Normanton, Queensland

A charming town near the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Location: 712 km west of Cairns; 681 km west of Townsville; 69km east of Karumba; 356km east of Northern Territory border; 151km west of Croydon.
Origin of name: Frederick Walker, one of the many explorers who went looking for Burke and Wills, discovered and named the Norman River after the captain of a ship named Victoria. The town takes its name from the river.
Brief history: The area was first explored by Ludwig Leichhardt on his epic journey from the Darling Downs to Port Essington. Burke and Wills then made their final dash to the Gulf only 26 km west of the town in 1861. Plaques mark the location of their Camp No 119. During the return journey all 16 expedition members died with the exception of John King who survived with the assistance of a friendly Aboriginal tribe. In 1867 William Landsborough sailed up the Norman River and chose the site for the settlement of Normanton. It soon developed as a port for the Gulf of Carpentaria's cattle industry. It grew in importance with the discovery of gold at Croydon in 1885 when it began to rival Darwin as the main centre on the north coast of Australia.
Natural features: Gulf of Carpentaria; Carron River; Norman River; Mitchell and Alice River National Park; Staaten River National Park
Built features: the Purple Pub; Albion Hotel
Heritage features: Bank of NSW (1896); The Gulflander railway and the Railway Station (1891)