on Place Names, a more recent (2009) group that endeavours to bring together all the various factions administering these names. They proceeded to add many more elements to simplify the lives of gazetteers, mappers and bureaucrats but at the cost of colour in our culture. Exception are made to the rule, but not many.
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