Place Names Register Extract

Lake Woods

Extract date: 05/06/2026

Name Lake Woods
Type Designation Inter. Lake
Place Id 14328
Place Type Feature
Status Recorded
Date Registered
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -17° 49' S (Decimal degrees -17.8333)
Longitude: 133° 31' E (Decimal degrees 133.5167)
Locality / Suburb  
  Pamayu
Local Government Area  
  Barkly Shire Council
History/Origin Ringwood 1872 plan of the OT Line shows "Lake Woods".

It is believed that the lake was named during the construction of the OT Line after AT Woods . Woods who was in charge of construction of Section D (Davenport to Reynolds Ranges - to the south) of the OT Line, whilst RR Knuckey had Section A (further south). Woods was a Lands Department surveyor.

Prior to the OT Line the only known exploration of this area was J McDouall Stuart in 1861. Stuart does not mention the lake in his journal although when his route is overliad onto current mapping he went along the eastern edge of the lake.

Linklater in "Gather no Moss", 1968 on page 96 writes:

" One day in 1894 on our return from Pine Creek where we had taken several hundred bullocks, Steve Lewis thought we deserved a holiday. So we decided to ride round Lake Woods which, so Steve told me , had never been explored on its western side.

It was in sight of this lake that on of the OT Line construction parties sat for three days, perishing from thirst, determined not to yield to a mirage. When he was deliries, one man finally stagged off and fell into the water - salvation for himself and his mates. The lake was named after the leader of the party, A T Woods... When Stuart first crossed it he was unaware that the area was a lake, given the right conditions."

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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