Van Diemen Gulf Explained

Van Diemen Gulf
Type:Gulf
Etymology:Anthony van Diemen.[1]
Basin Countries:Australia
Pushpin Map:Northern Territory

Van Diemen Gulf is a gulf in the Northern Territory of Australia. It connects to the Timor Sea in the north via Dundas Strait. Most of its area is also gazetted as a locality with the name Van Diemen Gulf.

History

The gulf was named after the Dutch colonial governor, Anthony van Diemen (1593–1645).[2]

Phillip Parker King and his crew in the 76-tonne cutter surveyed the coastline in early 1818, encountering local Aboriginal people and proas sailed by Makassans, and passed by the Gulf on other voyages.

Geography

The gulf connects to the Timor Sea in the north via Dundas Strait, and is also connected to the Beagle Gulf in the west by the Clarence Strait. It is partially enclosed by Melville Island and the Cobourg Peninsula, and measures about 90miles by 50miles.[3]

Rivers draining into the Gulf include the South Alligator River, the East Alligator River, the Mary River, Wildman River and the Adelaide River. The Kakadu National Park adjoins its south-east coast.[4]

Administrative status

On 4 April 2007, most of the area occupied by the Van Diemen Gulf was gazetted as a locality with the name Van Diemen Gulf by the Northern Territory Government, who also included it in the local government area of the West Arnhem Region.[5] [6] [7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Place Names Register Extract - "Van Diemen Gulf" . NT Place Names Register . Northern Territory Government . 1 May 2019.
  2. Diemen, Anthony van . x.
  3. Web site: Van Diemen Gulf . . 6 November 2020.
  4. Web site: Drainage Divisions . 2005 . 7 May 2015 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150401173613/http://lrm.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/20809/map01.pdf . 1 April 2015 .
  5. Web site: Place Names Register Extract - "Van Diemen Gulf" (locality) . NT Place Names Register . Northern Territory Government . 27 April 2019.
  6. Web site: Extent of the locality of "Van Diemen Gulf" . NT Atlas and Spatial Data Directory . Northern Territory Government . 27 April 2019.
  7. Web site: Localities within West Arnhem Shire (sic) . Place Names Committee . Northern Territory Government. 2 April 2007 . 27 April 2019.