What’s in a name? Why street names can spell disaster

Juliet lamented that: “A rose by any other name wouldn’t smell as sweet”. However, if you live on Sewage Street, the pong of a name may permeate through the whole neighbourhood.

It’s not an easy task to find out how many streets there are in Sydney (due to evolution of suburbs and redevelopment), but it’s estimated there are over 9,000 streets. Now, the fair majority are ordinary, run-of-the mill names. But every so often (and I’m sure every suburb has at least ONE odd sounding street name) you’ll stumble across one that’s very unique.

Now, if it gives you a chuckle, say like Butt Place in WA, it can be amusing and a bit of a talking point. But, when you’re trying to sell a house on Bogan Place (in Ku-ring-gai) then it can be detrimental.

On the flip side, though, an unusual street (or suburb name) can be a marketing boom! If a street name helps your property stand out (in a good way) among the plethora of properties on the market, then that’s a good thing, right? Take for instance a property that recently sold prior to auction in Sydney’s Surry Hills. The house, on Batman Lane, probably didn’t fetch more because of the superhero status, but the real estate agent did agree the property did get more attention – and the new owners can now enjoy full bragging rights!

A friend of mine grew up on Bongalong Street in the quiet lower north shore suburb of Naremburn. As you can imagine, her street name was often ridiculed.  It also attracted a lot of unwarranted attention, especially from young males who would pose at the street sign at odd hours of the day. These ‘dudes’ thought it was hilarious, but it became a nuisance – especially since many street signs mysteriously disappeared over the years!

There have been cases where residents have petitioned their local council to have a street name changed, but these pleas usually don’t get anywhere. According to Des Mooney of Land and Property Information, which oversees the NSW Geographical Names Board, established street names rarely get changed.

At the end of the day, buying a property involves many factors; price, location, suitability etc. Street names are probably down further in the list of priorities. But, if you really can’t see yourself living on Gross Avenue (and spelling out your street names to banks, for online shopping and the local school – repeatedly) then maybe you shouldn’t move there!

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