Berry Springs is a locality in the

Northern Territory of Australia The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

. The locality is a mostly rural area situated on the Cox Peninsula Road and is sparsely populated. A few businesses and a school are located in the locality. In the , the population of Berry Springs was 818. It is located by road from the

Darwin central business district Darwin City (also referred to as ''Darwin city centre'' or ''The CBD'') is a suburb in Darwin, Northern Territory, metropolitan Darwin which comprises the original settlement, the central business district, parkland and other built-up areas. It ...

and lies within the

Litchfield Municipality The Litchfield Council is a local government area of the Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of ...

local government area.

History

The location is known as Laniyuk by the Indigenous Kungarakany people. The name Berry Springs derives from Berry Creek, named by the

Surveyor General of South Australia The Surveyor General of South Australia (also stylised Surveyor-General) is a position originally created for the Surveyor General for the colony of South Australia. The post is held by an official responsible for government surveying Sur ...

George Goyder George Woodroffe Goyder (24 June 1826 – 2 November 1898) was a surveyor in the Colony of South Australia during the latter half of the nineteenth century. He rose rapidly in the civil service, becoming Assistant Surveyor-General by 1856 ...

, in 1870, after his chief draftsman, Edwin Berry. Most early development of the area was concentrated around the thriving town of

Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...

at the confluence of the Blackmore and Darwin Rivers. In 1889, a station named Southport opened on the

North Australia Railway The North Australia Railway was a narrow gauge railway in the Northern Territory of Australia which ran from the territory capital of Darwin, once known as Palmerston, to Birdum, just south of Larrimah. Initially its name was the ''Palmerst ...

, on the road between that town and Berry Springs. The location soon declined in importance however. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, over 100,000 service personnel were deployed to the Litchfield area. A low weir was built across Berry Creek to provide a swimming pool as part of a rest and recreation camp for troops, and it is still a popular swimming venue.NRETAS Websit
Berry Springs Nature Park
,

Northern Territory Government The Northern Territory Government is the executive branch of the Northern Territory. The Government of Northern Territory was formed in 1978 with the granting of self-government to the Territory. The Northern Territory is a territory of the Co ...

Economy

A aquaculture complex, known as ARDA-Tek

Barramundi The barramundi (''Lates calcarifer''), Asian sea bass, or giant sea perch (also known as dangri, apahap or siakap) is a species of catadromous fish in the family Latidae of the order Carangiformes. The species is widely distributed in the I ...

Farm was established in 1998 in the locality. It employs three full-time staff. In addition to supplying fish for seafood wholesale, there is a research program aimed at managing disease and creating cheaper, high protein food sources to increase the quality of the fingerlings produced by the farm. The farm offers recreational fishing and tours for visitors, further contributing to tourism and the local economy.

Infrastructure

Education

There is one public primary school located in Berry Springs,

Berry Springs Primary School A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the culi ...

. The school caters to students in Transition to Year 6. A pre-school also operates on the site. There were 217 students enrolled as of August 2010. The current principal is Leah Crockford.DEET Schools Director
School Profile

There are no secondary schools in the suburb, but the Darwin rural area is served by Taminmin College in

Humpty Doo Humpty Doo is a town in Australia's Northern Territory, situated just south of the Arnhem Highway, approximately 40 km from Darwin. At the , Humpty Doo had a population of 4,313 people. Its local government area is Litchfield Municipality ...

for students studying in Years 7–12.

Attractions

The

Territory Wildlife Park The Territory Wildlife Park is a zoo at Berry Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia, some (about a 45 minutes drive) south of Darwin. It opened in 1989. Situated on 400 ha of natural bushland, it contains native animals and plants ...

is a zoo located in the locality. The Berry Springs Nature Park is a public recreation area that includes bushwalking trails, picnic areas and a kiosk where refreshments are available. The park is centred on the springs and catchment which are the source of water for Berry Creek. The clear waters of the pools created by the springs are ideal for observing the aquatic life within, and access is provided for swimming to escape the tropical heat. Information displays are provided detailing the native plants, wildlife and history of the area. The park is open all year round, but during the months of October – April may be closed for swimming depending on local conditions.

References

External links

{{Litchfield Municipality Suburbs and Towns Suburbs of Darwin, Northern Territory