Place Names Register Extract

Stapleton

Extract date: 07/06/2026

Name Stapleton
Type Designation Locality
Place Id 2079
Place Type Administrative Area
Status Registered
Date Registered 29 October 1997
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -13° 11' S (Decimal degrees -13.1935)
Longitude: 131° 01' E (Decimal degrees 131.0258)
Locality / Suburb  
  (None Found)
Local Government Area  
  Coomalie Community Council
History/Origin This locality takes its name from the Stapleton Creek which was named by Surveyor G McMinn after James L Stapleton, a field operator during the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line and later Officer in Charge of the Port Darwin Telegraph Station, during 1871. Stapleton as Senior Telegraph Operator at Barrow Creek was speared on 22 February 1874 and died the following day, aged 41 years.

As with Collett Creek and Rum Jungle, during the late 1870s Stapleton Creek was the site of a hotel Our House Hotel with Edward D Matthews as proprietor from June 1874. It was 67 kilometres from Southport.

In the early period of the North Australian Railway, trains stopped at Stapleton Creek. During the early 1900s, a siding was placed at Stapleton Creek, expanded during the War to a loop line which continued in use as an ore train crossing point in the early 1970s.

Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
29/10/1997 NTG43

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

© Northern Territory of Australia
The Northern Territory of Australia does not warrant that the information in this extract or any part of it is correct or complete and will not be liable for any loss damage or injury suffered by any person as a result of its inaccuracy or incompleteness. You are encouraged to notify any error or omission in the material by calling the Place Names Section.