Normanton is an outback town and coastal locality in the Shire of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia. At the , the locality of Normanton had a population of 1,391 people, and the town of Normanton had a population of 1,326 people. It is the administrative centre of the Shire of Carpentaria. It has a tropical savanna climate and the main economy of the locality is cattle grazing. The town is one terminus of the isolated Normanton to Croydon railway line, which was built during gold rush days in the 1890s. The Gulflander passenger train operates once a week along the railway line. Two of Australia's big things are in Normanton: the "Big Barramundi" and "Krys, the Savannah King" (a saltwater crocodile). There are also many heritage-listed sites, reflecting Normanton's history. Geography Normanton is in the Gulf Country region of northwest Queensland, just south of the Gulf of Carpentaria, on the Norman River in Queensland. It is a small cattle town and coastal locality, and administrative centre of the Shire of Carpentaria. The main street is Landsborough Street. An unusual feature southwest of Normanton is Bang Bang Jump Up, one of the few hills located in the middle of an expansive, flat grassland. History The town sits in the traditional lands of the Gkuthaarn (Kareldi) and Kukatj people. The town takes its name from the Norman River, which was named in honour of William Henry Norman of the Victorian Naval Forces, who commanded the sloop HMCS Victoria in the search for the explorers Burke and Wills and also conducted hydrographic surveys of the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Torres Strait to identify reefs and other marine hazards. An expedition to explore the Norman River and Bynoe River leading to the identification of a new town site on the Norman River in May 1867. The new town of Norman was surveyed by George Phillips in December 1867 and was officially gazetted on 8 August 1868. It was seen as an alternative to Burketown which had issues with fever and flooding. On 11 October 1868 the first land sale of 167 town lots of was held at the Norman Police Office. Norman River Post Office opened on 13 June 1868 and was renamed Normanton by 1872. Normanton State School opened in September 1882. In January 1976 a secondary department was added to the school. The school celebrated its centenary in 1982. The Burns Philp store,