Daly River, Northern Territory

Daly River is a city in the north of the Australian Territory Northern Territory. At the last census in 2006 the town had 468 inhabitants.

The city lies on the lower reaches of the river of the same name, 222 km south of Darwin and 311 km north- west of Katherine. Today the former mining town consists of little more than a pub with a few motel rooms, a police station and a free caravan park. It is located a few kilometers downstream from the bridge, on the day a paved road from the main tourist route, the Stuart Highway runs.

History

The indigenous people of the area around the city are the Malak Malak, who live in the Aboriginesreservaten Nauiyu and Wooliana downstream.

The river was discovered in 1865 by Boyle Finniss, the former Prime Minister of South Australia - at that time the Northern Territory was still part of South Australia - and named after Sir Dominick Daly.

1882 copper was discovered in the river and began the European colonization of the area.

The settlement Daly River was the scene of particularly bloody skirmish between local Aborigines and miners. 1884 killed three miners. The miners in the town exercised at the local Aborigines a vengeance, which stood for crimes committed out of all proportion. A year later, the Roman Catholic Church established a mission, probably in the knowledge of the voltages. As a result, today 75 % of the population belong to the Roman Catholic denomination.

During the 20th century there were a number of attempts to settle more people in Daly River, but without real success. 1911 the federal government tried to convince the people to move to the city. In the 1920s there were plans for peanut and tobacco plantations, however, were not realized. Also plantations of sugar cane and cashews were not successful. 1967 rodete Tipperary Land Corporation parts of the country to the city and began with the planting of sorghum, millets, but in 1973 the project was abandoned.

Attractions

The city serves as a base for visitors to the Daly River Nature Park and for sport fishermen who want to catch barramundi. In the park there are saltwater crocodiles, other reptiles, spiders, cockatoos, wild boar and water buffalo. The vegetation consists of mangrove, giant bamboo, pandanus trees and kapok trees.

From the Daly River Road branches 5 km east of the town a spur road to Wooliana, a tent and caravan site on the river bank, from. There are a number of such places in the area. At the entrance, a road branches off to Nauiyu Aboriginal community where the Roman Catholic Mission and the Merrepen Arts Centre are located, are offered in the manufactured of Aboriginal art objects.