About this place
What to expect
Explore the eerie ruins of Victoria Settlement, one of two failed British settlements on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. A group of British soldiers arrived with their families in 1838 and spent 11 years establishing the settlement at Port Essington. They built a Governor's residence, which was one of the first elevated houses ever built, a hospital, church, military and married quarters with distinctive round Cornish chimneys. Isolation and disease eventually drove the inhabitants out, and the ruins are all that remain. The ruins are accessible only by boat (tours are available, book well in advance) and a permit is required to enter the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. Please contact Parks and Wildlife Commission for further details, including (seasonal) road access - email PWPermits@nt.gov.au. At the very top of the Northern Territory in Arnhem Land, the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park is remote and rugged, fringed with magnificent white sand beaches. The national park is perfect for bird watching, walking, fishing, boating and photography.