Nightcliff, Northern Territory
Encyclopedia
Nightcliff is a northern suburb of the city of Darwin
, Northern Territory
, Australia
.
, which was engaged on an excursion of the Australian coast, sailed into the area and anchored in Shoal Bay
near Hope Inlet. John Lort Stokes
, William Forsyth and several other crew members left the Beagle on a longboat for an excursion and passed around Lee Point, in the vicinity of which, there appeared to be a major opening. Stokes was later to record.
The term 'Night Cliff' was thus applied to the locality, and it subsequently appeared in this form on Surveyor-General George W. Goyder's original plan of 1869. Goyder also mentioned the locality a couple of times in the diary he kept as leader of the Northern Territory Survey Expedition. Despite these well established facts, many people have insisted that the name was derived from a misspelling of the name of John George Knight
, one of the best known government officials in Darwin for nearly two decades prior to his death in 1892. It was known that Knight enjoyed visiting the Nightcliff environs and it is believed that he spent long periods of contemplation on the cliff tops. As late as 1952, a former resident who had lived in Darwin between 1876 and 1926 wrote to the Northern Territory News
insisting that the area was known during that period as "Knightscliff". It is evident that many Territorians have preferred this variant form of name in deference to one of the most highly distinguished local public figures of the late nineteenth century. However, records show that Knight did not arrive in Darwin until 1873, several years after the publication of Goyder's map.
The Nightcliff foreshore was the site of Royal Australian Air Force
camps with spotlights and large guns used to defend Darwin from bombing during World War II
. During 1941, a naval outpost including a large concrete artillery outpost bunker was established on the headland. Various other defence facilities were constructed inland as large numbers of military personnel moved into the area. The 2/14 Field Regiment A.I.F. (Australian Infantary Force) was given the task of planning and constructing a hutted camp which became known as "Night Cliff's Camp". After the War, increasing pressure for suburban development caused the Nomenclature Committee of the N.T. to officially name the area on 29 October 1948. The conjoint version of the name, "Nightcliff" was adopted.
, Nightcliff Beach and Nightcliff Swimming Pool.
On Sundays, there is Nightcliff Markets which run from 6am-2pm. The stalls at the markets are mainly food and drinks but there is also craft, massage and fresh/dried fruit
stalls. A live music band usually plays music on the stage in the middle of the markets.
The Nightcliff area is generally associated with its sister suburb, Rapid Creek
, and the adjacent northern suburbs of Millner
and Coconut Grove
. Nightcliff has arguably become one of Darwin's most popular suburbs, as it is mostly situated directly on the coastal fringe. A lot of development has been completed on the coastal road, Casuarina Drive.
Several well known and long-established sports clubs are associated with the Nightcliff regional area, including the Nightcliff Football Club
and the Nightcliff Baseball Club
.
The median house price of Nightcliff is $480,000 and the median unit price is $244,579.
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...
, 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...
, Australia
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...
.
History
Although the origin of the name Nightcliff has always been surrounded by conjecture and controversy, the naming can be tracked back to 8 September 1839. Early that day, the HMS BeagleHMS Beagle
HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames, at a cost of £7,803. In July of that year she took part in a fleet review celebrating the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom in which...
, which was engaged on an excursion of the Australian coast, sailed into the area and anchored in Shoal Bay
Shoal Bay (Darwin)
Shoal Bay is a shallow bay lying adjacent to, and north of, the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. Encompassing Hope Inlet at its eastern end, it is characterised by extensive areas of intertidal mudflats and mangroves and is an important site for waders, or...
near Hope Inlet. John Lort Stokes
John Lort Stokes
Admiral John Lort Stokes, RN was an officer in the Royal Navy who travelled on HMS Beagle for close to eighteen years.Stokes grew up in Scotchwell near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. He joined the Navy on 20 September 1824...
, William Forsyth and several other crew members left the Beagle on a longboat for an excursion and passed around Lee Point, in the vicinity of which, there appeared to be a major opening. Stokes was later to record.
"The sea breeze setting in early, we did not reach it till after dark, when we landed for observations at a cliffy projection near the eastern entrance point: this we found to be composed of a kind of clay, mixed with calcareous matter. We had some difficulty in landing, and then in scrambling up the cliffs by the light of a lantern. If any of the watchful natives happened at the time to be on the look out, they must have stood in astonishment at beholding such strange persons, who at such a time of night, with no ostensible object were visiting their shores".
