Place Names Register Extract
Calvert River
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Print Extract | Search Again| Name | Calvert River |
|---|---|
| Type Designation | Stream |
| Place Id | 11484 |
| Place Type | Feature |
| Status | Recorded |
| Date Registered | |
| Location (Datum GDA94) | |
| Latitude: -16° 15' S (Decimal degrees -16.2611) | |
| Longitude: 137° 44' E (Decimal degrees 137.7442) | |
| View Map | View in NT Atlas | View in Google Earth | |
| Locality / Suburb | |
| Calvert | |
| Local Government Area | |
| Roper Gulf Shire Council | |
| History/Origin | The name Calvert River originates from explorer Ludwig Leichhardt's 1845 overland expedition from Queensland to Port Essington in the Northern Territory. On 8 September, the expedition camped beside a small river shaded by Pandanus and tea-trees, with a series of deep waterholes still holding fish late in the dry season. In his journal, Leichhardt initially noted this river as the Abel Tasman River, referencing early Dutch navigators, but subsequently crossed out this name in his field notes and wrote: "I named this river the "Calvert," in acknowledgment of the good services of Mr. Calvert during our expedition, and which I feel much pleasure in recording." James Snowden Calvert (1825-1884) was born on 13 July 1825 in Otley, Yorkshire. Calvert migrated to Australia in 1841 with his brother William, meeting Ludwig Leichhardt on the outward journey. He later joined Leichhardt in 1844 on the ambitious overland expedition from Brisbane to Port Essington. Although physically not robust, Calvert endured the harsh conditions of the journey, including a serious conflict with Aboriginal people in the Gulf Country. Despite these hardships, his amiable nature earned Leichhardt's respect; in a letter to Germany, Leichhardt noted Calvert as the only member who "behaved perfectly, with few exceptions". After the expedition, Calvert became manager of Cavan Station near Yass. He developed a strong interest in botany, earning medals at international exhibitions for his botanical contributions. In 1869, he married Caroline Louisa Waring Atkinson, a noted naturalist and writer. Following her early death in 1872, Calvert lived a retired life until his death in Sydney on 22 July 1884. While Leichhardt?s diary provides this first hand account, later research by historian and bushman Glen McLaren in the 1990s suggests that the river Leichhardt named the Calvert may correspond to what is now known as Sandy Creek. McLaren's extensive fieldwork retracing the expedition route, supported by GPS and Leichhardt's maps, helped clarify the location of many named features from the expedition. Sources: Australian Dictionary of Biography. (n.d.). Calvert, James (1825-1884). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved July 21, 2025, from https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/calvert-james-snowden-3143 Leichhardt, L. (1997). Journal of an overland expedition in Australia, 1844?1845 (T. Flannery, Ed.). Melbourne University Press. (Original work published 1847) McLaren, G. (1996). Beyond Leichhardt: Bushcraft and the exploration of Australia (Doctoral thesis). Australian National University. https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/40505 |
Register & Gazettal information
| Date | Gazettal | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| (None Found) |