| Humpty Doo Northern Territory |
|||||||||||||
The Humpty Doo Hotel |
|||||||||||||
|
Humpty Doo
|
|||||||||||||
| Population: | 5,413 (2006)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 0836 | ||||||||||||
| Location: |
|
||||||||||||
| LGA: | Litchfield Municipality | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Goyder, Nelson | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Solomon | ||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Humpty Doo is a small town in Australia's Northern Territory, situated just south of the Arnhem Highway, approximately 40 km from Darwin. At the 2006 census, Humpty Doo had a population of 5,413.[1]
The locality of Humpty Doo is named after the station originally called ‘Umpity Doo’; however, origins of the name are uncertain. Three derivations have been suggested:
The town is known for agriculture experiments that have occurred. In 1954, after some experimentation by CSIRO, a joint Australia-U.S. company called Territory Rice Ltd. was formed with a plan to irrigate the subcoastal plain of the Adelaide River in order to commercially produce rice. The plan was a complete failure due to several factors, including an invasion of geese, soil that was too saline and an insufficient amount of drainage, all combined with poor management.[3] They gave up the land to the government in 1962. The Rice Project was 20 km east of the present town on part of the Humpty Doo Station where the name "Humpty Doo" was first used. The irrigation dam, called Fogg Dam, is still there and an attraction for bird watching.
A more successful agricultural experiment was the growing of mangos. Top quality fruit from Humpty Doo is picked earlier than Queensland mangos and fetches a top price in southern markets. There is a honey farm located in outer Humpty Doo, Humpty Doo Apiaries.
The town has an upper School—Taminmin High School/Taminmin Middle School—that takes students Years 7-12 from a wide area[4], as well as two Primary Schools—Humpty Doo Primary School and St. Francis of Asissi, both with pre-schools.
The Humpty Doo Hotel is well known and features in several bush ballads. Another tourist attraction is the Big Boxing Crocodile outside the United fuel station (formerly known as the Bush Shop). Graeme Gow's Reptile World has also been an attractive stop on the way to Kakadu.[3]
The town has seen much commercial and residential development in recent years, including the construction of a shopping centre, fire and emergency services station, as well as new schools and housing subdivisions. On the 21st of July, 2007, the town played host to the first of the 'Triple J goes AWOL' concerts, sponsored and organised by the national youth radio station Triple J.
Humpty Doo is also the home of the only Australian Professional Wrestler to ever get a World Wrestling Entertainment (then WWF) full time contract. Peter Stilsbury wrestled under the name Outback Jack in the WWE from 1986 to 1988. His character was that of an outback bushman in vein of Crocodile Dundee. To date he is the only Australian to get a full time WWE contract.
|
|||||||||||