They watched as thousands of UK residents voted for the new Royal Research Ship to be called Boaty McBoatface (other ideas were RRS I Like Big Boats&I Cannot Lie and RRS Watch Out For The Iceberg).

A year later, a Swedish rail operator was forced to name one of its trains Trainy McTrainface after it topped a public vote.

So when Wollongong council recently asked residents to offer suggestions for naming the new main bridge in the Fowlers Road to Fairwater Drive link, they were wise enough to add a few clauses.

Suggestions would be judged on criteria including local Aboriginal significance, gender (consider making it female), whether it commemorated a person, or was appropriate to local cultural, historical or natural influences in the region.

After careful consideration of this criteria, the community put forward their favourite ideas on the Illawarra Mercury's Facebook page ...

The most-liked bridge name will come as a surprise to absolutely no-one. While it was never going to happen, it was fun for a moment to consider Dapto becoming the proud new owner of a world famous Bridgy McBridgface.

Should the name reflect the multiple decades we had to wait for this project to get off the ground? The Mercury was inundated with different variations of this theme: Finally Bridge, About Bloody Time Bridge, The Slowest Bridge Ever Built, Bridge Of Sighs Of Relief, Why Did It Take So Long Bridge, The Never Ending Story Bridge and, our favourite, 30 Years Yo Late Bridge.

Inspirational ideas like Big Bridge, Big Frame Bridge, New Bridge and Dapto Bridge were submitted for consideration. But on the Dapto Discussion Group, someone got a little crazy and started thinking laterally - turning Dapto Bridge into Dappy Bridge, before settling on (the downright brilliant) Happy in Dappy Bridge. Can we all agree we have our winner?!

When Albion Park was named one of Australia's top 10 bogan capitals by a magazine in 2009, the Illawarra Mercury ran an online poll to find out what residents of the Illawarra thought. The results saw Dapto come in first with 21.9 per cent of the vote. So it makes sense that some people would like to see the suburb embrace their notoriety by naming the new bridge after Damo and Darren, two characters from a viral animated video modelled on Dapto Railway Station. Welcome to Ciggy Butt Bridge? We're about to cross Dazza Bypass? Other bogan references included Bazza the Bridge, and blended contributions DaBridge and Dapvegas.

Whether a reference to Dapto's most famous creek or the bogan haircut, 'Mullet' was a strong contender for the bridge name. Ideas thrown about included Mullet Bridge or just The Mullet. A member of the Dapto District Discussion group explained it as a "bridge that is business in the front, party on the back".

"What about 'bridge to no new school'?" Shellharbour MP Anna Watson chimed in on Facebook. Boom! She was using the opportunity to take a swipe at the government for refusing to commit to new infrastructure in her electorate. Along the same line, another idea was Unanderra Lift.

Someone suggested the terribly sad We Can't Get Out Of Work Now When It Rains Bridge. Why are we doing this again?

Read more: You know you're from Dapto when ...

"According to an Environment NSW map of the area, Wollindarah was the aboriginal name for the area where Horsley area is now. So that could be good name - Wollindarah Bridge. Kind of has a nice ring to it too." Elwyn Jordan.

"Byamee Bridge. A fitting local name. Byamee is the name of 'The Creator' for local the Indigenous. Unlike the Rainbow Serpent as believed in the Top End." Frank Oliveri

"Diversity Bridge because we are a very diverse and multicultural region." Elaine Henry

Some Dapto District Discussion ideas ...

"Smelters Bridge in reference to the old Dapto smelting works." Janelle Moulds

"Dharawal Bridge." Troy Joseph Smolenaars

"I put in a submission saying Charlie Hooka Bridge. He was a local elder, or King of the local first people at the time the area was colonised." Simon Zulian