Normanton

History

The town sits in the traditional lands of the Gkuthaarn (Kareldi) and Kukatj people. The town takes its name from the Norman River, which was named in honour of William Henry Norman of the Victorian Naval Forces, who commanded the sloop HMCS Victoria in the search for the explorers Burke and Wills and also conducted hydrographic surveys of the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Torres Strait to identify reefs and other marine hazards. The new town of Norman was surveyed by George Phillips in December 1867 and was officially gazetted on 8 August 1868. It was seen as an alternative to Burketown which had issues with fever and flooding. Norman River Post Office opened on 13 June 1868 and was renamed Normanton by 1872. Normanton State School opened in September 1882. In January 1976 a secondary department was added to the school. The Burns Philp store, a general mercantile store and agency office, was opened in 1884. It is the oldest intact Burns Philp store in Queensland. Normanton grew slowly until the discovery of gold at Croydon in 1885 provided a major boost, attracting people from a variety of cultures, including Chinese people drawn to the gold fields. According to historian Sandi Robb there were 6 families of mixed heritage in Normanton. The town prosperity was assisted by the completion of the Normanton – Croydon railway in 1889 which saw Normanton becoming the acknowledged gateway to north-western Queensland. The new link was to bring both people and wealth to the area. The gold boom at Croydon was short-lived and the completion of the Townsville – Cloncurry railway in 1908, reduced Normanton's relative importance as a centre. Some Aboriginal groups in the region were moved on to cattle stations to provide labour, while other groups were more or less…

Geography

Normanton is in the Gulf Country region of northwest Queensland, just south of the Gulf of Carpentaria, on the Norman River in Queensland. It is a small cattle town and coastal locality, and administrative centre of the Shire of Carpentaria. The main street is Landsborough Street.

Most-observed species

• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  250
• Black Kite

  Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  248
• brolga

  Grus rubicunda (Perry, 1810) · Aves
  186
• Pied Stilt

  Himantopus leucocephalus Gould, 1837 · Aves
  172
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  172
• Magpie Goose

  Anseranas semipalmata (Latham, 1798) · Aves
  171
• Whistling Kite

  Haliastur sphenurus (Vieillot, 1818) · Aves
  170
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  154