Mataranka - Capital of the Never Never

The township of Mataranka is two kilometres from Mataranka Cabins. It's a small town steeped in the history of the Northern Territory, resting quietly alongside the Stuart Highway with a population of around 250 people.
All main services are available in Mataranka - fuel, supermarket, hotel and accommodation. The main employment industries in Mataranka are Government (Police, Health, National Parks), Tourism and the Lime Mine (10 km south of the town).
	History: Elsey was the first European settlement in the area. Elsey Station was made famous in Mrs Aeneas Gunn’s book, ‘We of the Never Never’ and Mataranka has since become known as the capital of the Never Never. The original Elsey Cemetery (left) can still be seen, south of the town.
Mataranka came into being in the early part of the 20th Century. In 1911 the Commonwealth took over responsibility for what was the “Northern Territory of South Australia” and the first Commonwealth Administrator, John Gilruth, was much taken by the country around Bitter Springs. By 1920 he established research farms around the present site of Mataranka in a failed attempt to introduce sheep. Gilruth proposed Mataranka (he coined the town name after a stint in New Zealand) as the ‘Inland Capital of the Northern Territory’ because he considered Darwin’s marine climate to be ‘not suitable for ladies and children’. Visionary though Gilruth may have been, Mataranka as a seat of administration never came to fruition. In 1927 the North Australian Railway reached Mataranka and the small town’s ongoing existence as railhead and service centre for the surrounding pastoral industry was ensured. Today: A walk through the town’s parklands shows some of the history of the region in locally produced statues. The Mataranka Thermal Springs are a short drive out of town and a replica of the old Elsey homestead can be seen here. In town, the Stockyard Gallery has NT produced artworks on display. There is a museum in town and visiting hours can be requested from the Community Council office. Aboriginal Artwork can be purchased from either the Stockyard Gallery or the Gemstone Shop (beside the supermarket). Barramundi fish can be seen being fed twice a day in a dam beside the Territory Manor restaurant. Admission is free.