Hi Hon,
I'm in Adelaide. As ever everything in Aus varies from state to state. SA is very straight forward if you are an Australian citizen, basically fill in an online form pay the fee and it is in the mail.
Google 'name change in Queensland' will give you the details.
Things to think about. You really don't want to change your name more than once if you can avoid it as all the other documents that need to be changed are a pain. Bank accounts, credit cards, driving licence, medicare, work, ATO, Passport, phone, internet, you name it and it needs a notification, otherwise your dead name comes back and of course your dead name is no longer legal so for example you cannot cash a cheque sent to your dead name etc.
Choose a name you would like to hear shouted out across a waiting room. If you are really fixed on 'Princess Unicorn Bambi' fine but it may sound pretty dumb when shouted out across the medics waiting room and raises the eyebrow of even a tolerant police person!
Choose a name appropriate to your age. Google popular names in the year you were born. You again may look a little odd if you choose a name that is in fashion for babies at the moment and it didn't exist when you were born.
Practice a signature and how easy is it to for others to spell. eg Cindy, Cindi, Cyndy, Sindy, Sindi, Syndy, all sound the same.
Also, and I know this sounds daft. Choose a name that you like and that means something to you. It is a rare chance to choose your own name.
Oh and if you are a professional it may be useful to keep initials that can link your professional record back to modern you. For example I have many scientific publications and grants and it is useful for them to be listed in my professional record for verification reasons.
