Daly Waters

Daly Waters is a tiny settlement just off the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory, about 270 km south of Katherine and around 600 km south of Darwin. Its permanent population is very small, but thousands of travellers stop each dry season for the famous pub, the historic airfield and a slice of outback history. The area lies on the Country of the Jingili people and neighbouring groups.

Why Daly Waters is famous

The settlement owes its existence to water. John McDouall Stuart's expedition reached the area in 1862 on his successful crossing of the continent from south to north. A tree near the settlement is said to bear an "S" carved by his party. Ten years later the Overland Telegraph Line was built through here, with a repeater station, and Daly Waters became a stop for drovers moving cattle on the stock routes.

In the 20th century, Daly Waters gained an unexpected role in aviation. Its aerodrome became a refuelling stop on early international air routes linking Australia with Asia and Europe in the 1930s, and was used by the RAAF during the Second World War. The heritage-listed hangar still stands.

Things to do at Daly Waters

• Daly Waters Pub. The pub's licence dates back to the 1890s, and over the years travellers have left behind bras, banknotes, caps, number plates, business cards and more. Grab a meal, a cold drink and a look around. In the dry season there is often evening entertainment.
• Daly Waters Historic Airfield. Walk around the old hangar and read the interpretive signs about early aviation and wartime use.
• Stuart's Tree. A short drive from the pub, the tree associated with Stuart's expedition has a sign explaining its history.
• Photographs. The quirky signage and outback atmosphere make for great photos, especially in the late afternoon light.

Getting there

Daly Waters is about 3 km west of the Stuart Highway on a sealed road. Just south, the Carpentaria Highway branches east towards Cape Crawford and Borroloola on the Gulf, linking with the Savannah Way. Daly Waters is a natural overnight stop on the Adelaide to Darwin drive, between Mataranka to the north and Tennant Creek to the south.

Where to stay

The pub offers rooms, cabins and a caravan park with powered and unpowered sites. In peak season, arrive early or book ahead. There are also roadhouse options on the highway.

History of the stock routes

Daly Waters sat on droving routes that carried cattle from the Kimberley and Top End towards markets in the south and east. Drovers and their teams, including many Aboriginal stockmen, camped at waterholes along the way. Read more in our droving and stock routes guide.

Tips for visiting

• Fuel up. Fuel is available at Daly Waters and the highway roadhouses, but distances are long. Check our fuel, permits and road conditions page.
• Avoid night driving. Cattle, kangaroos and wedge-tailed eagles feeding on roadkill are common on the Stuart Highway.
• Leave only memorabilia the pub welcomes. Ask staff before attaching anything.
• Wet season. Between November and April, heat, storms and flooding can affect the region. The pub stays open, but check road conditions.

When to visit

May to September brings warm, dry days and cool nights, and the pub is at its liveliest. The build-up and wet season are hot and humid.

Nearby stops

North of Daly Waters, Larrimah is a tiny former railway and wartime settlement with a small museum, and Mataranka has warm thermal springs. To the south, the highway crosses open savanna to Dunmarra and Elliott before reaching Renner Springs and Tennant Creek. East along the Carpentaria Highway, the road runs towards Cape Crawford and Borroloola on the McArthur River. All of these are long distances apart, so keep your fuel topped up.

A note on the name

The name comes from Sir Dominick Daly, Governor of South Australia at the time of Stuart's expedition, when the Northern Territory was administered by South Australia. Many Territory place names date from that era.

Fuel, phones and medical help

Roper Gulf Regional Council's community page, which draws on NT Government BushTel data, lists no health centre or police station at Daly Waters; policing comes from Mataranka. The nearest hospital is in Katherine, which the council puts at about 307 km north, or roughly three hours' drive on the sealed Stuart Highway. The council also says Daly Waters has Telstra 4G phone and internet coverage.

Fuel (unleaded and diesel) is available at the Daly Waters Hi-Way Inn on the Stuart Highway and at the Daly Waters Historic Pub, about 3 km off the highway. Dunmarra is about 48 km south. Larrimah, about 91 km north, has no fuel, so the next fuel north is Mataranka.

Travelling with kids

Kids often enjoy the quirky decorations at the Daly Waters pub and the historic aerodrome.

Visiting the aviation complex

Tourism Top End says the Daly Waters Aviation Complex, 3 km off the Stuart Highway, is the oldest aviation structure in the Northern Territory. The hangar was built in 1930. Here's how the airfield was used over the years:

• Mail flights. Early flights carried mail into the Territory from Queensland.
• Qantas staging stop. It became a refuelling stop for Qantas international flights through Darwin to Singapore.
• War years. By the beginning of the Second World War, military flights had replaced civilian traffic.
• Closure. The aerodrome closed to commercial traffic in 1965.

The complex was restored in 1992 and is a registered heritage place. The original Qantas hangar and nearby buildings hold displays of photos and equipment, and you can explore the terminal ruins and walk the airstrip. Tourism Top End says the key to the site is available from the Daly Waters Pub.

The pub itself was established in 1930 and licensed in 1938. It served airfield passengers and crew, as well as drovers and pastoralists. In the dry season there is free nightly entertainment.

Stuart's Tree, a short distance from the pub, is the tree John McDouall Stuart marked with an 'S'. Finding water at Daly Waters saved his party and horses.

Practical information

• Distance: about 270 km south of Katherine; 3 km off the Stuart Highway.
• Best time: May to September.
• Services: fuel, pub meals, accommodation and camping.
• Related: Adelaide to Darwin, Mataranka, Tennant Creek, Overland Telegraph Line, Katherine.

The Daly Waters Pub features in our guide to famous outback pubs.