Barkly Tableland

Barkly Tableland Northern Territory
Location of the Barkly Tablelands
Population	6,330 (2007)
• Density	0.0198/km2 (0.0512/sq mi)
Area	320,000 km2 (123,552.7 sq mi)
Territory electorate(s)	Barkly
Federal Division(s)	Lingiari
Localities around Barkly Tableland: Katherine Region Katherine Region Katherine Region Katherine Region Barkly Tableland Queensland Alice Springs Region Alice Springs Region Queensland

The Barkly Tableland is a rolling plain of grassland which runs from the eastern part of the Northern Territory into western Queensland. It is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory, Australia and covers 283,648 km², 21% of the Northern Territory. The Barkly Tableland runs parallel to the southern shore of the Gulf of Carpentaria, from about Mount Isa, Queensland to near Daly Waters.

William Landsborough, discovered the tableland and named it after Sir Henry Barkly, then governor of Victoria.

In 1877 the overlander, Nathaniel Buchanan and Sam Croker crossed the Barkly Tableland and rode on to the Overland Telegraph Line opening new land for settlement. It was not until the introduction of generous leasing arrangements on the Barkly in the late 1870s that the region became more settled.

In 1883, Harry Readford, one of the inspirations for the literary character Captain Starlight, drove a mob of cattle to the Barkly and subsequently established Brunette Downs (then called Corella Creek), with outstations at Anthony Lagoon and Cresswell Creek, for Macdonald, Smith and Co. In 1884, 2,500 cattle were driven to Brunette Downs and in 1885, Readford brought in 1,200 mixed cattle from Burketown. Other stations in the area include Alexandria, Mittiebah and Walhallow.

The Barkly Tableland rises to more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) near the Queensland and Northern Territory border. Black soil plains cover much of the Barkly Tableland. Rainfall in this inland area is low (350mm pa) and subject to extreme seasonal fluctuations with rains occurring from November to March during the hot (up to 40 °C) summer. Winters are cool and frost may occur, especially in the southern section of the plain in Queensland.