Place Names Register Extract
Notley Place
If you know of any information about this place name which does not appear in this extract, please let the Place Names Committee know by completing a submission form.
View in NT Atlas | Print Extract | Search Again| Name | Notley |
|---|---|
| Type Designation | Place |
| Place Id | 23461 |
| Place Type | Road |
| Status | Registered |
| Date Registered | 22 September 2008 |
| Locality / Suburb | |
| Parap | |
| Local Government Area | |
| Darwin City Council | |
| History/Origin | Notley Place is named in commemoration of Lila Mary Notley (1928-2005) and Thomas Edward (Ted) Notley (1922-2003), who came to Darwin in 1956. Ted worked as a technician and was responsible for the Overseas Telecommunications Commission (OTC) complex formerly located on the site. According to records considered when the name was approved, power outages sometimes required Ted to reset the telephone system, at times on a daily basis. Living nearby in Elsey Street, Parap, he would walk across to the complex to restore the system. This continued until technological improvements following Cyclone Tracy made the task unnecessary. Lila was a prominent Darwin businesswoman and was active in tourism and community organisations. Following Cyclone Tracy, she played a leading role in the Back to Darwin celebrations, organised to encourage Australians to return to Darwin and see the city's rebuilding. Contemporary reporting in 1978 identified Lila as co-ordinator of the Back to Darwin Committee and recorded that her souvenir shop had been among the first to reopen following the cyclone. Place Names Register records also state that Lila and her sister operated a tourist souvenir business in Knuckey Street before moving to the Stuart Highway, where they established the Pink Buffalo as a promotional feature intended to attract travellers entering Darwin. The Big Pink Buffalo subsequently became a distinctive Stuart Highway landmark and was used in advertising for the Buffalo Shed, a souvenir and tourist information business. During the 1980s, Lila was involved in community health promotion, including the NT Health Society and the establishment of Life Education in the Northern Territory. The Life Education program, based on the concept developed by Reverend Ted Noffs of Sydney's Wayside Chapel, used a specially equipped mobile facility to provide health education to school children. Later records identify Lila as the founder of Life Education in the Northern Territory. Following her retirement from business, Lila continued her community involvement, particularly in health education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Her contribution was recognised through a number of honours and awards including the NT Achiever Award in 1991. Sources: Notley, Lila Mary. Lila Mary Notley. Retrieved 2026, October 29, from https://hdl.handle.net/10070/218102. Darwin's throwing a party and all Australia is invited (1978, April 19). The Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), p. 11. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57644447 Stone Family in Australia. (1996, December 5). Chief Ministers Reception Celebrating Volunteers. Shane L. Stone Archive. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from https://www.stonefamilyinaustralia.com.au/shane_stone/archive_items/6850 |
Register & Gazettal information
| Date | Gazettal | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 22/09/2008 | Added to Register | |
| 01/10/2008 | NTG 39 |