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Place Names Register Extract

Howard Springs

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Name Howard Springs
Type Designation Locality
Place Id 2045
Place Type Administrative Area
Status Registered
Date Registered 29 October 1997
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -12° 28' S (Decimal degrees -12.4672)
Longitude: 131° 03' E (Decimal degrees 131.0621)
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Locality / Suburb  
  (None Found)
Local Government Area  
  Litchfield Council
History/Origin Howard Springs is so named after the stream which contains the Springs at its headwater. W P Auld of Finniss's Party named the Howard River after Frederick Howard in 1865.

Captain Howard was the master of the small topsail schooner HMS "Beatrice" which carried out exploration work from the Escape Cliffs settlement in 1864. He charted, as a hydrographer, the mouth of the Liverpool River and the coastline between Cape Stewart and Port Essington. He commanded the later stages of the initial survey at Escape Cliffs.

In 1939, Howard Springs ( at one time called Worgan Springs) became the first major water supply area to service Darwin. With the war approaching Manton Dam was constructed and took over the role of supplying water to Darwin.

Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
29/10/1997 NTG43
09/09/2013 Revocation and renaming of Howard Springs and Girraween localities
11/09/2013 NTG G37 Revocation and renaming of Howard Springs and Girraween localities
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