Place Names Register Extract

Docherty Island

Extract date: 04/05/2024

Name Docherty Island
Type Designation Island
Place Id 12437
Place Type Feature
Status Recorded
Date Registered
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -14° 05' S (Decimal degrees -14.0954)
Longitude: 129° 30' E (Decimal degrees 129.5161)
Locality / Suburb  
  Thamarrurr
Local Government Area  
  Victoria-Daly Shire Council
Alternate Names  
  Dorcherty Island
History/Origin The named DORCHERTY ISLAND was first used on mapping by the ARMY following a field survey of the Port Keats area in early 1960s.

Surveyor General MC Hall in June 1965 wrote to Keswick Barracks advising that a check could not be made of some feature names (including "Dorcherty Island") as they were obtained by the ARMY and appeared on 1:48,000 series maps of the Port Keats area.

Dorcherty Island has continued to be used for the island forming the western entrance to Port Keats since appearing on 1966 Edition 1 of the Port Keats 1:250,000 sheet.

The Place Names Committee at its 136th meeting in February 2002 agreed to change the name to Docherty Island to agree with the spelling of the Priest who established the nearby Port Keats Mission.

Docherty Island is named after Father Richard Docherty (1899-1979) who established the mission at Port Keats in 1935 on the shore of Port Keats near the Island which bears his name. In 1935, the mission was moved 14km inland and south to its current site. Father Docherty continued at the mission until 1958 and returned in 1965 to continue working at the Port Keats mission until ill health forced his retirement in the mid 1970s.

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

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