# Escape Cliffs
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{{Short description|Historic settlement site in the Northern Territory, Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Escape Cliffs
| image = Escape Cliffs Northern Territory, looking north east.jpeg
| caption = Escape Cliffs, looking north-east
| locmapin = Northern Territory#Australia
| map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|12|08|S|131|15|E|display=title|region:AU-NT_type:landmark}}
| location = [Hotham, Northern Territory](/source/Hotham%2C_Northern_Territory), Australia[{{cite web |title= Escape Cliffs |url= http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/heritageregister/f?p=103:302:3205419285221956::NO::P302_SITE_ID:263 |website=Heritage Register |publisher=Northern Territory Government |accessdate=1 May 2019 |date= 12 January 2000 |quote= }}]
| beginning_label = Establishment
| beginning_date = 1864
| built =
| built_for =
| demolished = 1867
| architect =
| architecture =
| owner = Limilngan-Wulna Aboriginal Corporation[{{cite web| title=Place Names Register Extract for Djukbinj National Park |url= https://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/print_extract.jsp?id=12408 |website= NT Place Names Register|publisher=Northern Territory Government|accessdate= 2 May 2019}}]
| designation1 = Northern Territory Heritage Register
| designation1_offname = Escape Cliffs
| designation1_type =
| designation1_date = 12 January 2000[
| delisted1_date =
| designation1_partof =
| designation1_number =
| designation1_free1name =
| designation1_free1value =
| designation1_free2name =
| designation1_free2value =
| designation1_free3name =
| designation1_free3value =
}}
[[File:BoyleFinniss.jpg|thumb|right|220px|[Boyle Finniss](/source/B._T._Finniss) was in charge of establishing the Escape Cliffs settlement]]
'''Escape Cliffs''' is a place on the northern coast of the [Northern Territory](/source/Northern_Territory) of Australia, on the western coast of the Cape Hotham peninsula, and the eastern shore of [Adam Bay](/source/Adam_Bay%2C_Northern_Territory), near the mouth and estuary of the [Adelaide River](/source/Adelaide_River). It lies about 60 km north-east of [Darwin](/source/Darwin%2C_Northern_Territory) and is located in the Cape Hotham sector of the [Djukbinj National Park](/source/Djukbinj_National_Park).
It was named by [John Lort Stokes](/source/John_Lort_Stokes) of [HMS ''Beagle''](/source/HMS_Beagle) after visiting the spot in 1840, and refers to an incident where he and Lieut. Helpman escaped with their lives after being attacked by hostile Aboriginal men.][{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39132397 |title=North Australia |newspaper=[South Australian Register](/source/South_Australian_Register) |volume=XXVIII |issue=5603 |location=South Australia |date=13 October 1864 |access-date=12 May 2023 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}]
It was the site of the fourth of a series of four failed attempts to establish a permanent settlement in Australia's [Top End](/source/Top_End). Previous attempts were at [Fort Dundas](/source/Fort_Dundas), [Fort Wellington](/source/Fort_Wellington%2C_Australia) and [Port Essington](/source/Port_Essington). There is no road access, though it is sometimes visited by yachts.[{{cite web |url=http://www.dwnsail.com.au/images/documents/Escape%20Cliff%20Article.pdf |title=Escape Cliff |accessdate=2012-05-14 |publisher=Darwin Sailing Club |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321195329/http://www.dwnsail.com.au/images/documents/Escape%20Cliff%20Article.pdf |archive-date=21 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}]
==History==
In 1864, the year after [South Australia](/source/South_Australia) was granted control over the Northern Territory, the [South Australian government](/source/Government_of_South_Australia) decided that settlement of the area was desirable and sent a surveying and settlement expedition under the command of Lieutenant Colonel [Boyle Travers Finniss](/source/B._T._Finniss), a former [Premier of South Australia](/source/Premier_of_South_Australia). He had been instructed to establish the settlement at Adam Bay and chose the Escape Cliffs site despite disagreements with other members of his party. It was intended to cover settlement costs through sales of land, much of which had already been presold to speculators and intending settlers even before the expedition reached the site and began their survey work.[{{cite web |url=http://www.litchfield.nt.gov.au/index.php?page=escape-cliffs |title=Escape Cliffs: Initial Settlement and Exploration |accessdate=2012-05-14 |first= |last= |publisher=Litchfield Council |date=}}] Finniss believed that the site could produce tropical vegetation and would be suitable for wool-growing and cattle farming.[{{Cite book|title=The History of Discovery in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand: From the Earliest Date to the Present Day|last=Howitt|first=William|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2011|isbn=9781108029506|location=Cambridge|pages=390}}]
After a confused start, following an abortive initial move to another site some 65 km up the Adelaide River, the establishment work at Escape Cliffs began. Problems included incursions by the local [Marananggu people](/source/Australian_Aborigines)[{{Cite book|title=Ochre and Rust: Artefacts and Encounters on Australian Frontiers|last=Jones|first=Philip|date=2019|publisher=Hurst Publishers|isbn=9781849048392|location=New York|pages=146–147}}] (which culminated in the spearing of several horses and men, murder of two Aborigines and one settler), and the unsuitability of the land due to [tidal flooding](/source/tidal_flooding) and poor drainage in the [wet season](/source/wet_season), exacerbated by personal jealousies, poor leadership and the need for constant vigilance, resulted in ongoing disputes and deteriorating morale.
Following complaints and unfavourable reports to the South Australian government, notably by [Dr. Goldsmith](/source/Francis_Edward_Goldsmith), Finniss was recalled in 1865, replaced by his second-in-command [Manton](/source/James_Thomas_Manton). [John McKinlay](/source/John_McKinlay), who was sent by the government to assess the viability of Escape Cliffs or find a better site, in 1865, declared it worthless,[{{Cite book|title=Coast to Coast: The Great Australian Coastal Liners|last=Plowman|first=Peter|date=2007|publisher=Rosenberg Publishing|isbn=9781877058608|location=New South Wales|pages=19}}]
Manton reported there was nothing they could usefully do there but guard their stores.[{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39186479 |title=The Northern Territory |newspaper=[South Australian Register](/source/South_Australian_Register) |volume=XXXI |issue=6319 |location=South Australia |date=4 February 1867 |accessdate=9 June 2019 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}] In October 1866 Government ordered a recall of Manton and his men aboard the steamer ''Eagle'', Captain Hill, which left 11 January 1867, transhipped to the ''Rangatira'' at Sydney, and arrived in Adelaide 2 February 1867.
Two years later, following a better-organised expedition by [George Goyder](/source/George_Goyder), settlement began at what is now [Darwin](/source/Darwin%2C_Northern_Territory).[
On 12 January 2000, a parcel of land at Escape Cliffs was listed on the [Northern Territory Heritage Register](/source/Northern_Territory_Heritage_Register).]