Chambers Bay, Northern Territory Explained

Type:suburb
Chambers Bay
State:NT
Coordinates:-12.2167°N 131.584°W
Coord Ref:[1]
Timezone:ACST
Utc:+9:30
Dist1:100
Dir1:E
Location1:Darwin
Stategov:Nelson[2]
Fedgov:Lingiari[3]

Chambers Bay is a locality in the Northern Territory of Australia about 100km (100miles) east of Darwin, between Cape Hotham and Stuart Point. The bay is over 50km long; a shallow shelving muddy beach peppered with mangroves, running east–west for most of its extent. It has no significant rivers or towns.

Chambers Bay is located within the federal division of Lingiari, the Northern Territory electoral division of Nelson and the local government area of the Litchfield Municipality.[3] [2]

History

Chambers Bay is important in Australian history as the area where John McDouall Stuart's successful sixth expedition (crossing Australia south to north) terminated on 24 July 1862.[4] The actual location, near Charles Creek (now named Thrings Creek, presumably for expedition member F. W. Thring), was marked by the initials "JMDS"[5] carved into a tree, later replaced by an iron post.

The bay was named for

Miss Chambers, who kindly presented me with the flag which I have planted this day
of the Chambers family, who provided most of the finance for Stuart's expeditions.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Reader's Digest Atlas of Australia.
  2. Web site: Division of Nelson. Northern Territory Electoral Commission. 1 May 2019. 3 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190503115444/https://ntec.nt.gov.au/Electoral-divisions/division-profiles/division-profiles/division-of-nelson. dead.
  3. Web site: Federal electoral division of Lingiari. Australian Electoral Commission. 1 May 2019.
  4. News: Royal Geographical Society . . LVI . 17,084 . South Australia . 18 July 1913 . 12 May 2023 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  5. News: McDouall Stuart's Tree . . LXXXIV . 22,522 . South Australia . 15 January 1919 . 12 May 2023 . 6 . National Library of Australia.