Nightcliff, Northern Territory
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Footnotes | Adjoining suburbs[2][3] |
Nightcliff is a northern suburb of the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. It is the traditional country and waterways of the Larrakia people.[4]
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, HMS Beagle, 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 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".[5]
The term 'Night Cliff' was thus applied to the locality, and it subsequently appeared in this form on Surveyor-General
The Nightcliff foreshore was the site of
Facilities
Today, a long footpath along the
On Sundays, the Nightcliff Markets occur from 6am to 2pm.[7] The stalls at the markets are mainly food and drinks but there is also craft and massage 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
Close to the foreshore is Nightcliff Primary School, one of Darwin's oldest schools. Nightcliff Middle School provides education for student in years 7 to Year 9.[8]
Coastal erosion
The cliffs of Nightcliff are being actively eroded and around 2 m (7 ft) or more of cliff loss has been recorded in the 2014–2016 period. Areas of Nightcliff have been shored up using concrete boulders to form a sea wall.[9]
Events and festivals
The
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Nightcliff (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "Nightcliff". NT Atlas and Spatial Data Directory. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ "Darwin City Council Suburbs" (PDF). Place Names Committee. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ "The Larrakia People". Larrakia Nation. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ Stokes, John. (1846). Discoveries in Australia, with an account of the coasts and rivers explored and surveyed during the voyage of the Beagle, 1837–1843. Volume 2. Accessed online (1 September 2007).
- ISBN 0-646-19897-1
- ^ "Nightcliff Markets". Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ "Nightcliff Middle School". Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ "Coastal Erosion Management Plan | City of Darwin". www.darwin.nt.gov.au. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ "Nightcliff Seabreeze Festival website". Retrieved 5 May 2013.
- ^ "Nightcliff Seabreeze Festival". Enjoy Darwin. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
External links
- domain.com.au Suburb profile