Place Names Register Extract

Mandorah

Extract date: 04/05/2026

Name Mandorah
Type Designation Locality
Place Id 2097
Place Type Administrative Area
Status Registered
Date Registered 4 December 2002
Location (Datum GDA94)  
Latitude: -12° 26' S (Decimal degrees -12.449432)
Longitude: 130° 45' E (Decimal degrees 130.757617)
Locality / Suburb  
  (None Found)
Local Government Area  
  Wagait Shire Council
History/Origin The name Mandorah first appears in records as an address in 1947, associated with a tourist guesthouse at West Point, across Darwin Harbour from Darwin. Contemporary newspapers indicate that the site operated as a recreational and fishing destination from at least 1947, with excursions served by motor launches, notably the Tropic Isle.

The guesthouse was originally operated by Alan John Hartwig (c1897-1968), a carpenter by trade, and his wife, Florence Isobel Hartwig. Alan Hartwig leased the land and managed the property, advertising Mandorah as a "serene and lovely" destination offering fishing, swimming, jungle walks, and weekend accommodation.

In September 1951, Northern Standard reports indicate that Tom Petherick had taken over the operation of the Mandorah guesthouse from the Hartwigs, announcing its reopening on 5 October 1951 and its continued operation year-round. Petherick was actively involved in transporting guests to and from Mandorah via the Tropic Isle, which was grounded on the rocks near the guesthouse during a sudden squall in December 1952.

The origins and meaning of the name Mandorah remain unclear though its early association is closely linked to the Hartwig guesthouse.

Sources:
-: Diana's Diary: (1947, April 11). Northern Standard (Darwin, NT : 1921 - 1955), p. 5. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49980672
Advertising (1950, July 7). Northern Standard (Darwin, NT : 1921 - 1955), p. 4. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49473832
DIANA'S DIARY (1951, September 28). Northern Standard (Darwin, NT : 1921 - 1955), p. 8. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49478516
60 m.p.h. SQUALL HITS DARWIN (1952, December 19). Northern Standard (Darwin, NT : 1921 - 1955), p. 6. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49472652

Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
04/12/2002 NTG48
03/04/2007 Revocation of NTG48 04/12/2002 gazettal and re-gazettal with new boundaries

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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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.