The term 'Night Cliff' was thus applied to the locality, and it subsequently appeared in this form on Surveyor-General George W. Goyder's original plan of 1869. Goyder also mentioned the locality a couple of times in the diary he kept as leader of the Northern Territory Survey Expedition. Despite these well established facts, many people have insisted that the name was derived from a misspelling of the name of John George Knight
John George Knight
John George Knight , was an architect and administrator of the Northern Territory, Australia.-Early life:John George Knight was born in London the son of John Knight, a stone and marble merchant...
, one of the best known government officials in Darwin for nearly two decades prior to his death in 1892. It was known that Knight enjoyed visiting the Nightcliff environs and it is believed that he spent long periods of contemplation on the cliff tops. As late as 1952, a former resident who had lived in Darwin between 1876 and 1926 wrote to the Northern Territory News
Northern Territory News
The Northern Territory News is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Darwin, Australia. It is a subsidiary of News Limited, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. It primarily serves Darwin and the rest of the Northern Territory...
insisting that the area was known during that period as "Knightscliff". It is evident that many Territorians have preferred this variant form of name in deference to one of the most highly distinguished local public figures of the late nineteenth century. However, records show that Knight did not arrive in Darwin until 1873, several years after the publication of Goyder's map.
The Nightcliff foreshore was the site of Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
camps with spotlights and large guns used to defend Darwin from bombing during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During 1941, a naval outpost including a large concrete artillery outpost bunker was established on the headland. Various other defence facilities were constructed inland as large numbers of military personnel moved into the area. The 2/14 Field Regiment A.I.F. (Australian Infantary Force) was given the task of planning and constructing a hutted camp which became known as "Night Cliff's Camp". After the War, increasing pressure for suburban development caused the Nomenclature Committee of the N.T. to officially name the area on 29 October 1948. The conjoint version of the name, "Nightcliff" was adopted.
Present day
Today, a long footpath along the foreshore of Nightcliff is used for walking and cycling, particularly in the evenings after work. Along the footpath there is Nightcliff JettyJetty
A jetty is any of a variety of structures used in river, dock, and maritime works that are generally carried out in pairs from river banks, or in continuation of river channels at their outlets into deep water; or out into docks, and outside their entrances; or for forming basins along the...
, Nightcliff Beach and Nightcliff Swimming Pool.
On Sundays, there is Nightcliff Markets which run from 6am-2pm. The stalls at the markets are mainly food and drinks but there is also craft, massage and fresh/dried fruit
Dried fruit
Dried fruit is fruit where the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to the fourth millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and is prized...
stalls. A live music band usually plays music on the stage in the middle of the markets.
The Nightcliff area is generally associated with its sister suburb, Rapid Creek
Rapid Creek, Northern Territory
Rapid Creek is a northern suburb of the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.- History :Although the precise circumstances of the naming of Rapid Creek remain obscure, the name must have been applied by Surveyor-General George W. Goyder's surveyors not long after the arrival of the 1869...
, and the adjacent northern suburbs of Millner
Millner, Northern Territory
Millner is a northern suburb in the city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia.-History:Millner was named after Dr James S. Millner, the medical officer in George W. Goyder's 1869 expedition to found the first colony at Port Darwin. He went on to serve as Protector of Aborigines until...
and Coconut Grove
Coconut Grove, Northern Territory
Coconut Grove is a northern suburb of the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of City of Darwin.-History:Coconut Grove is named for the grove of coconuts on the coastal fringe of the area...
. Nightcliff has arguably become one of Darwin's most popular suburbs, as it is mostly situated directly on the coastal fringe. A lot of development has been completed on the coastal road, Casuarina Drive.
Several well known and long-established sports clubs are associated with the Nightcliff regional area, including the Nightcliff Football Club
Nightcliff Football Club
The Nightcliff Football Club, nicknamed, Tigers, is a member club of the Northern Territory Football League, and is based in the Darwin suburb of Nightcliff.-History:The club was formed in 1950.It was formally known as Working & Housing....
and the Nightcliff Baseball Club
Nightcliff Baseball Club, Darwin
Nightcliff Baseball Club Inc. is an amateur baseball club located in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Also known as “the Tigers”, the club was formed in 1969 and competes in the Darwin Baseball League , latterly known as Baseball NT. It is also an affiliated member of the Nightcliff Sports...
.
The median house price of Nightcliff is $480,000 and the median unit price is $244,579.
External links
- domain.com.au
- Nightcliff Baseball Club Homepage: http://www.nightcliff.baseball.com.au/
- Nightcliff Cricket Club Homepage: http://www.nightcliffcc.org.au/
- Nightcliff Football Club Homepage: http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Nightcliff.htm