Humpty Doo Essential Info
Overview
Humpty Doo is a small town in Australia's Northern Territory, situated just south of the Arnhem Highway, approximately 40 km from Darwin. At the 2016 census, Humpty Doo had a population of 4,380 people. Its local government area is Litchfield Municipality. The town is a popular stopping point for tourists travelling between Darwin and Kakadu National Park, and boasts many attractions of its own. The main industries are agriculture and tourism; however, most residents commute to Darwin or Palmerston for work, and many regard it as a dormitory town.
It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names. The locality of Humpty Doo is named after the station originally called "Umpity Doo"; however, origins of the name are uncertain. Four derivations have been suggested:
from "the Army slang term "umpty" used in 1917 for the dash when reading Morse code" (however, the station name was in use in 1910)
from a colloquialism to describe "everything done wrong or upside down"
the place was known as "Umdidu", an English language corruption of an Aboriginal term which meant a popular resting place
from the translation of aboriginal English that described the area as being the location of "humpy two", as in, two humpies
Basics
Best Time To Go
Jan-Apr, Oct-Nov
Current Time
Current Weather
Mostly Clear