Adelaide River, Northern Territory
Encyclopedia
Adelaide River is a town where the Stuart Highway
crosses the Adelaide River
in the Northern Territory
of Australia
, upstream of the Adelaide and Mary River Floodplains Important Bird Area. At the 2006 census
, Adelaide River had a population of 190. It is renowned for the fresh barramundi
served at the hotel on the banks of the river.
. The discovery of gold
at Pine Creek
in 1892 had a major impact on the settlement.
In 1886 a contract was signed to build a railway between Palmerston
(Darwin
) and the goldfields at Pine Creek, Northern Territory
. By April 1888 the railway had reached Adelaide River.
During World War II
, there were up to 30,000 Australian Army
and United States
soldiers based near the town. An ammunition dump, including a spur railway line, was established at Snake River, 2 mi (3.2 km) to the north. Whilst the facility became operational towards the end of the war, it was too late to be useful in the war effort. There is a war cemetery near the town in which many of those who died during the Japanese bombing of Darwin in WWII are buried. The 107th Australian General Hospital and 119th Australian General Hospital were set up around Adelaide River.
Stuart Highway
The Stuart Highway is one of Australia's major highways. It is a segment of Australia's Highway 1 extending from Darwin, Northern Territory, in the north, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta, South Australia, in the south—a distance of...
crosses the Adelaide River
Adelaide River
Adelaide River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia. It starts in Litchfield National Park and flows generally northwards to Clarence Strait, being crossed by both the Stuart Highway and the Arnhem Highway...
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, upstream of the Adelaide and Mary River Floodplains Important Bird Area. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Adelaide River had a population of 190. It is renowned for the fresh barramundi
Barramundi
The Barramundi , also known as Asian Seabass, is a species of catadromous fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. The native species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region from the Persian Gulf, through Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. Known in Thai...
served at the hotel on the banks of the river.
History
Adelaide River was settled by the telegraph workers who arrived in the area to construct the Overland Telegraph LineAustralian Overland Telegraph Line
The Australian Overland Telegraph Line was a 3200 km telegraph line that connected Darwin with Port Augusta in South Australia. Completed in 1872 the Overland Telegraph Line allowed fast communication between Australia and the rest of the world. An additional section was added in 1877 with the...
. The discovery of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
at Pine Creek
Pine Creek, Northern Territory
Pine Creek is a small town in the Katherine region of the Northern Territory, Australia. According to the 2001 Australian census 665 people live in Pine Creek, which is the fourth largest town between Darwin and Alice Springs....
in 1892 had a major impact on the settlement.
In 1886 a contract was signed to build a railway between Palmerston
Palmerston, Northern Territory
Palmerston is a planned satellite city of Darwin, the capital and largest city in Australia's Northern Territory. Palmerston is situated near Darwin Harbour and has an urban population of 23,614 on the 2006 Census night and making it the second largest city in the territory...
(Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
) and the goldfields at Pine Creek, Northern Territory
Pine Creek, Northern Territory
Pine Creek is a small town in the Katherine region of the Northern Territory, Australia. According to the 2001 Australian census 665 people live in Pine Creek, which is the fourth largest town between Darwin and Alice Springs....
. By April 1888 the railway had reached Adelaide River.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, there were up to 30,000 Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldiers based near the town. An ammunition dump, including a spur railway line, was established at Snake River, 2 mi (3.2 km) to the north. Whilst the facility became operational towards the end of the war, it was too late to be useful in the war effort. There is a war cemetery near the town in which many of those who died during the Japanese bombing of Darwin in WWII are buried. The 107th Australian General Hospital and 119th Australian General Hospital were set up around Adelaide River.