Place Names Register Extract

Bellamack

Extract date: 18/10/2025

Name Bellamack
Type Designation Suburb
Place Id 2010
Place Type Administrative Area
Status Registered
Date Registered 5 December 2001
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -12° 30' S (Decimal degrees -12.5151)
Longitude: 130° 58' E (Decimal degrees 130.983)
Locality / Suburb  
  (None Found)
Local Government Area  
  Palmerston City Council
History/Origin This original Palmerston suburb is named after a local Larrakia Aboriginal of 1870 mentioned in Surveyor-General Goyder's papers on the early survey expedition and the settlement of Palmerston (now Darwin). One of the first Aboriginal people to welcome Goyder, Bellamuck ("Billiamook" or by his nickname "Billy Muck") gave W W Hoare, the Doctor's assistant, a necklace of red beads when the party first arrived on the "Moonta" in 1869. He gave help to the surveyors, standing between Schultze, the botanist, and a group of the tribe with spears who were demanding food (the remains of an emu). Saving the life of Schultze, he was described as "a handsome, well built Aboriginal whose intelligence was outstanding among his tribe and was well liked by all the members of the expedition who encountered him."

The Northern Territory Times recorded his movements around Port Darwin over the years and in 1882 he was sworn in before the Court as an interpreter for the Larrakia Aboriginal people. He and "Umballa", another Larrakia, travelled widely including to Adelaide. Bellamuck disembarked on return from Adelaide in the uniform of the Adelaide Volunteers.

Bellamuck was described by Wildey in "Wildey's Australasia and the Oceanic Region" (1876) as "becoming a fluent speaker of English and one of the finest to demonstrate a remarkable ability to adopt to the European culture whilst retaining his responsibilities as a Larrakia."

Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
17/10/1984 NTG41
05/12/2001 NTG48 Revocation of 17/10/1984 gazettal and renaming of suburb with slight changes to boundaries

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

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