Northern Territory

G'day and welcome to my Northern Territory information page. Here you will find some information about the Northern Territory, some sights from around the state as well as links to other related sites.

The Northern Territory covers about one-sixth of the Australian continent with an area of 1.35 million km² which is equal to the combined areas of France, Spain and Italy. About four-fifths of the Territory (1.09 million km²) lies within the tropics and the 6200 km coastline is generally flat and backed by swamps, mangroves and mudflats, rising to a plateau no higher than 450 m.

In central Australia, the Territory is crossed by the east-westridges of the Macdonnell Ranges, which reach heights of more than 600 m. The well-known monolith, Uluru (Ayers Rock), 348 m high, is near the south-west corner of the Territory.

The northern quarter, known colloquially as the "Top End", is a distinct region of savannah woodlands and pockets of rainforest. In the north-east, the Arnhem Land plateau rises abruptly from the plain and continues to the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Much of the southern three-quarters of the Territory consists of desert or semi-arid plain.

The main rivers are the Victoria and the Daly, flowing into the Timor Sea; the Adelaide, Mary, South Alligator and East Alligator, flowing into the Arafura Sea; and the Roper and McArthur, flowing into the Gulf of Carpentaria. Inland rivers are dry most of the year and their sporadic flow is lost in the Simpson Desert.

The population of the Territory was drastically reduced during 1974 with the evacuation forced by Cyclone Tracy but has recovered and in 1993 was estimated at 169 298. The population of Darwin was 77 882 at the last census. Other major centres of population are Alice Springs, Nhulunbuy, Katherine, and Tennant Creek.

The Northern Territory has just under one per cent of Australia's total population of 17.6 million. Included in its population are 38 000 people of Aboriginal descent. In 1977, federal legislation enabled them to claim traditional ownership of vacant Crown land and today Aboriginal land trusts hold title to about 40 per cent of the Territory. Claims covering a further 10 per cent of the Territory are yet to be determined.

Largest Towns

Rainfall varies from an average 1570 mm a year in the far north to less than 150 mm in the south. About two-thirds of the Territory receives less than 500 mm a year. In the north, monsoonal influences produce two definite seasons known locally as "the wet" (November to April) and "the dry" (May to October). During the wet season, the coast is subject to tropical cyclones (hurricanes or typhoons). Darwin was severely damaged by cyclones three times during the 100 years before 1974, when an exceptionally intense cyclone (Tracy) passed across the city, killing 66 people and causing widespread devastation.

The temperature in Darwin remains almost constant throughout the year. The daily average maximum in January is 31.8 C and the average minimum 24.8 C. In July, the average maximum is 30.3 C and the minimum 18.9 C. Alice Springs has a wide range of temperatures between summer and winter. The daily average maximum in January is 36.6 C and the average minimum 22.2 C, but in July the average maximum is 19.3 C and the minimum 4.5 C. The average amount of daily sunshine is 8.5 hours.

Rural Industry

There are approximately 235 pastoral holdings in the Northern Territory producing cattle for Australian and overseas markets. These vary from small stations of 198 km² to huge properties such as Brunette Downs Station, which runs cattle over 12 254 km². In 1992-93, the value of live cattle exports from the Territory was $28.8 million. Exporters working out of Darwin supply Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines with cattle via the ports of Darwin, and Wyndham in Western Australia. In 1992-93, three export abattoirs in the Territory supplied 9 258 000 tonnes of beef, veal and fancy meats to European, American, Asian and Pacific countries, valued at $29 million.

Seafood landed in the Territory in 1992-93 totalled 7929 tonnes and had an estimated value of $69 million. Prawn fishing continues to dominate the industry in north Australian waters with landings of 5485 tonnes worth an estimated $60.7 million.

Minerals

Mining in the Northern Territory dates back to 1623 when ship-wrecked Portugese were said to have found gold-studded quartz on the coast of Arnhem Land. They named the Arafura Sea "Mare Aurifera", Portugese for "sea of gold."

More than 200 years later, in 1838, after Port Essington was settled by the British, Captain Watson purchased from the Aborigines, some three or four ounces of gold dust mixed with magnetic iron. The following year, crew members of the HMS Beagle located a bituminous substance at the mouth of the Victoria River and recorded the first evidence of the existence of hydrocarbons in Australia.

