A baobad tree 63 km west of Timber Creek

Timber Creek
Small town on the road from Katherine to the Kimberley.
Located on the Victoria Highway 285 km west of Katherine and 193 km east of the border between the Northern Territory and Western Australia, Timber Creek is a small centre which is rapidly growing in importance as a major stopping point on the journey from the Kimberleys to the Territory.

In 1855 the explorer A. C. Gregory, who was financially backed by the Colonial Office to explore the area, sailed from Moreton Bay around the coast of Queensland and the Northern Territory and up the estuary of the Victoria River. Gregory's boat was wrecked at the site of Timber Creek. It is claimed that Gregory named the site Timber Creek after he had cut some timber to repair the hole in his vessel. The site of Gregory's camp , known as Gregory's Tree Reserve, can still be found to the west of the town. It is distinguished by a cairn. The baobad tree with the date 'July 2nd 1856' clearly carved in it can be accessed from a track which runs from the cairn on the Victoria Highway to the tree which is located at the riverside. The inscription on the cairn reads: 'Gregory's Tree. Sailing from Moreton Bay the North Australian expedition landed at the Victoria River and proceeded upstream establishing their main base camp near here in October 1855. Over a period of eight months Augustus Charles Gregory with various numbers of the expedition explored large areas of the Victoria River catchment and penetrated nearly 500 km south along Sturt Creek to the edge of the Great Sandy Desert.'

Gregory, who was one of the many believers in an 'inland sea' continued his explorations following Sturt's Creek for over 500 km until it disappeared into the sands of the desert. He then pushed east and explored the Elsey, Roper and McArthur Rivers. In sixteen months he travelled over 8000 km.

The subsequent settlement of the area resulted in Timber Creek becoming an important port for the surrounding cattle stations particularly Victoria River Downs Station which was, at one time, the largest pastoral enterprise in Australia. Remnants of the Victoria River Depot including the landing, stores and some graves can still be seen on the banks of the river a few kilometres to the west of the town near the Timber Creek Aerodrome. The river was used from 1884 (when the first Victoria Downs Homestead was built and when Wave Hill station was first settled) until the 1930s when road transport made it redundant.

Timber Creek Wayside Inn

Things to see:  

Timber Creek Police Station
The old Timber Creek Police Station, which was built in 1908, is a fine example of the public architecture of the time. With its well covered verandahs and its determination to keep out the worst of the tropical heat it is an indication of what life must have been like in the town at the turn of the century. Located to the west of the town it is now owned by the National Trust.

Gregory National Park
Today Timber Creek is a popular place for barramundi fishermen. The opening of nearby Gregory National Park (see Victoria River) and the boat tours through the park which depart from Timber Creek (telephone (08) 8975 0850) have done much to make the settlement much more than a roadside stopover point.

	Motels
	Circle F Caravan Park & Motel Victoria Hwy Timber Creek NT 0852 Telephone: (08) 8975 0722 Facsimile: (08) 8975 0772
	Timber Creek Wayside Inn Victoria Hway Timber Creek NT 0852 Telephone: (08) 8975 0732 Facsimile: (08)8975 0873
	Hotels
	Timber Creek Hotel Victoria Hwy Timber Creek NT 0852 Telephone: (08) 8975 0722 Facsimile: (08) 8975 0722
	Caravan Parks
	Circle F Caravan Park & Motel Victoria Hwy Timber Creek NT 0852 Telephone: (08) 8975 0722 Facsimile: (08) 8975 0772
	Timber Creek Wayside Inn & Caravan Park Victoria Hway Timber Creek NT 0852 Telephone: (08) 8975 0732 Facsimile: (08) 8975 0873
	Restaurants
	Circle F Caravan Park & Motel Victoria Hwy Timber Creek NT 0852 Telephone: (08) 8975 0722 Facsimile: (08) 8975 0772
	Timber Creek Hotel Victoria Hwy Timber Creek NT 0852 Telephone: (08) 8975 0722 Facsimile: (08) 8975 0722
	Timber Creek Wayside Inn & Caravan Park Victoria Hway Timber Creek NT 0852 Telephone: (08) 8975 0732