A town under the local government area of Coomalie Shire in New South Wales, Batchelor is situated approximately 98 kilometres southeast of the state capital of Darwin, 40.2 kilometres northwest of Adelaide River and 11.3 kilometres east of Rum Jungle. The first settlers and traditional landowners of the area surrounding the town were the Kungarakany and Warrai Aboriginal groups. The town began as a demonstration farm with an associated railway siding that was established to look into the economic potential of the Northern Territory after South Australia handed it over in 1911. In 1912, it was eventually named after Lee Batchelor, the first minister who held responsibility for the Northern Territory. Today, education, horticulture and...
A town under the local government area of Coomalie Shire in New South Wales, Batchelor is situated approximately 98 kilometres southeast of the state capital of Darwin, 40.2 kilometres northwest of Adelaide River and 11.3 kilometres east of Rum Jungle. The first settlers and traditional landowners of the area surrounding the town were the Kungarakany and Warrai Aboriginal groups. The
A town under the local government area of Coomalie Shire in New South Wales, Batchelor is situated approximately 98 kilometres southeast of the state capital of Darwin, 40.2 kilometres northwest of Adelaide River and 11.3 kilometres east of Rum Jungle. The first settlers and traditional landowners of the area surrounding the town were the Kungarakany and Warrai Aboriginal groups. The town began as a demonstration farm with an associated railway siding that was established to look into the economic potential of the Northern Territory after South Australia handed it over in 1911. In 1912, it was eventually named after Lee Batchelor, the first minister who held responsibility for the Northern Territory. Today, education, horticulture and tourism are the major industries and employment avenues in Batchelor. The town also serves as a gateway for travellers heading to the Litchfield National Park, which is visited by about 280,000 visitors annually. Other places of interest in the area include the Batchelor Butterfly and Bird Farm, a handful of resorts, a holiday park and the Coomalie Cultural Centre.