Lake Bennett (Northern Territory)


Lake Bennett is a small artificial freshwater lake located 80 km south of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia within the Coomalie Shire. The lake is set in 4.45 square kilometres of tropical wilderness. It was created in 1980 following the construction of a dam by George and Ken Bennett on a property they had purchased the previous year.
It has been stocked with barramundi since 2004. In recent times some sub-division of the lands around the lake foreshores has occurred with cabins and houses being built around the northern edge, although the permanent population is very small. These dwellings are largely used as "weekenders" or retreats.

Resort

Lake Bennett Wilderness resort was developed in the 1990s. The resort offers a variety of accommodation options as well as canoe hire, spa treatments, a 9-hole golf course, restaurant and conference facilities. Plans exist to extend the resort facilities to include expanded motel accommodation and a complex of 68 serviced-apartments. The Initial proposal was rejected by the Coomalie Community Government Council in 2011 owing to insufficient numbers of parking spaces, and increased demands on roads and infrastructure in the rural locality. The resort was awarded a Northern Territory Tourism Brolga Award in 2002 in the category "unique accommodation".