During an expedition that began in 1868, the chief of the South Australia land surveyors , George Goyder, surveyed four locations, Daly (Northern Territory) , Palmerston (later Darwin), Southport and Virginia . The Goyder plan provided for an installation of 500 acres . The road network was planned by him and the roads were named after members of his expedition. Between 1870 and 1872 the construction of the Trans-Australian Telegraph Line spurred the development of Southport. The assembly team who worked on this important infrastructure project lived in the city. In 1874, after the line was completed, a telegraph office was opened in the village. When gold was discovered near Pine Creek , Southport quickly grew into a major regional center. From 1872 the businessman John Lewis used the place to bring supplies for the gold mines ashore. In 1873 he financed the construction of a second landing stage (next to the one owned by the state) in order to be able to unload explosives for the mines. Other mining companies also opened supply stores in the city. For 20 years the city served as a link between Port Darwin and the high-yielding gold mines in the Pine Creek area. In its heyday, the city was home to two hotels, a post office, several shops, a blacksmith, a police station and even a liquor factory. In 1877, a steam train line was built between Port Darwin and Southport, reducing travel time from 3 to one hour.
The North Australian Railway Line and the decline
As traffic between the gold fields in the south and the city decreased, the city went downhill in the 1880s. Many shops were closed as early as 1885. During this time, many Chinese immigrants came to the gold fields and many new homes and businesses were built in the Chinatown area. Chinese influence on the city remained strong until the mines were closed. A train station was built near the town, but business came to a standstill and the town was practically abandoned. In 1890 all public buildings had already been demolished.
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