History

Borroloola and the Gulf

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Borroloola was first gazetted as a township in 1885, at which time it was considered a lawless outpost where illegal activities such as smuggling and illicit alcohol running proliferated.

Heritage Trail

The Heritage Trail starts at the O’Shea and Johnson Graves on Robinson Road and leads visitors on an interesting journey into Borroloola’s past. Explore original homestead sites, visit graves of pioneers and stroll by the picturesque McArthur River.

Historic Graves

There are a number of historic graves in and around Borroloola – most of them of early pioneers and characters of the region. Discovering and reading the inscriptions on the graves makes for an interesting historical insight. The most unusual headstone is that of William Sayle, one of the first drovers in the Northern Territory. There are also graves in the bush around the town.

Old Police Station Museum

The Borroloola Museum houses an exhibition dedicated to the police presence in Borroloola in the late 1800s and a collection of artefacts, documents and photographs outlining Aboriginal history, the Macassan visits of the early 1900s and European exploration. Open seasonally May to September. Entry fees apply.