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La Trobe or LaTrobe or Latrobe?

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User:Cassowary has boldly moved this article to La Trobe River with a space, after no Discussion, and with a somewhat cryptic Edit summary. The move may be correct, but I would like to see a little more explanation. I grew up close to the Latrobe River, spelt that way on all the local signs. The name seems to have evolved over time, particularly in the minds of Melbourne based bureaucrats. Over a year ago I asked at Talk:Charles La Trobe what the correct form of the name is. Nobody replied. I don't think La Trobe is used on many maps. Can we have a discussion about this? HiLo48 (talk) 18:06, 12 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The official registry database shows "La Trobe River", see [1]. I went to La Trobe University, which devoutly includes the space, and the combination motivated the boldness. I didn't discuss it first because I assumed both forms were in use. If you are convinced that "Latrobe" predominates so much that we should use that form instead of the "officially registered" form, I won't object to a reversion. Afaik, the bloke's name correctly has a space. But things named after him vary somewhat: the river and the university are registered with only the "La Trobe" form. Latrobe City (sic) used to be La Trobe Shire (sic). And the street in the city is registered in both forms. As for distant bureaucrats, place naming is actually the responsibility of local councils, so if bureaucrats have changed it, they're probably based in Sale! (Fwiw, my surname also sometimes has a space in it; but the "correct form" is one word.) —Felix the Cassowary 23:48, 12 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Ah, now I know what you mean by "the registry". Thanks. I'm coming at it from completely the opposite direction, what the folks around there call it. I'm of moderately mature years, and grew up in the Latrobe Valley (which doesn't include Sale, so I'm not sure where those bureaucrats are), always spelt that way and, as that article says, "It is named after the Latrobe River". (One word. One capital letter.) So in fact we have three forms - La Trobe, LaTrobe and Latrobe. Being of university attending age when it opened, my mates and I were surprised to see La Trobe University so named. I'm pretty sure you're right about the bloke's name, although my attempt to strike up a conversation on that matter went nowhere. All very confusing. It's hard to take a strong stand, but I'd be pretty sure that local usage where the river runs would never include the space. Folks may more often these days capitalise the T, but it takes a long time for old habits to change in the country, so I really doubt it. HiLo48 (talk) 00:21, 13 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
The local council which registered the name "La Trobe River" is Wellington, based in Sale: I can only speculate because the mouth is in Wellington Shire. In practice, both "La Trobe" and "Latrobe" are pronounced the same, and I care far more about the pronunciation than the spelling. So if you want, move it back; I won't object. (Alternatively, write a letter to your local councillor. Point out it should be registered under the common form, too. The database permits multiple names, so I would think it's only sensible. Then move it back saying it's both official and more common, and serve me bloody right.) —Felix the Cassowary 01:26, 13 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
officially, [here] end of argument (Crusoe8181 (talk) 11:19, 16 February 2011 (UTC)).[reply]
Lol I already linked to the state government's registry and the state government is the one with the constitutional power to make these decisions. In any case, Wikipedia goes by usage, not officialage. Officialage is indicative, but not proof, of usage. —Felix the Cassowary 12:50, 16 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I was just drawn back to this conversation by a robot adding that the river's name in Norwegian is Latrobe. It led me to search for some recent usages, and I found this from the state government's own Department of Sustainability and Environment on 1 March 2012. It says "The newly-installed Latrobe River bridge on Latrobe River Road, approximately 15 kilometres east of Neerim South is now open." It matches exactly what I have encountered in common usage all my life in the area. Since that earlier discussion I have encountered no uses at all of La Trobe or LaTrobe in connection with the river. I am going to boldly move. HiLo48 (talk) 11:05, 25 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
The river is named in honour of Charles La Trobe (please note spacing and capitalisation), and referenced from two sources in the article. According to The Registrar of Geographic Names there is no spacing between the La-and-trobe and no capitalisation of the T, as follows Latrobe River. Yet the Gazetteer of Australia here lists the watercourse as La Trobe River. The Catchment Management Authority uses the Vicnames format, as does Parks Victoria. Given the comments by Felix the Cassowary on 16 February 2011, citing WP policy on widely accepted name, I have added the spelling variants as other names to the geobox and etymology. Rangasyd (talk) 11:31, 8 February 2014 (UTC)[reply]
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