In 1864, the year after
South Australia was granted control over the Northern Territory, the
South Australian government decided that settlement of the area was desirable and sent a surveying and settlement expedition under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
Boyle Travers Finniss, a former
Premier of South Australia. He had been instructed to establish the settlement at Adam Bay and chose the Escape Cliffs site despite disagreements with other members of his party. It was intended to cover settlement costs through sales of land, much of which had already been presold to speculators and intending settlers even before the expedition reached the site and began their survey work. Finniss believed that the site could produce tropical vegetation and would be suitable for wool-growing and cattle farming. After a confused start, following an abortive initial move to another site some 65 km up the Adelaide River, the establishment work at Escape Cliffs began. Problems included incursions by the local
Marananggu people (which culminated in the spearing of several horses and men, murder of two Aborigines and one settler), and the unsuitability of the land due to
tidal flooding and poor drainage in the
wet season, exacerbated by personal jealousies, poor leadership and the need for constant vigilance, resulted in ongoing disputes and deteriorating morale. Following complaints and unfavourable reports to the South Australian government, notably by
Dr. Goldsmith, Finniss was recalled in 1865, replaced by his second-in-command
Manton.
John McKinlay, who was sent by the government to assess the viability of Escape Cliffs or find a better site, in 1865, declared it worthless, Manton reported there was nothing they could usefully do there but guard their stores. In October 1866 Government ordered a recall of Manton and his men aboard the steamer
Eagle, Captain Hill, which left 11 January 1867, transhipped to the
Rangatira at Sydney, and arrived in Adelaide 2 February 1867. Two years later, following a better-organised expedition by
George Goyder, settlement began at what is now
Darwin. On 12 January 2000, a parcel of land at Escape Cliffs was listed on the
Northern Territory Heritage Register. ==See also==