When Fogg Dam was built in 1956, the population of Darwin, the Northern Territory capital, was approximately 10,000.[1]

Fogg Dam is located in the western part of the Adelaide River floodplain in an area of great significance to the local Limilngan-Wulna Aboriginal people.  

Fogg Dam was the focus of national interest in the 1950s through development of the historic Humpty Doo Rice Project.  If successful, the project would have been one of the largest farming developments in the world and a granary for Asia.  It was supported by wealthy American investors associated with the Hollywood entertainment industry.  The location in a remote part of the Territory created images of taming a frontier and the name, Humpty Doo, was unusual and easy to remember.[2]   The bombing of Darwin in 1942-43 had highlighted the vulnerability of the continent’s north so the Australian Government was keen promote its development and increase the population to improve security.  Fogg Dam was a key part of the Humpty Doo Rice project.


In 1956 the NT Legislative Council unanimously approved an agreement between the Australian Government and an American/Australian Company Territory Rice Ltd. (TRL), giving sole concessions for 15 years and an option to lease over 300,000 ha (750,000 acres) of subcoastal plains for growing rice.   The development plan required 12,000ha to be developed in five years, 40,000ha in ten years and 100,000ha in 15 years.  The company would then have the right to select 200,000ha for agricultural development leases with at least half to be subdivided and sold to individual farmers or worked on a share-farming arrangement.   The Australian Government provided considerable assistance including technical expertise.   American interests provided the bulk of the capital and expert advice on tropical agriculture and engineering.[3]
 
The Chairman of Directors was Allen Chase.  Entrepreneur and American TV personality, Art Linkletter, was one of the Directors.[4]  The project was supported with advice from the CSIRO Kimberley Research Station based at Kununurra. 

TRL had a camp for its workers near where Middle Point village now exists.  It was  known then as Humpty Doo and 100 workers lived there.  They had a Sports and Social Club as well as a Humpty Doo Soccer team that competed with Darwin teams.[5]  
                                                   
Fogg dam was built in 1956 by the RAAF Construction Squadron, under contract to TRL, to provide fresh water for the young rice crop.  It cost $100,000[6] and filled in the first wet season, February 1957.[7] At the time it was built it had a water holding capacity of 3,400 megalitres.[8]   A spillway was built at each end of the wall.  These were inadequate so an ‘emergency opening’ in the dam wall was made to allow water to escape when the dam was at risk of overflowing.[9]   In 1962-63 a steel pipe with a wooden check board gate was installed through the dam wall to control the water flow.[10] 


Fogg Dam was too small to provide all the project’s needs so Harrison Dam, which had a capacity three times greater than Fogg Dam, was built nearby in 1958 by Thiess Brothers for $80,000. It’s purpose was to store fresh water pumped late in the wet season from the Adelaide River after rice irrigation was completed.  When full, Harrison Dam held 10,000 megalitres of water.[11]  A bulk bin for the rice was installed at Harrison Dam at the end of Wood Lane, the access from Anzac Parade.    During construction of Harrison Dam, Thiess Brothers had a camp at the end of Thomsen Road.

Small farms were to be developed with competent farmers managing them.  It was proposed that after three years as an employee of TRL and two years of share farming, a government lease for each farm could be arranged.[12]
TRL implemented several redesign phases but ultimately closed in August 1960 with debts to local businesses.    

The project failed for a number of reasons[13]

Creditors took over all TRL’s assets and a new company was formed, Adelaide River Pty Ltd (ARPL)  It could not subdivide because it had no liquidity.  ARPL allowed four farmers to use the assets at no cost if they repaired and maintained the equipment.[14]  This arrangement was authorized for one year at a time with the land lease and the provision of additional capital equipment and profit or loss the responsibility of the farmers.  Don Buck, Arthur Parker, Bob Parker and Ted Kilpatrick took up this proposal.[15]  As equal Directors, they formed Rice Development Ltd., with each responsible for their individual farm.   

In 1961 rice was loaded onto a ship from a floating wharf on the Adelaide River.  “It looked peculiar to see a cargo ship sailing apparently through the rice bays, at high tide.”[16] 

The four farmers improved rice production with different rice varieties.   However, they ran out of capital and as they did not wish to apply for another bank loan, closed down in 1964.  Later, another farmer grew several good rice crops in the Upper Adelaide River area but discontinued because cattle were more economic.[17]

Fogg Dam was made a Bird Protection District in 1959 because of the vast number and variety of birds in the area.[18]   

Fogg Dam was declared a Heritage site in May 2009.

 

Modifications were made to the dam by the Conservation Commission in about 1993 to improve visitor experience.  Works included creation of two islands, widening of part of the wall, construction of viewing platforms and creation of two forest walks. 

 

Interesting historical information

Fogg Dam was named after Mr JD Fogg, Managing Director of Utah Australia Ltd., a partner of Territory Rice Ltd.[19] Entrepreneur, Art Linklater, was on the Board of TRL.   

The name Humpty Doo and it’s changing location[20]
The name Humpty Doo was the Aboriginal name for the area covering Humpty Doo Station, the TRL and Thiess camps, Fogg Dam and Harrison Dam.  When Charles Herbert, an early Administrator of the Northern Territory, took possession of two adjacent stations he used the Aboriginal names of Humpty Doo and Koolpinyah for the respective properties.  

• From 1954 to 1964 the Territory Rice Ltd camp was known as Humpty Doo.  When the school was built in 1964 the TRL camp was given the name Middle Point. 
  

• 
  In 1972 the Skewes built a pub on the Arnhem Highway and called it the Humpty Doo Hotel.
  

·      After cyclone Tracy the population in the rural area increased and the population centre close to the Stuart Highway became known as Humpty Doo town.


‘Middle Point’ was the middle point of the rice project and the river pump.[21]  

Anzac Parade was built by the RAAF Construction Squadron under contract to TRL.[22]  It was named Anzac Parade because clearing for the road began on Anzac Day 1956.[23]

The road into Fogg Dam from Anzac Parade is Harrison Road.[24] 

Beatrice Hill was named after the survey ship Beatrice.   In 1886 Ellengowan, a steamship, took cargo 96km up the Adelaide River to Beatrice Hill.[25]