Have your say on new names for North Melbourne and Kensington laneways

North Melbourne and Kensington locals are being invited to help shape the identity of their neighbourhoods, with the City of Melbourne proposing new names for two currently unnamed laneways.

A laneway behind Abbotsford and Molesworth streets in North Melbourne, currently designated CL0405, may soon be officially named Anastasia Lane, while a new pedestrian walkway off Macaulay Rd in Kensington is proposed to be named Swift Walk.

The suggested names pay tribute to the area’s rich social and industrial heritage. Anastasia Lane honours Anastasia Leahy, the longest-serving resident of the former Melbourne Benevolent Asylum, which operated in North Melbourne from 1851 to 1911. The asylum served as a refuge for the poor, disabled and elderly. Anastasia lived at the institution for 54 of its 60 years before moving to Cheltenham when it closed.

Over in Kensington, Swift Walk nods to a piece of local sporting history. The Swift Manufacturing Co. operated on the site from 1936 to 1965, where it produced internationally exported one-piece tennis balls – a major innovation at the time and a contribution to Australia’s sporting legacy.

According to the council, formal naming is required to ensure properties can be correctly addressed, and to support emergency and other essential services.

Community members are encouraged to share their thoughts on the proposed names via the City of Melbourne’s Participate Melbourne portal.

Consultation on Swift Walk closes on Saturday, 22 June, while feedback on Anastasia Lane is open until Saturday, 6 July.

To make a submission, visit: participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au •