Place Names Register Extract

Surveyor Generals Corner

Extract date: 06/06/2026

Name Surveyor Generals Corner
Type Designation Monument
Place Id 18743
Place Type Point of Interest
Status Recorded
Date Registered
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -25° 59' S (Decimal degrees -25.99861)
Longitude: 129° 00' E (Decimal degrees 129.00183)
Locality / Suburb  
  Petermann
Local Government Area  
  MacDonnell Shire Council
History/Origin Surveyor Generals Corner, the corner where the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia meet, is named to commemorate the three state and Territory Surveyor Generals who met at the junction of the 3 jurisdiction boundaries on 4 June 1968 for the erection of a monument at the corner.

In June 1963 work began on the survey of the S.A.- N.T. border and the possibility of large scale mineral discovery and development in the area caused this to be extended to the W.A. border. The requirement in the 1922 Boundary Agreement, that the W.A. border be defined by lines running true north and south from the independently fixed points at Deakin and Argyle, precluded the possibility of these lines meeting exactly. Precise survey methods confirmed this and two monuments, approximately 127 metres apart, were erected at the junction of boundaries on 4 June 1968. This ceremony was attended by the respective Surveyor Generals; H.Camm from W.A., H.A.Bailey from S.A., and P.J.Wells from N.T. The monument common to all three territories (is the eastern) was named Surveyor Generals Corner at the suggestion of the Director of National Mapping.

As the traditional spelling of the title is Surveyor-General, although common usage these days has omitted the hyphen. The plural of a hyphenated title like this places the 's' after the last word hence 'there are many Surveyor-Generals'.

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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