Developers can choose from Horsham Rural City Council's list of approved names when naming a new street in the city. There are 63 names on the list.

The naming or re-naming of all streets, roads and places in the municipality has to be approved by the council.

"If you wish to add a new name to the street naming list, you must submit an application to council for approval with substantiating information to support the request," council's website says.

Horsham Historical Society president Sue Smith said the society wanted the council to encourage more developers to use historical street names.

"The council has also started putting a description on street signs explaining where the name came from," she said.

LATE Horsham resident E. Vivian Reynolds researched the history of Horsham's streets for the Horsham Historical Society. Her findings were explored in the book Naming Horsham Streets 1849-1998.

Mrs Reynolds died in 1999 and the book was published posthumously in 2003.

HORSHAM'S main street was one of ten thoroughfares named on the city's first survey in 1849.

The street was named after the English-born William Firebrace who was a Major in the British Army. William arrived in Australia in 1841 and was a pioneer squatter on Melbourne's Maribyrnong River.

From 1845 to 1853 he held the Vectis pastoral run with his brother Robert Firebrace. Robert was a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Vectis was taken over by Alexander Wilson in March 1860. It was an incident that would prompt Horsham's first court case on October 20, 1847.

McLACHLAN Street was named after accountant Archibald McLachlan. His father, Captain Donald McLachlan, was a director of Van Dieman's Land Bank in Hobart.

Although various spellings of McLachlan's surname have been found, a 1849 survey of early Horsham rate books use the spelling "McLachlan".

McLachlan held Brighton station between 1843 and 1862, Ballarat station from 1847 to 1852, Rich Avon station from 1853 to 1860, and Nentingbull or Smythes Creek from 1852 to 1855.

In 1845 McLachlan almost bought 10 acres of land for £190. The land is where the Melbourne Botanic Gardens and Government House now stand.

HAMILTON Street was one of Horsham's first streets and was named after Robert Hamilton.

In 1838 Hamilton, alongside his brother and sister, left Scotland for Hobart on board the Renown. He later travelled to the Port Phillip settlement in Victoria.

He spent time working on pastoral runs while looking for his own. In 1846 Hamilton took up the 96,000 acre Poklemmet run. The following year Thomas Baillie joined the operation.

Hamilton and Baillie married sisters Margaret and Elizabeth Ballingall.

Poklemmetrun was subdivided in 1848 - Hamilton took on Wyn Wyn and Baillie took Poklemmet. Hamilton had Wyn Wyn until 1855 when it was taken over by William Firebrace.

ROBERTS Avenue was renamed from Splatt Street in 1902. The renamed street was in honour of Field Marshal Lord Frederick Roberts, who had led the campaign in South Africa during the Second Boer War.

There is a plaque on the side of the old Wimmera Shire building commemorating the change. An avenue of elm trees was also planted along the street after the name change.

PYNSENT Street was one of the first 10 streets gazetted in Horsham and was named after Charles Pitt Pynsent.

Pynsent came to Australia to work with his brother-in-law William Francis Splatt. The pair occupied Wonwondah station from 1846 to 1854. They also held Lexington, La Rose and Mokepilly stations.

WILSON Street was named in 1850. It is assumed the street was named after brother Charles, Alexander and John Wilson who were the earliest members of the Wilson family to take up pastoral runs in the Horsham region.

Their father is believed to have given his sons £1000 each on their departure for Australia.

Charles walked from Sydney to Melbourne, where he worked as a squatter for 12 months. By 1844 all three brothers had arrived in the district and had stations at Walmer, Polkemmet, Kewell and Muckbily.

DARLOT Street was named after James Darot who arrived in Australia from England in 1834 where he was involved in pastoral pursuits.

In 1837, Darlot left New South Wales for Portland Bay with 500 cattle.

It is said that Darlot was so impressed by the western Victorian countryside that he took up land at Charlotte Plains on the Loddon. However, due to sheep losses this ended in 1840.

In 1842, the government refused to acknowledge Darlot's possession of a station south of the Yarra River in Melbourne which had been taken up in partnership with Archibald McLachlan.

Darlot left for the Wimmera and occupied land, which he named Brighton, with McLachlan.

Darlot convinced George Langlands to come to the Wimmera and establish a post office and general store. Darlot later became a Justice of the Peace.

URQUHART Street was one of the first streets named in Horsham and honoured George Urquhart. Urquhart arrived in Australia in 1837 as superintendent for James Atkinson of Parramatta.

He later bought a share in Atkinson's Special Survey in Port Fairy.

Other pastoral leases held by Urquhart included Mt Emu (Melbourne district), Mona Vale (Moonee Ponds), Ballarook (Kaniva) and Maryvale (Goroke).

An extract from The Horsham Times described Urquhart as 'the king of Victoria' in regards to his large holdings of pastoral land.

Urquhart was a Member of the Legislative Council for North Western Province from 1856 to 1860.

BAILLIE Street was named after Thomas Baillie who arrived in Victoria in 1838 with his brother James.

The pair trekked from Geelong northwards to take up Carngham station. It was sold in 1843 after a bad season.

Baillie took on the Wimmera's Polkemmet station in 1846 with cousin Robert Hamilton.

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