Place Names Register Extract

Fort Hill

Extract date: 08/06/2026

Name Fort Hill
Type Designation Hill
Place Id 12940
Place Type Feature
Status Historical
Date Registered
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -12° 28' S (Decimal degrees -12.469193)
Longitude: 130° 50' E (Decimal degrees 130.844904)
Locality / Suburb  
  Darwin City
Local Government Area  
  Darwin City Council
History/Origin The hill on the harbour's edge got its name in 1869 as it was the location of the flag pole above "The Camp" (Goyder's survey headquarters) established in the saddle between the hill and the plateau which was to become the site of the town of Palmerston / Port Darwin.

On 28 May 1869, Draftsman JWO Bennett, a member of Goyder's survey party was buried at the top of Fort Hill. Bennett's died of injuries resulting from being speared in the back a few days earlier whilst working at the survey camp established at Freds Pass.

In June, Richard Hazard, a cook aged 42 years, working with a survey party in the South Arm area became ill and was transported back to the Camp. On 9 August 1869, he died of Rheumatism, and was buried in Bennett's grave on Fort Hill.

The hill was levelled in the 1960s to provide material to fill in part of the bay between Fort and Stokes Hills, and Bennett's and Hazard's remains were exhumed and reburied at Darwin General Cemetery (McMillans Rd).

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Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
  (None Found)  

The Northern Territory Gazetteer is maintained by the Place Names Section,
Department of Lands, Planning and Environment.
GPO Box 1680, Darwin NT 0801. Ph 08 8995 5333.
place.names@nt.gov.au

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