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Katherine, Northern Territory

July 25th 2008 12:31

Katherine Museum and the Cutta Cutta Cave

(through one traveller’s eyes)

Most tourists who visit Katherine take a ‘must do’ tour to the beautiful, well known Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. Before I visited Katherine I had never heard about its Museum or about the Cutta Cutta Cave. If you visit Katherine and have the time both of these places are worth a visit.

Katherine Outback Heritage Museum:
This is one of the best Museums I have visited. The excellent displays are well set out, interesting and educational. The Museum is located at the original Katherine aerodrome and some of the displays are in the original terminal building.

The first building we entered held an interesting and educational display of photographs, written facts and original equipment connected to the erection and use of the Overland Telegraph Line. The erection of this line, over 3000km from Adelaide to Darwin, was an amazing feat. Take into account the harsh, isolated Australian outback and it is even more amazing. On its completion it opened up communications between the north and south of the continent. At first Morse Code was used to communicate along the Overland Telegraph Line. The first speaking unit was used in 1942.

Katherine Museum – the building that houses the Overland Telegraph Line display

Another building at the Museum houses a wealth of Aboriginal artefacts, original household equipment and information about early settlement.

Inside Katherine Outback Heritage Museum

It is worth a visit to the museum to read the story about a local icon, Sabu Peter Sing. His Mother belonged to the Wardaman People and his father was the Chinese cook at Delaware Station. When still a young boy he was given to Tom Fisher, so he embraced three cultures. He grew up to become “a very well respected bushman, cattleman, horse breaker, stockman and local legend.” (Katherine Outback Heritage Museum). There is an impressive bronze statue of Sabu at the southern entrance to Katherine, next to the Information Centre.

Bronze statue of Sabu Peter Sing

We spent a long time absorbing the impressive array of rural machinery which is exhibited indoors and outdoors at this Museum.

Part of rural machinery display, Katherine Outback Heritage Museum

I was especially interested in the original (De Havilland) Gypsy Moth exhibit. This plane was flown by Dr Clyde Fenton, who pioneered the Flying Doctor service to this remote area, and his colourful story is told with a fine display of words and photos. This plane was the fourth one used by Dr Fenton. The first three aircraft, which had been supplied by Dr Fenton himself to carry out his medical work, had all been ‘written off’ after crashes. Dr Clyde Fenton was employed as a medical officer of the Northern Territory Medical Service. He had to “provide for himself and to maintain at his own expense a small aircraft which he could land on claypans, in horse paddocks, on country roads and sundry clearings to reach his outback patients, pioneer and Aboriginal” (preface ‘Flying Doctor’ by Clyde Fenton). This fourth plane was supplied by the Government and, for his work, had lots of improvements compared to the other planes he had used. Dr Fenton was awarded the OBE for outstanding services to the community. He must have been held in high esteem in the Northern Territory because wherever we travel we notice places that have been named after him.

Gypsy Moth plane, flown by Dr Clyde Felton

Gypsy Moth plane, flown by Flying Doctor, Dr Clyde Fenton

The exhibition about Dr Fenton made me so interested in his story I bought the book he wrote, “Flying Doctor” by Clyde Fenton, printed by the Northern Territory Government Printing Office. It is a good read.

We spent much longer at this Museum than we intended. My advice is, when you visit, allow at least half a day and, if you like reading, bring spare cash to purchase Dr Fenton’s book (from the Museum office building).

Cutta Cutta Caves:

Cutta Cutta Cave, Katherine, Northern Territory

We left Katherine to travel the 27 km to the Cutta Cutta Caves eager to see if, in reality, they were as beautiful as the photos on the brochures. We were not disappointed. Our first surprise was the long walk from the car park to the entrance to the cave. The plaques along the way made the walk interesting and informative and prepared us for our visit into the cave. The cave is a series of limestone caverns and is about 700 metres long. At one point the passage became very narrow, but certainly not difficult to negotiate. Entrance to the cave is by guided tour and the guide provided interesting and educational information as we progressed through the cave, with ample time for photos. Stalactites, stalagmites and other formations create stunning viewing. We were told that five species of bats, including the rare ghost bat and horseshoe bat live in the cave, but we didn’t see any. They live further into the cave than we were allowed, and remain undisturbed by human presence. Some of the formations in the cave glittered, as if tinsel had been sprinkled over them. The caves have been named after this phenomenon – ‘cutta’ meaning ‘stars’ in one Aboriginal language.

Katherine has many other very interesting places to visit like the Springvale Homestead.

Springvale Homestead, Katherine

Springvale Homestead was built in the 1880’s on the bank of the Katherine River. It is the oldest standing homestead in the Northern Territory. We arrived at 3pm in time for the daily talk and listened with interest about its history and the families who have lived here.

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