But it was not without cutting words from the Mayor, Fay Miller, who said the museum's approach in securing funding had "bordered on bullying".

One of the biggest public galleries seen for years sent an unmistakable signal to the elected members there is broad public support for saving the museum.

About 160 concerned residents packed into the council chambers last night.

With no standing room left, adjoining rooms were opened, with many residents sitting on the floor.

The NT Government will match council's $50,000, as voted on last night, to offer the museum a lifeline, for a year at least.

In an emotional appeal, the curator of the museum Simmone Croft asked the council for "help getting over the line".

"For the five years I have been back I have put more than half my wage into that museum, I love that place. It is so disappointing to hear [council] ask what we are prepared to put in.

"Twenty years of my life has been spent there trying to grow that place, not for me, for Katherine.

"I am very emotional and upset that you don't trust us... to fight about it is a whole other level which is disgraceful."

For the past couple of years the museum has kept afloat on a shoestring budget, securing sporadic funding where it can and relying on an ever dwindling drizzle of tourists to flow through.

It needed an annual contribution of $200,000 for operational costs.

President of the Katherine Museum Lauren Reed has led an energetic campaign to save the museum, garnering the signatures of 4891 people in support, and widespread media and political attention.

"If the Katherine Museum if forced to close, the extent of the closure would be monumental," she said last night at the council's monthly public question and answer session.

"The Katherine Museum prides itself on being a community hub... it simply cannot be lost."

Countless supporters, last night, chimed in, in an attempt to sway elected members who would be making a final decision at the Ordinary Meeting of Council, later that night.

"I am asking the council to think long and hard because if you make the wrong decision the ramifications will be long and sorely felt... it is not just our history but it is thousands and thousands of Indigenous history as well," one resident said.

"I understand there is a budget, but there have been several costs this year where Katherine Town Council's judgement has cost this town a lot of money, first there was the tyre fire... the other is the money pulled out of the CBD project to go to the hot springs. Millions have gone to rectifying poor judgement of the council, surely we can find a small portion for the museum," another said.

Nearly all at the meeting said they would happily pay a tariff to keep the museum afloat.

"I implore council, please, the Katherine people have spoken, you have an obligation to listen to the people who have put you in those seats," a museum volunteer of two months said.

"It carries a lot of history and if we lose this we have sadly lost an important part of history."

Alderman Jon Raynor said the months of campaigning had added significant stress to the elected members.

"It is not nice being cornered," he said.

Alderman Elizabeth Clark agreed saying she found it "upsetting" residents of Katherine were "blaming Katherine Town Council for everything".

"I feel like we've tried our best, we are not the bad boys. I can guarantee we are trying to find solutions... I don't want to lose the museum, but it can't be an us and them approach."

However, it was Mayor Fay Miller's final motion which set the rescue terms.

Despite what Mayor Miller described as "a totally negative campaign towards Katherine Town Council," the allocation of an additional $50,000, matched by the NT Government, was unanimously voted in last night.

Below is the Mayor's speech in full.

"I first became aware of the serious financial position the museum was in when Lauren Reed and John Leo came to my office on June 26, this meeting was followed, as you know by representation of board members and an open forum and meetings with executive staff.

"Katherine Town Council had approved our financial planning for 2019/20 before June 30, which was after much consultation with the community and staff, in which we had allocated just over $101,000 to the capital and operating funding for this financial year.

"The museum had sent Katherine Town Council a letter with a list of capital work which they required, for which KTC allocated $40,000 to capital works.

"There was never, as Alderman Gazey said, any mention of operational funding.

"At a meeting with board members and the museum's accountant John O'Brian, the board members received the operational funding of $200,000 details, of which were very sketchy.

"We asked for more details and a short time later the CEO was advised by Robert Buzzo that $120,000 would be enough.

"Now that presented a conundrum to the elected members and staff as there was no draft budget provided for either of these figures nor any business or action plan to achieve any outcome. In other words, council was being asked to commit rate payers money to no known budget or outcome. That would be totally irresponsible to even contemplate.

"Subsequent to these meetings the museum signed off on documents to say they had enough money to cover their debt which as it has turned out is a contradiction.

"I've spoken to the member of Katherine today Sandra Nelson who said she offered the museum financial counselling, which hasn't been taken up. She was also advised there was bad blood between the museum and Katherine Town Council - which was news to me as of today.

"The museum manager Simmone Croft approached our previous CEO Robert Jennings in 2017 to discuss the future of the Katherine Museum and community gardens. As a result of that meeting the CEO, Claire Johansson and Simmone Croft worked to develop a master plan 2017-2021.

"I seriously ask the question, how many of the Katherine Museum board members have even looked at the master plan because this is the basis from which you operate annually to achieve outcomes.

"It will not succeed sitting on top of a shelf collecting dust, and there is an old saying - if you fail to plan you plan to fail. And that is so very true because I've looked at some things in that master plan that are very simple and they haven't been done.

"From the time of the Katherine Show in July when the annual parade displayed Save the Katherine Museum banners until even today there has been a totally negative campaign towards Katherine Town Council which has bordered on bullying. The very public image of the campaign implies that total responsibility of the future of the Katherine Museum lies in Katherine Town Council's hands. that is not so.

"The decisions of the board moving forward will determine whether the museum has a future or not.

"The museum cannot continue to operate in the way it has to get to this point, there has to be some significant operational changes.

"To that end I am putting forward the following motion for consideration of the elected members.

"A- The Katherine Town Council hereby confirms that the 2019/2020 budget allocation for the Katherine Museum approved in the financial plan totals $101,000.

"B- That having considered all submissions and noting the current financial position of the Katherine Museum, that the Katherine Town Council adjust their budget to allocate an additional $50,000 to Katherine Museum for this financial year only.

"C- That Katherine Town Council works with the museum to lobby the Northern Territory Government for additional funding.

"D- That the $50,000 additional funding from Katherine Town Council is subject to Katherine Town Council working with the Katherine Museum and the Department of Business to develop a structured, financial way forward by February 1 2020, which gives certainty to the museum's ongoing operations."

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