Yesterday I heard about the Avon River in Victoria, and Stratford very near it.
At that time I was driving over the Avon River near Gloucester NSW and heading toward? Stratford.
And we have another Avon River even a dam giving Sydney some of its water.
How many, how many pipe clay creeks?
How many stony creeks?
Hundreds it seems while we have not gone close to Americas naming streets by numbers we have not given names a lot of thought have we.

Belly you need some of the good stuff to brighten up your life man.

Blame it on the Pome’s Belly

“Stratford upon Avon” was the home of Dear old Bill Shakespeare

I have problems with the confronting images of Doncaster in Melbourne versus Doncaster in the North of England

Ringwood in Melbourne is nothing like Ringwood, near where I used to live in Hampshire, UK

One English thing is the practice of celebrating famous battles in street names.. “Crimea Street” and “Sebastopol Terrace” spring to mind and railway stations too “Waterloo” in London.

Another UK anomaly was the practice of calling close villages by their location, like “Swan Bottom” (Buckinghamshire) or “Lower Upham” (Hampshire)

The Americans have street names as well as numbered streets and another US practice is to give a street number on numbered country roads (CRs) based on the distance from the post office. Hence I used to live at 1590, CR570, somewhere in Texas.

I prefer fanciful names to regimented numbers for places and streets.

There is a value in street numbers too. I live at no. 545. I had to join a local bush fire brigade before I found out why the numbers in the street were not consequence. 545 is exactly that many metres from the nearest major junction.

The worst is naming and re-naming :( places after politicians and other public officials who have done very well out of the State anyhow.

Then there is the politically correct re-naming. What a load of old cobblers and a good way to get voters off-side for life.

I get around a bit, and I love Australian place names. On long trips I sometimes make a sport of how many "Sandy Creeks" we encounter.

The kids and I used to sing (badly) the old Lucky Starr classic:

"I've been everywhere, man,
I've been everywhere, man.
'Cross the deserts bare, man;
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been ev'rywhere.

Been to:
Tullamore, Seymour, Lismore, Mooloolaba,
Nambour, Maroochydore, Kilmore, Murwillumbah,
Birdsville, Emmaville, Wallaville, Cunnamulla,
Condamine, Strathpine, Proserpine, Ulladulla,
Darwin, Gin Gin, Deniliquin, Muckadilla,
Wallumbilla, Boggabilla, Kumbarilla,
I'm a killer.

I've been to Moree, Taree, Jerilderie, Bambaroo,
Toowoomba, Gunnedah, Caringbah, Woolloomooloo,
Dalveen, Tamborine, Engadine, Jindabyne,
Lithgow, Casino, Brigalow and Narromine,
Megalong, Wyong, Tuggerawong, Wangarella,
Morella, Augathella, Brindabella, I'm the feller.

I've been to Wollongong, Geelong, Kurrajong, Mullumbimby,
Mittagong, Molong, Grong Grong, Goondiwindi,
Yarra Yarra, Boroondara, Wallangarra, Turramurra,
Boggabri, Gundagai, Narrabri, Tibooburra,
Gulgong, Adelong, Billabong, Cabramatta,
Parramatta, Wangaratta, Coolangatta, what's it matter?

I've been to Ettalong, Dandenong, Woodenbong, Ballarat,
Canberra, Milperra, Unanderra, Captain's Flat,
Cloncurry, River Murray, Kurri Kurri, Girraween,
Terrigal, Fingal, Stockinbingal, Collaroy and Narrabeen,
Bendigo, Dorrigo, Bangalow, Indooroopilly,
Kirribilli, Yeerongpilly, Wollondilly, don't be silly. "

One reason I love it is the original lyrics include not only where we live now, but places where I lived as a kid and many other places I've visited in my travels - in fact I've been to most of them.

Of course, Johnny Cash put out an American version that wasn't half as good...