Kintore Caves Nature Park
The Kintore Caves are of scientific and archaeological significance. They were discovered in 1879 by Alfred Giles who named them in 1891 after the visiting South Australian Governor, the Earl of Kintore. The visit of the Earl of Kintore to the NT of SA during 1891 was an important event in the early history of Palmerston and the Top End. The Earl of Kintore and his party stayed with Giles at Springvale in early April 1891 and on 10 April set out for the limestone caves.
Alfred Giles was second-in-command of John Ross’s expedition to fix the course of the overland telegraph line in 1870. He undertook survey and exploration work in the Katherine River and Daly River area in 1871. Between 1872 and 1877 he made five transcontinental trips overlanding ration animals north into the Territory to supply the telegraph stations. Later, during 1878 and 1879 Giles took control of a mammoth venture financed by Dr WJ Browne to overland 12,000 head of sheep and 8,000 cattle to the Katherine area where he established Springvale station and homestead for Browne. Browne abandoned Springvale in 1887 but Giles remained there with his family until 1894 when they moved to Bonrook near Pine Creek.
The park is therefore important because of its close association with individuals whose activities have been significant in the Territory’s history.
The caves are a complex limestone cave system with a number of entrances. It is accessed through a main entrance on the north-western face of the limestone outcrop screened from obvious view by a number of trees. The main accessible cave area measures approximately 130m in length, 15m in width, 7m in height. It has a mud and limestone pebble floor which becomes inundated during floods.
The caves were used for recreation and caving pursuits from the late 1800's and during the past 20 years have been subject to extensive speleological surveys.
Two large rocks at the entrance are marked with abraded grooves and grinding holes. Overhangs at the cave entrance and areas within the cave feature a number of paintings. The cave floor is littered with stone implements, flakes, chippings and bone fragments. The main cave contains an Aboriginal art gallery including paintings and engravings while excavations have shown that the caves have been occupied for many thousands of years. The stone artefacts show a transition from large hand-held tools in the lower layers of the deposit, to small specialised stone spear points and other hafted artefacts in the upper layers.
Declared: February 1995
Produced: June 1996
