The Katherine township in its present location was settled in 1926 and Katherine Museum curator Simmone Croft explained that it had been a “real struggle” to develop.

“Katherine as a town has had a real struggle in the past, settling three times,” she explained.

“First in 1872, and the original site picked by Walter Rutt and Robert Patterson on Gorge Road at Bullock Creek.

“It then moved to Emungalan around 1917 and then relocated for the third time as the township of Katherine after the bridge was built in 1926.”

While there is some conjecture around the actual date of the settlement, Mrs Croft said the anniversary was officially recognised as being on July 1.

With the dry season in full swing, she added that a community event would be held later in the year to mark the birthday.

Mrs Croft joined Member for Katherine Willem Westra van Holthe and Katherine Town Council mayor Fay Miller at the post office – the site of the first building in the current township – on May 27 to look back on the past 90 years and explain how much had changed.

“In 1926, there were very few buildings, but there was Kirby’s pub, a bakery, a police station beside the post office, Katherine Stores and a butcher shop,” she said.

“There were a few Chinese families running small business that also moved to Katherine from Emungalan.

“And, of course, the railway station master’s house and railway station.”

When asked what they believed Katherine would look like 90 years from now, Mr Westra van Holthe and Alderman Miller agreed growth would be a certainty.

“I think the future for Katherine is enormously prosperous and I think we’re going to end up with a much larger town,” Mr Westra van Holthe said.

“We certainly won’t have 10,000 people.”

“I can see Katherine developing along the Stuart Highway and Katherine East,” Alderman Miller added.

Mrs Croft said town was was in the “baby stage” of its history and urged Katherinites to learn more about it in the lead-up to July 1.