WELCOME to Middle Earth, QLD 4573. Pop culture fans are leaving their mark on Queensland’s streets by naming pockets of the state after the 20th century’s most famous celebrities and characters.
Hollywood stars and fantasy heroes are just a few of the figures being honoured with streets by younger generations when naming new developments.
That’s what Coolum Beach locals have dubbed one area of the suburb, with many streets named after places and people from fantasy phenomenon The Lord of the Rings.
From Tolkien Place to Frodo Court, the spot is known among the local community but is a recent discovery for fans such as Ray Grinberg.
“I had no idea these streets existed, and my first thought was whether the residents were fans or if the streets had at least inspired them to get into the series,” he said.
Mr Grinberg, who wears his Legolas costume for charity events, said he loved the idea of naming streets after J.R.R. Tolkien’s world.
“I think it’s much more interesting than any of the typical names you’ll find in most suburbs, and it adds a bit of fun and colour to the area,” he said.
“I’m sure some people wouldn’t like it, but for the most part it just seems to be a bit of a laugh and a nice feature for the local community.”
Clinton Greentree as The Witchking and Ray Grinberg as Legolas get in character on the streets of their hometown. Pic: Andrew Seymour
Former local Rohan Lillie said he knew the origin of the names.
“My parents were both big fans of "The Lord of the Rings" after reading the books as teenagers,” he said.
“So years later after my father started developing this area they chose to go with a theme and named the streets after people and places from the book and movies. They even named me Rohan, from a place in the book, and 35 years later also named a nearby street Rohan Rise.”
But pop culture pockets are not restricted to the Sunshine Coast, and can be found across the state.
In Brisbane’s north, Stafford Heights began a tradition of naming streets after Hollywood celebrities with Chaplin, Heston, Gable and Hepburn streets all located in the suburb.
In later years, developers at Mcdowall and Bridgeman Downs continued the tradition with names such as Eastwood Place, Spielberg St, Stallone Circuit and Streisand Drive, just to name a few.
Other notable examples include King Arthur Terrace, Tennyson, with nearby streets named after Camelot, Lancelot and Merlin; and Wakerley where Gordon Cres and Tallis St neighbour Lockyer St.
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