Place Names Register Extract

Keep River

Extract date: 18/04/2024

Name Keep River
Type Designation Stream
Place Id 14088
Place Type Feature
Status Recorded
Date Registered
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -15° 07' S (Decimal degrees -15.118347)
Longitude: 129° 12' E (Decimal degrees 129.213603)
Locality / Suburb  
  Baines
Local Government Area  
  Victoria-Daly Shire Council
History/Origin The Keep River rises in the Northern Territory and flows for about 172km into Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, passing through about 9.5km of Western Australia.

The origin and who named the Keep River is unknown, however it is believed to be named after Henry Francis Keep (1865 - 1905), an agent, storekeeper in Wydham in the 1886 to 1888 period and later a shipping agent at Roebourne, Western Australia.

MP Durack in his diary on 19 August 1894 make mention of "a trip to Keep River" and the Timber Creek Police Journal of 1896 -1 910 also makes reference to 'Keep River' and 'Keep River Station'. It can therefore be assumed that Keep River was named either by Durack or prior to 19 Auguist 1894.

Keep River first appears on official plans in 1907 - "Plan shewing Pastoral Leases in the Northern Territory of South Australia. Compiled in the Surveyor_general's Office, Adelaide 1910" Scale of '16 Miles to one Inch'; Sheets 1 & 2. The name has continued to be shown as such on official plans since 1910.

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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