Mary River – which Stuart originally thought was the Adelaide River! | Tourism NT
Kakadu has been home to Aboriginal people for around 50,000 years, so white fellas are real newcomers to this part of the world. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that European explorers started leading expeditions into this area.
An explorer named John McDouall Stuart was the first to lead a successful expedition across the Australian continent from south to north and he came through Kakadu towards the end of his journey.
The plaque commemorating Stuart at Mary River Roadhouse
Two historical markers have just been unveiled inside Kakadu National Park, recording the passage of Stuart and his companions in the July dry season of 1862. Look out for them when you visit – one is on the Kakadu Highway where it crosses the Mary River near the Mary River Roadhouse, and the other is on the Arnhem Highway, east of where it crosses the Mary River at the Bark Hut Inn.
Tracey, Kakadu National Park
Like this? Try these
