Escape Cliffs | |
---|---|
Location | Hotham, Northern Territory, Australia[1] |
Coordinates | 12°08′S 131°15′E / 12.133°S 131.250°E |
Establishment | 1864 |
Demolished | 1867 |
Owner | Limilngan-Wulna Aboriginal Corporation[2] |
Invalid designation | |
Official name | Escape Cliffs |
Designated | 12 January 2000 [1] |
Escape Cliffs is a place on the northern coast of the Northern Territory of Australia, on the western coast of the Cape Hotham peninsula, and the eastern shore of Adam Bay, near the mouth and estuary of the Adelaide River. It lies about 60 km north-east of Darwin and is located in the Cape Hotham sector of the Djukbinj National Park. It was named by John Lort Stokes of HMS Beagle after visiting the spot in 1840, and refers to an incident where he and Lieut. Helpman escaped with their lives after being attacked by hostile Aboriginal men.[3]
It was the site of the fourth of a series of four failed attempts to establish a permanent settlement in Australia's Top End. Previous attempts were at Fort Dundas, Fort Wellington and Port Essington. There is no road access, though it is sometimes visited by yachts.[4]