The Medical Entomology Branch (MEB) of the (previous) Territory Health Services was set up in 1973 to counter a perceived threat of mosquito borne disease. One of the initial reasons for the establishment of the unit was to combat the potential of the re-establishment of malaria in the new mining development on the Gove peninsular 650 km east of Darwin. Initial surveys had revealed that the proposed town and mine facilities were to be established near a prolific source of malaria mosquitoes. This threat was basically the result of poor urban planning by locating urban residential areas next to significant sources of vector mosquitoes.