Newcastle Waters – Overview & Things to See and Do

Overview

Elliot is a small, friendly regional centre and cattle town. There are roadhouses, pub and accommodation, a well stocked shop, Police Station, medical Centre and repair workshop. Nearby Lake woods is on private property and restricted to the public.

History

The site of Elliott was originally named No. 8 Bore Newcastle Waters and serviced the cattle station of the same name. It became a classic example of a township built by the military in 1940 and was occupied by the Darwin Overland Maintenance Force, whose task it was to run huge convoys between the Alice Springs and Larrimah railheads during the Second World War. Named after Lieutenant ‘Snow’ Elliott, who established No. 7 Australian Personnel Staging Camp in the area, the new township had three officers and 81 ‘other ranks’. War veterans who served in the Northern Territory will have fond memories of Elliott. They rested here on their trip from Alice Springs or from Mt isa before being.sent north as part of an enormous military build up against the Japanese. EIliott eventually acquired the capacity to shelter 1500 men and boasted a thriving vegetable garden kept green with bore water.

Overview: Newcastle Waters

Located 3km west of the Stuart Highway, this semi- abandoned old droving township declined with the introduction of road trains to transport cattle. Infrastructure is still used by local pastoral houses but in a limited capacity. Well worth visiting to appreciate an outback lifestyle in a harsh and uncompromising environment.

Things to See and Do

Murranji Stock Route
The Murranji is one of the most famous stock routes in Australia. The Murranji is a narrow track extending for 230 kilometres through dense lancewood to Old Top Springs. Known as the Ghost of the Drovers, it was the toughest track of them all. The Muranji was infamous for its lack of water and the unreliability of what water there was. It is still used and the first section doubles as a challenging 4wd Track.