Place Names Register Extract

Mount Conner

Extract date: 25/11/2024

Name Mount Conner
Type Designation Mount
Place Id 15383
Place Type Feature
Status Recorded
Date Registered
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -25° 29' S (Decimal degrees -25.492807)
Longitude: 131° 53' E (Decimal degrees 131.897828)
Locality / Suburb  
  Petermann
Local Government Area  
  MacDonnell Shire Council
History/Origin Gosse named Mt Conner in July 1873. Gosse in his report and Diary wrote

"Friday, July 18. - ....Mount Olga, and hill east of it, also a high flat-topped hill which I have named Mount Conner, after Mr. M L Conner, bearing 129?. ...."

E Giles in "Geographic travels in Central Austalia", 1875 (pg 84) wrote:

"Sunday, 31 August (1873) - ..To the north-westward was a flat-topped hill, rising like a table from an ocean of scrub. it was very much higher, than such hills usually are. I have since learned that it was called Mount Conner by Mr Gosse."

Tietkens in his report (SAPP 111 of 1890) wrote:

"Sunday, July 14th - Camp No. 65. Started at 8.30, Mount Connor being in full view, ...."

250K map Sheet Edit 1 of 1961 shows "MT CONNER"

In 1982, a request was made to rename the feature to "Artilla" - request not approved.

PNC papers state:

"Mt Conner was named by exporer W C Gosse on 18.7.1873 after a minor South Australian Parliamentarian, Mountifort Longfield Conner. Mr Conner was the member for Light in the period 1871-73 during the ministeries of Hart, Blyth and Ayers. He resigned in 1873 and served as Chief Warden of the Goldfields in Darwin from October 1873 until his appointment was terminated in November 1874. Conner returned to Adelaide where he again became a MHA for Albert (Feb 1875 - June 1875)"

Copies of the NT Times and Gazette for January and February 1874 have his name as "M L Connor, the Chief Warden" whilst Coxan, Playford and Rieds Biographical Register of the South Australian Parliament 1857-1957 has him listed as:
CONNER, Mountifort Longfield

The aboriginal name for Mt Conner is "Artilla" or "Attila", and is believed to be associated with the legend of the "terrible ice-man".

Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
  (None Found)  

The Northern Territory Gazetteer is maintained by the Place Names Section,
Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics.
GPO Box 1680, Darwin NT 0801. Ph 08 8995 5333.
place.names@nt.gov.au

© Northern Territory of Australia
The Northern Territory of Australia does not warrant that the information in this extract or any part of it is correct or complete and will not be liable for any loss damage or injury suffered by any person as a result of its inaccuracy or incompleteness. You are encouraged to notify any error or omission in the material by calling the Place Names Section.