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Escape Cliffs
Permanent Declaration
Place
Escape Cliffs is located in the Cape Hotham Reserve. Much of the site lies on the plateau sub-unit of the Northern Plains geomorphic unit. This is characterised by level rolling topography with areas of dissected lowland. The most northerly part of the reserve falls into the littoral sub-unit of the coastal Plains and consists of extensive tidal flats. The main features of the site include the bakehouse oven, ship's water tanks, survey point, well, clay brick floor of the Government Resident's House, another unidentified floor area, the remains of a kiln and a footpath or garden.
Escape Cliffs is of historical significance for the Territory's cultural heritage. The site represents the first South Australian attempt at settling the Northern Territory. Together the historical and archaeological data provides information regarding human adaptations to unfamiliar environments. While the settlement was never a success, the experiences of the those settlers based at Escape Cliffs were to provide valuable knowledge of the climate and environment of the Top End and the difficulties which would have to be overcome if any future settlement in the north was to succeed. The efforts of several individuals associated with Escape cliffs including J.W.Bennett, B.T.Finniss, J.T.Manton, J. McKinlay and F.H.Litchfield, made a valuable contribution to the exploration and settlement if the Territory.
15/09/1995
28/09/1995
14/11/1996
Comment sought
13/12/1999
19/01/2000
12/01/2000
H95/0047
Historic
Did consultations with t/o's prior to doing s24(2) process.

Further Reading
Barter, L.F. 1988. No Place for a city: Boyle Travers Finniss and the establishment of the Escape Cliffs Settlement. Northern Perspective II(2): 1-11.
Powell, A. 1982. Far Country: a short history of the Northern Territory. Melbourne University Press: Carlton.
Reece, B. 1990. Finniss, Boyle Travers. In D.Carment, R.Maynard and A.Powell (eds) NT Dictionary of Biography Vol 1: to 1945, pp. 95-97. NTU Press: Casuarina.
Stow, J.P. 1981. The voyage of the "Forlorn Hope" from Escape Cliffs to Champion Bay 1865 together with the author¿s account of the first Northern Territory settlement and the condition of Western Australia. Sullivan's Cove: Sydney.
Photo
   
NameDescriptionDate Added
Viewweb photo.jpgEscape Cliffs19/SEP/07
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Scan
   
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ViewInstrument.pdf - 10/FEB/09
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Further Information
   
no data found
Approximate Location
   
LAIS KeyStreet NumberStreet NameSuburbLocation CodeLot NumberLTO PlanPartTenure
000 01386 0 HOTHAM0001386 - - Freehold
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Status Explanations
   

Nomination Period - a nomination has been accepted by Heritage Branch, but has not yet been accepted by the Heritage Council; OR a nomination has been accepted by the Heritage Council but the place/object has not yet been subject to a heritage assessment.

Assessment Period - a nomination has been accepted by the Heritage Council and the place/object is in the process of being assessed.

Consultation Period - Heritage assessment has been completed and s24 of the Act has been instigated, ie comment has been sought on a proposal to declare the place/object.

Recommendation Period - the Heritage Council has made a recommendation to declare the place/object and the Minister's final decision is awaited.

Not Recommended - a decision has been made by the Heritage Council not to recommend to the Minister that a place/object be declared

Declared - the Minister has made a decision to declare the place/object

Refused - the Minister has refused to declare the place/object