Canteen Creek
NT 872 • Northern Territory
About Canteen Creek
Canteen Creek (also known as Owairtilla) is a remote Aboriginal community in the Barkly Shire of the Northern Territory, located approximately 200 kilometres south-east of Tennant Creek in the vast Barkly Tableland. With a population of 147 residents recorded in the 2021 Census, it is a very small and compact community covering just 1.2 square kilometres. Social housing is significant in the community, with around 80 per cent of dwellings being social housing stock, reflecting its remote community status.
The community is managed by the Canteen Creek Owairtilla Aboriginal Corporation, which has operated for over 40 years providing essential support and services to residents. A community store, built to modern standards, serves the day-to-day needs of residents. The locality is extremely remote, accessible by a long unsealed road from the Stuart Highway, and residents rely almost entirely on the community store and visiting services for essential needs. The Barkly Tableland landscape is characterised by vast open grasslands, making this a deeply remote and self-contained community in outback Australia.
Canteen Creek falls under postcode 872 and is governed by the local council Council (LGA). For state elections, residents vote in the Namatjira electorate.
Location
Transport & Commute
Bus Services
- No regular bus services — Tennant Creek Approx. 3 hours by vehicle
Commute to Darwin CBD
🛣️ Extremely remote; access road is unsealed. Tennant Creek is the nearest service centre at ~200 km
The community is entirely self-contained and very remote; a vehicle is essential for travel beyond the settlement
Supermarkets Nearby
No major supermarkets listed for this suburb.
Schools
-
Nyirripi Community