Place Names Register Extract

Stapleton Siding

Extract date: 22/12/2024

Name Stapleton Siding
Type Designation Railway Siding
Place Id 18597
Place Type Feature
Status Historical
Date Registered
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -13° 10' S (Decimal degrees -13.180249)
Longitude: 131° 02' E (Decimal degrees 131.043267)
Locality / Suburb  
  Stapleton
Local Government Area  
  Coomalie Community Council
History/Origin In the early period (early 1900s) of the North Australian Railway, trains stopped at this siding beside Stapleton Creek. The siding was expanded during the War to a loop line which continued in use as an ore train crossing point in the early 1970s.

Stapleton Creek was named by Surveyor G McMinn after James L Stapleton, a field operator during the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line and later Officer in Charge of the Port Darwin Telegraph Station, during 1871. Stapleton as Senior Telegraph Operator at Barrow Creek was speared on 22 February 1874 and died the following day, aged 41 years.

As with Collett Creek and Rum Jungle, during the late 1870s Stapleton Creek was the site of a hotel "Our House Hotel" with Edward D Matthews as proprietor from June 1874. It was 67 kilometres from Southport.

Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
  (None Found)  

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Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics.
GPO Box 1680, Darwin NT 0801. Ph 08 8995 5333.
place.names@nt.gov.au

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