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Lake Mary Ann

Coordinates: 19°36′36″S 134°12′42″E / 19.61°S 134.2117°E / -19.61; 134.2117
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Lake Mary Ann
Lake Mary Ann
Lake Mary Ann is located in Northern Territory
Lake Mary Ann
Lake Mary Ann
LocationWarumungu, Northern Territory[1]
Coordinates19°36′36″S 134°12′42″E / 19.61°S 134.2117°E / -19.61; 134.2117[1]
TypeReservoir
Primary outflowsMary Ann Creek
Catchment area5 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi)
Basin countriesAustralia
Surface area17.6 hectares (43 acres)
Max. depth7 metres (23 ft)
Water volume450 megalitres (16×10^6 cu ft)

Lake Mary Ann or Tingkkarli, previously known as Mary Ann Dam is situated about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia, just off the Stuart Highway. It is a man-made dam where some water sports can be conducted such as swimming or canoeing, surrounded by landscaped grassy areas on one side and natural bushland on the other.

History

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Waramungu people have lived in the area of Tingkkarli for thousands of years. After colonisation, it was pegged as mining lease GML441E by Nugget Wilson and Bill Howes and Harold Williams.[2][3] Wilson and Howes named the mine 'Mary Ann' after their respective daughters Mary Jean and Wendy Ann.[4] The nearby by watercourse then became known as Mary Ann Creek or Mary Ann Billabong.[5]

Originally the site was investigated with a view to increase the water supply for Tennant Creek and Peko Mine in the late 1940s, and later again in the mid-1950s. In 1977, local residents proposed that a recreational dam could be constructed close to Tennant Creek. The Northern Territory Government supported the proposal and construction commenced during 1979 and 1980.[6]

It was completed in April 1980, filled for the first time in January 1981, and was opened on 24 April 1981 by the Hon Ian Tuxworth and was originally called the Mary Ann Dam.[7][8]

The dam wall measures 11 metres (36 ft) high and 143 metres (469 ft) long and contains 17,000 cubic metres (600,000 cu ft) of rockfill. The impounded reservoir covers 17.6 hectares (43 acres) and holds a maximum of 450 megalitres (16×10^6 cu ft).[9]

In 2014, a Federal Court determined seven native title claims in the area of Lake Mary Ann covering 37,000 square kilometres (14,000 sq mi).[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Place Names Register Extract for Lake Mary Ann". NT Place Names Register. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  2. ^ "Around The Territory TENNANT CREEK NEWSLETTER". Northern Standard. Vol. 4, no. 148. Northern Territory, Australia. 25 March 1949. p. 4. Retrieved 2 December 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Advertising". Centralian Advocate. Vol. VIII, no. 369. Northern Territory, Australia. 2 July 1954. p. 4. Retrieved 2 December 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Mary Ann Dam". For Tennant Creekers. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  5. ^ "TENNANT CREEK NOTES". Centralian Advocate. Vol. VII, no. 339. Northern Territory, Australia. 4 December 1953. p. 17. Retrieved 2 December 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ Tennant Creek Town Council on Lake Mary Ann Archived 2005-06-23 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Plaque". Territory Stories (Photograph). 24 April 1981. hdl:10070/2832.
  8. ^ "Plaque - Mary Ann Dam". Territory Stories. hdl:10070/2832. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  9. ^ D Lloyd; S. Townsend. "Water Quality of Mary Ann Dam". Territory Stories. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Federal Court determines Native Title". Northern Land Council. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2023.