Place Names Register Extract
Lansdowne
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Print Extract | Search Again| Name | Lansdowne |
|---|---|
| Type Designation | Suburb |
| Place Id | 22303 |
| Place Type | Administrative Area |
| Status | Registered |
| Date Registered | 3 April 2007 |
| Location (Datum GDA94) | |
| Latitude: -14° 25' S (Decimal degrees -14.4174) | |
| Longitude: 132° 23' E (Decimal degrees 132.3842) | |
| View Map | View in NT Atlas | View in Google Earth | |
| Locality / Suburb | |
| (None Found) | |
| Local Government Area | |
| Katherine Town Council | |
| History/Origin | The suburb of Lansdowne in Katherine is named in commemoration of Frank Lansdowne (1907-1989) and Anne Pascoe Lansdowne (née Dalkin) (1909-1973), who played a significant role in the agricultural and social development of the Katherine region over four decades. Frank Lansdowne was born in 1907 and raised in Goulburn, New South Wales. He left school at age 13 and headed to the Gulf Country, where he gained extensive pastoral experience. Over the years, he managed several sheep and cattle properties, including the renowned Segenhoe Thoroughbred Stud in New South Wales. In 1931, he married Anne Dalkin, originally from Wollongong, and they had two children - Keith (born 1933) and Ruth (born 1935). After visiting Katherine in 1955, Frank decided to settle in Katherine and purchased land along the riverbank that included the site of the historic Old Sportsman Arms Hotel. Together, he and Anne established Kumbidgee Station, where they founded a Brahman cattle stud that would become an important part of the region's pastoral development. Their work supported the wider adoption of the Brahman breed in the Top End, known for its resilience in tropical climates. Frank also worked closely with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to develop plant and livestock breeds suited to the Territory's conditions. His collaboration with CSIRO helped shape more sustainable agricultural practices in the north. The Old Sportsman Arms Hotel originally operated near the Overland Telegraph Line crossing and repeater station, established by Bernard Murphy in 1888. In 1893, Murphy sold the hotel and general store to P.R. Allen and Co., who appointed Tom Pearce - famed as the 'Mine Host' from We of the Never Never - as manager. Anne Lansdowne became the landlord of the Mine Host?s hotel from the mid 1950s until her death in 1973. During this time, the hotel was a well-known community hub amid a period of growth in the region. Sources: (1996, October 17) Debates Day 3 - Thursday 17 October 1996. Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, Darwin (NT). Retrieved 2025, October 15, from https://hdl.handle.net/10070/414089. Estbergs, E. (1980). Frank Lansdowne [Biographical entry]. Charles Darwin University. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://digitalcollections.cdu.edu.au/nodes/view/7863. [](https://www.katherinemuseum.com/our-town/the-gallon-licence-store?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Katherine Museum. (n.d.). *The Gallon Licence Store*. Katherine Museum. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.katherinemuseum.com/our-town/the-gallon-licence-store |
Register & Gazettal information
| Date | Gazettal | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 03/04/2007 | Date of Registration | |
| 04/04/2007 | NTG 14 | Notice of Naming |