Katherine

Katherine (/ˈkæθɹɪn/; Australian Kriol: Katherrain) is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is situated on the Katherine River, after which it is named, 320 kilometres (200 mi) southeast of Darwin. The fourth largest settlement in the Territory, it is known as the place where "the outback meets the tropics". Katherine had an urban population of 9,643 at the 2021 Australian census.

Katherine is also the closest major town to RAAF Base Tindal, located 17 km (11 mi) southeast, and provides education, health, local government services and employment opportunities for the families of Defence personnel stationed there. In the 2016 census, the base had a residential population of 857, with only around 20% of the workforce engaged in employment outside of defence, the majority commuting to work in Katherine. Katherine is also the central hub of the great "Savannah Way" which stretches from Cairns in north Queensland to Broome in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.