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Centenary of the Northern TerritoryPrint Page 
The drinking fountain commemorates the centenary of the Northern Territory from 1860 to 1960. It was erected by family members in memory of pioneer settlers Timothy & Catherine O`Shea. The fountain is no longer functioning and an additional plaque was placed on the top of the structure in 2009 by descendants of the O`Shea family.
In 1860 John McDouall Stuart reached Central Mount Stuart in the Centre of the continent. In subsequent years he explored further northward, completing the south-north crossing in July, 1862. The explorations of Stuart eventually resulted in the 1863 annexation of a huge area of country to the Government of South Australia. This area became known as the Northern Territory.
In 1909, Timothy and Catherine (O’Keefe) O`Shea arrived in Port Darwin ready to start prospecting for gold. They found their way to Pine Creek where they built a home and pegged down the rights to the Enterprise Mine. O`Shea then went on to build a billiard saloon, a hotel and worked on the railway line from Pine Creek to Emungalan from 1917 to 1926.
Location
| Address: | O`Shea Terrace, O`Shea Park, Katherine, 0850 |
|---|---|
| State: | NT |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -14.462786 Long: 132.260222 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Fountain |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Government |
| Sub-Theme: | State |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1860 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 1960 |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 1960 |
|---|
This fountain was erected by their family to the memory of Timothy and Catherine O`Shea.
Early settlers of the District and to commemorate the Northern Territory Centenary
1960.
Plaque :
To commemorate Tim and Catherine O`Shea
They arrived in Northern Territory on 10th May 1909.
From Ireland they passed this way
Pine Creek - Emungalan
Katherine - Birdum
Larrimah - Borroloola
Loved and respected by their many descendants
10 - 5 - 2009
Katherine N.T.
