(Replying here to avoid spreading the conversation over three talk pages)
Good thinking re: "red linked list just to capture all the ones that have articles"; I'll do that. I was planning on putting them up in alphabetical order. I think this is best, but if other disagree I can always put them up in order of latitude. But full regionalisation is not something I'm prepared to tackle, not with 5000 entries!
With all these lists I always include a remarks column, so that brief notes can be added for entries that don't quite merit an article. The list in ex-convict school teachers in Western Australia is an example of that working really well. Snottygobble