Help name a park in Kingston | Naming our places

Project Status: Closed

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the proposal to name an open space in Kingston ‘Alf Stafford Park’ in honour of a remarkable Kingston local.

The proposal received overwhelming support from the community, as shown in the Listening Report. As such, the ACT Place Names Advisory Committee recommended the park be named Alf Stafford Park.

Its recommendation was supported by the Minister for Planning and Land Management, Mick Gentleman MLA, and an instrument naming the park has been notified in the ACT Legislation Register.

After presentation in the ACT Legislative Assembly the instrument can be subject to a motion to amend or disallow for a period of six sitting days. Once six sitting days pass without a motion to amend or disallow, the ACT Government will commission a new sign for the park to explain the origin and significance of the name.

Image of Mr Alfred Stafford next to a car — Alf Stafford, former prime minister Robert Menzies’ driver, with Commonwealth 1 – a 1941 Cadillac.

AIATSIS COLLECTION, COURTESY MICHELLE FLYNN.

About Alf Stafford

Mr Alfred George Stafford MBE (1906–1996) was a Gamilaroi and Darug man who ran a business in the Kingston area and was a local resident and sportsman. He drove for several Federal ministers, including Prime Minister Robert Menzies. In 1950 he was appointed as Menzies’ official driver and subsequently joined the Parliament House staff as a ministerial attendant.

Mr Stafford was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1972 for his dedicated services to several prime ministers. You can read more about Mr Stafford’s life in the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

How you provided feedback

ACT Place Names sought input from the community about the proposal to name the park ‘Alf Stafford Park’. Feedback was collected through an online survey and via email to the Place Names team at placenames@act.gov.au.

Public consultation for the park name closed on 1 December 2022. The Listening Report shows the findings of community engagement.

Location of the park

The open space faces Lake Burley Griffin from the northern side of Trevillian Quay on the Kingston Foreshore (the northern part of Block 18 Section 62 Kingston). More images of the site can be found in the Image Gallery on this page.

Yellow shading indicates proposed park area of part Block 18 Section 62 Kingston

The instrument for Alf Stafford Park has been approved and notified. The determination is available on the ACT Legislation Register at the following link:

DI2023-82 Alf Stafford Park, Kingston

Document Library

Listening Report - Campbell, Kingston & Spence
PDF (589.33 KB)

Image Gallery

Click on an image to see the site of the proposed park in Kingston.

Kingston - Trevillian Quay - looking west

Kingston - Trevillian Quay - western end

Part Block 18 - Section 62 - Kingston. Looking East.

Location of site proposed to be named Alf Stafford Park

Location of site proposed to be named Alf Stafford Park [A]

Research a place name

Use the ACTmapi place name tool to learn about the origin and significance of ACT place names.

Contact Us

Have questions or want to learn more about a project? Contact us on the channels below:

Name	Access Canberra
Phone	13 22 81
Email	placenames@act.gov.au
Website	www.planning.act.gov.au/tools_resources/place_names

Frequently asked questions

The northern portion of open space on Block 18 Section 62 Kingston is currently un-named. Naming the open space is an opportunity to commemorate Mr Alfred Stafford MBE and recognise his contribution to the community.

Place names also make it easier for people—and emergency services—to find their way to and around the area.

Kingston’s suburb theme is 'Explorers, local pioneers and Australian flora'. The Public Place Names (Naming of Public Places) Guidelines 2021 states that "in relation to urban open spaces, the names of people who had a long association with the place … should be considered as relevant".

Mr Stafford moved to Canberra in 1930, where he was initially employed at J.B. Young’s Kingston department store. While working there, he opened ‘Alf Stafford’s Billiard Saloon’ in Kingston. A talented cricketer, during the 1930s he played for the Kingston and Manuka district club teams.

He captained the Kingston team and Federal Capital Territory Cricket Association representative team matches. The Alfred ‘Alf’ George Stafford collection is held by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in Canberra.

He drove for several prime ministers including Prime Minister Robert Menzies. In 1950 he was appointed as Menzies’ official driver and subsequently joined the Parliament House staff as a ministerial attendant.