Humpty Doo, Northern Territory
Encyclopedia
Humpty Doo is a small town in Australia
's Northern Territory
, situated just south of the Arnhem Highway
, approximately 40 km from Darwin
. At the 2006 census
, Humpty Doo had a population of 5,413.
The locality of Humpty Doo is named after the station originally called ‘Umpity Doo’; however, origins of the name are uncertain. Three derivations have been suggested:
The town is known for agriculture experiments that have occurred. In 1954, after some experimentation by CSIRO, a joint Australia-U.S. company called Territory Rice Ltd. was formed with a plan to irrigate the subcoastal plain of the Adelaide River
in order to commercially produce rice. The plan was a complete failure due to several factors, including an invasion of geese, soil that was too saline and an insufficient amount of drainage, all combined with poor management. They gave up the land to the government in 1962. The Rice Project was 20 km east of the present town on part of the Humpty Doo Station where the name "Humpty Doo" was first used. The irrigation
dam
, called Fogg Dam
, is still there and an attraction for bird watching.
A more successful agricultural experiment was the growing of mango
s. Top quality fruit from Humpty Doo is picked earlier than Queensland
mangos and fetches a top price in southern markets. There is a honey farm located in outer Humpty Doo, Humpty Doo Apiaries.
The town has an upper School—Taminmin High School/Taminmin Middle School—that takes students Years 7-12 from a wide area, as well as two Primary Schools—Humpty Doo Primary School and St. Francis of Asissi, both with pre-schools.
The Humpty Doo Hotel is well known and features in several bush ballads. Another tourist attraction is the Big Boxing Crocodile
outside the Bush Shop. Graeme Gow's Reptile World has also been an attractive stop on the way to Kakadu.
The town has seen much commercial and residential development in recent years, including the construction of a shopping centre, fire and emergency services station, as well as new schools and housing subdivisions. On the 21st of July, 2007, the town played host to the first of the 'Triple J goes AWOL' concerts, sponsored and organised by the national youth radio station Triple J
.
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...
's 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...
, situated just south of the Arnhem Highway
Arnhem Highway
The Arnhem Highway is a 230 kilometre highway in the Northern Territory of Australia. It links the mining town of Jabiru, in Kakadu National Park, to the Stuart Highway 35 kilometres south of Darwin....
, approximately 40 km from 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...
. 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,...
, Humpty Doo had a population of 5,413.
The locality of Humpty Doo is named after the station originally called ‘Umpity Doo’; however, origins of the name are uncertain. Three derivations have been suggested:
- from "the Army slang term "umpty" used in 1917 for the dash when reading Morse codeMorse codeMorse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
" (however, the station name was in use in 1910) - from a colloquialism to describe "everything done wrong or upside down"
- the place was known as "Umdidu", an English language corruption of an AboriginalIndigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
term which meant a popular resting place
The town is known for agriculture experiments that have occurred. In 1954, after some experimentation by CSIRO, a joint Australia-U.S. company called Territory Rice Ltd. was formed with a plan to irrigate the subcoastal plain of 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 order to commercially produce rice. The plan was a complete failure due to several factors, including an invasion of geese, soil that was too saline and an insufficient amount of drainage, all combined with poor management. They gave up the land to the government in 1962. The Rice Project was 20 km east of the present town on part of the Humpty Doo Station where the name "Humpty Doo" was first used. The irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
, called Fogg Dam
Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve
The Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve is a wetland area approximately east of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. It lies within the Adelaide and Mary River Floodplains, which is an Important Bird Area...
, is still there and an attraction for bird watching.
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
s. Top quality fruit from Humpty Doo is picked earlier than Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
mangos and fetches a top price in southern markets. There is a honey farm located in outer Humpty Doo, Humpty Doo Apiaries.
The town has an upper School—Taminmin High School/Taminmin Middle School—that takes students Years 7-12 from a wide area, as well as two Primary Schools—Humpty Doo Primary School and St. Francis of Asissi, both with pre-schools.
The Humpty Doo Hotel is well known and features in several bush ballads. Another tourist attraction is the Big Boxing Crocodile
Australia's Big Things
The Big Things of Australia are a loosely related set of large structures or sculptures. There are estimated to be over 150 such objects around the country, the first being the Big Scotsman in Medindie, Adelaide, which was built in 1963....
outside the Bush Shop. Graeme Gow's Reptile World has also been an attractive stop on the way to Kakadu.
The town has seen much commercial and residential development in recent years, including the construction of a shopping centre, fire and emergency services station, as well as new schools and housing subdivisions. On the 21st of July, 2007, the town played host to the first of the 'Triple J goes AWOL' concerts, sponsored and organised by the national youth radio station Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
.
External links
- http://www.walkabout.com.au/locations/NTHumptyDoo.shtml