In the 150 years since then, mineral and hydrocarbon production have been a major contributor to the Northern Territory's economic development. In 1992-93 mining contributed 21 per cent of gross state product compared with an average of five per cent elsewhere in the country.

During 1993, $64.8 million was expended on mineral exploration in theTerritory and known mineral resources include:

• bauxite, with the third largest bauxite mine in Australia at Gove;
• gold, with major mines in the Pine Creek area, the Tanami Desert and the Tennant Creek area;
• manganese on Groote Eylandt - one of the world's four major producers of high grade ore;
• zinc, lead and silver, including one of the world's largest known ore bodies at McArthur River; and
• bismuth, copper, diamonds, galena, mica, molydenum, ochre, opal, palladium, phosphate, platinum, tantalite, tin, tungsten, turquoise, rubies and wolfram.

The Northern Territory's energy resources include oil, natural gas and uranium. Oil and gas exploration and production occurs onshore as well as in three areas offshore which continues to dominate energy exploration

Oil production is dominated by the offshore fields Jabiru, Challis/Cassini and Skeea. Gas production is from onshore fields located at the Mereenie and Palm Valley and uranium production is from the Ranger mine near Jabiru.

Development of the McArthur River mineral deposits near Borroloola in the Gulf Region promises increased export earnings from mining, together with the opening up of a large underdeveloped region. The project's reserves are estimated to be valued at around $7 billion. Annual production of combined lead-zinc concentrate and silver over the 25 year life of the mine is expected to average around $300 million or about 31 per cent of the Territory's total mineral production and processing output in 1993.

In 1993 known commercial on and offshore reserves were 80 160 megalitres of oil and 22 800 gigalitres of gas. Other significant discoveries of proved and probable reserves indicate further reserves of 22 000 megalitres of oil and 189 160 gigalitres of gas.

Dramatic growth in Asia Pacific and the associated increase in demand for energy commodities (provided mainly by Middle East imports) means, given Darwin's location, that export oriented refining in the area may be financially attractive.

Transport

Sealed roads include the three major interstate links - the Stuart Highway from Darwin to the South Australian border, the Barkly Highway from Tennant Creek to the Queensland border and the Victoria Highway from Katherine to the Western Australian border. Animals pose a constant danger to traffic, especially at night, and care is needed to avoid wandering stock on the Territory's largely unfenced highways.

A considerable proportion of consumer and other goods reaching the Territory is brought by road from Queensland or South Australia. Freight from South Australia is often by rail from Port Augusta to Alice Springs. Australian National operates the train service to Alice Springs with Freight Forwarders coordinating a road service from Alice Springs to Darwin. Travel beyond Alice Springs to northern centres is by road but a new rail link is to be built between Alice Springs and Darwin.

Darwin is a first port of call for international aircraft flying from Asia. It is also an Australian departure point for flights to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Denpasar (Bali), Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) and Kupang (Timor). Within Australia there are daily flights from Darwin to Alice Springs with connections to all Australian capital cities by the two major domestic carriers, Qantas and Ansett Airlines of Australia.

The Port of Darwin is the foremost deep water port in the north of Australia. It includes a modern and efficient container-handling terminal, capable of handling a vast range of vessels and cargo types. There are two other major ports in the Northern Territory, both managed by mining companies. Milner Bay in the Gulf of Carpentaria mainly serves the needs of the Groote Eylandt Mining Company's manganese operations on the island. Bauxite mined by Nabalco on the Gove Peninsula in the north-eastern part of Arnhem Land is shipped through the port of Gove.

The Northern Territory was founded as a Federal Territory on 1 January 1911, but its first flag was not hoisted until self government was attained on 1 July 1978.

The flag was designed by Robert Ingpen, a Victorian illustrator, and incorporates both the Territorian colours and floral emblem. In the centre of the fly is a stylised Sturt's Desert Rose with seven petals on an ochre field. At the hoist is the Southern Cross in white on a black panel.

The coat of arms was granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1978. It incorporates a shield depicting an Arhem Land rock painting of an aboriginal woman. The shield is supported by two kangaroos. The crest consists of a wedge-tailed eagle with wings splayed and it's talons grasping a tjurunga (aboriginal ritual stone).

Page maintained by Grant Schmarr,
Copyright © 1997-99 Grant Schmarr.
Created: 29th September 1997. Updated: 24th November 1999