Place Names Register Extract

Davenport Creek

Extract date: 20/05/2024

Name Davenport Creek
Type Designation Stream
Place Id 12235
Place Type Feature
Status Registered
Date Registered 5 August 1959
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -23° 37' S (Decimal degrees -23.6333)
Longitude: 132° 34' E (Decimal degrees 132.5833)
Locality / Suburb  
  Mount Zeil
Local Government Area  
  MacDonnell Shire Council
History/Origin Exploration Plan 4, by Chewing, 1886, shows the name "The Davenport".

Tietken's in his journal published as SAPP 111 of 1890 states:
Wednesday, April l0 [1889] - Camp 10 Mount Sonder .... Interviewing the most intelligent natives I ascertained the native names of the principal local geographical features to be:-- Mount Sonder, Oorichipima; Mount Razorback, Ooratunda; Mount Giles, Um-bat-thera; Davenport Creek, Indianana, Haast's Bluff range, Nyurla; Mount Zeil, Willatrika; Mount Crawford, Mareena; creek under Mount Sonder, Oorachilpilla. Oora means fire.....

Later in his journal Tietken's writes:
Monday, May 27th I named the Davenport Hills, after Sir Samuel Davenport, KCMG., &c.,president of the South Australian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society.

The map of Tietken' s accompanying the SAPP does not show the name Davenport Creek.

Baldwin in his report on the Horn Expedition (published 1896) states on page 102:-
...in the valley of the Davenport Creek... ... the Davenport and Ormiston Creeks, forming the main sources of the Finke ...

From the above information Davenport Creek is believed to have been named after Sir Samuel Davenport(1818-1906) by Chas Chewing in 1886.

Spencer on the map within "Wanderings in Wild Australia, Vol 1" (1929) mentions Davenport Creek.

Name Changes
Although the stream was officially named Davenport Creek in NT Gazette 34 of 5 August 1959 a letter from the Lands & Survey Branch to National Mapping in November 1962 requested the name should read Davenport River. National Mappings show Davenport Creek on their 1961 250K Series R502 Ed 1 Hermannsburg Sheet whilst it appears as Davenport River on the 1978 250K Series R502 Ed 2 Hermannsburg Sheet. Nomenclature checking of the sheet in 1988 prior to the publication of the 1989 250K Series 1501 Ed 1 Hermannsburg Sheet changed the name back to Davenport Creek.

Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
05/08/1959 NTG34

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