Darwin is Australia’s most northern city and has experienced its share of turmoil. Today, it’s a modern tropical destination proud of its history and rich in culture.
As if on cue to reinforce what we had been hearing for the past few days about Darwin’s experience during the Second World War our night out on the Stokes Hill Wharf was cancelled. Workers had discovered a rusting Japanese bomb on a new construction project, and the whole waterfront area was closed down until it was safe. An hour after sunset, a loud explosion signalled that the bomb had been detonated safely.
In an ABC report, Jared Archibald, a historian and curator at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, revealed that: “There’s live ordnance all over the Top End, some from enemy attacks, and much of it from the Allies training as well.”
So, let’s add the risk of being blown up to the traditional fears of crocs, stingers, sharks and snakes to the thrill of Top End travel, but concede that the chance of any of that happening is minimal. In reality, the hints of danger add to Darwin’s appeal.
Thousands of southern travellers flock north for the warm winters every year, and many stay for months. To be clear, almost everyone is from the south because, apart from some remote communities in Arnhem Land and Cape York, Darwin is about as far north as you can go. It’s closer to Bali than Bondi by about 3000km.
Getting there
Access to the Top End is along the Stuart Highway, which starts its journey in Port Augusta, SA, before crossing Australia’s arid centre to arrive in the city of Darwin 2700km later. Most of those doing a big lap will join the highway at Katherine from the west for the 343km run north. Coming from the east, the Barkly Highway meets the Stuart at the Three Ways Roadhouse, and it’s 950km to Darwin. So, for a drive around Australia, Darwin is a return trip along the Stuart Highway to get you home through some remarkable scenery and unique places of interest.
The sprawling city on the shores of Frances Bay is rich in a multicultural history with a mix of Indigenous, Asian and European influences across a population of around 140,000 in the twin cities of Darwin and Palmerston. In a recent survey, this diverse culture and a range of quality art galleries, museums and food experiences placed it as Australia’s cultural capital.
The Larrakia people had the place to themselves, apart from Indonesian traders and Dutch explorers, until 1839, when the HMS Beagle sailed into Darwin Harbour. The captain named the area Port Darwin after an old shipmate, Charles Darwin — although the evolutionist never made it to his namesake location.
The modern Darwin is a modern city with little in the way of colonial architecture and there’s good reason for that. Cyclones ravaged the town in 1897, 1937 and 1974, and in 1942, the Japanese dropped 680 bombs, wreaking havoc and killing around 280 people.
Authorities established the town with 135 residents as Palmerston on the ridge overlooking the bay in 1869, but it was the fifth attempt at developing the Top End after settlements at Fort Dundas, Fort Wellington, Port Essington and Escape Cliffs all failed. Initially under the administration of South Australia, in 1911 control transferred to the Commonwealth, and the name changed to Darwin, with Palmerston now an outlying city in its own right.
Development was slow, seasons were harsh and agricultural development was a challenge, but the discovery of gold at Pine Creek in the 1880s saw an influx of prospectors and the gradual growth of the economy. Within a few years, it is estimated there were more than 6000 Chinese nationals in the Top End, most in the Darwin region, and their influence is still apparent even if the central Chinatown district was lost in the World War II bombing raids.
Darwin spreads out across the central CBD and suburbs to the north and east, and it is dissected by the large international airport and a significant RAAF Base. The Australian Army occupies the large Robertson Barracks, and the Navy takes up shoreline 2km from the CBD at HMAS Coonawarra for the northern patrol fleet. International armed forces exercises were underway during our visit, with combat planes regularly blasting the skies.
The Top End hosts the annual Pitch Black allied war exercises, and this year’s event (12 July to 2 August) was the largest in its 43-year history, with 21 international participants and more than 140 aircraft flying in the drills. Participants for the mid-July program and a fly-past at Mindil Beach included regular teams from across Asia and the USA as well as first-time participants with aircraft from Italy, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Spain.
A city of secrets
The CBD hosts a thriving but widely spread shopping and administrative centre and a broad mix of restaurants, bars and clubs that come alive in the evening in Mitchell Street. During the day, there’s relaxing and a wide mix of casual eating at a waterfront precinct dominated by a safe swimming beach and an excellent wave pool. Also along the waterfront is an unusual wartime attraction hidden under the city. Secret tunnels 4.5m wide and up to 172m long were built to store oil after the wartime bombing of the above-ground facility. Despite a burgeoning budget and the efforts of 400 workers, the tunnels weren’t completed before the war’s end, so they weren’t used for oil storage and remained a secret until 1992 when they were opened for tours.
With a tropical climate and endless warm-to-hot days of blue skies, you can chill in Darwin for winter, but there is lots to explore, so here are our top suggestions to keep you entertained.
Doctors and Zeros
The Royal Flying Doctor Darwin Tourist Facility on Stokes Hill Wharf brings together the story of how the service evolved and the bombing of Darwin using engaging interactive displays. The centrepiece is a decommissioned Pilatus PC-12 air ambulance that you can board and an interactive experience of being transported in an emergency. Displays tell a riveting story about the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, where the simulated air attack on a large screen with realistic sound effects was a real shock. I hadn’t realised how many Japanese Kate bombers and Zero fighters were in the raids — some 260 in total across two attacks, with 235 killed and 11 ships sunk. The facility will keep you enthralled, and you can easily spend half a day here. There’s a cafe for lunch and more eateries along the pier.
Art and artifacts
The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory — MAGNT — combines impressive art with informative natural history displays. When we visited, the main gallery at The Gardens housed the annual Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA). The event brings traditional and contemporary art from across Australia and runs until January 2025. Elsewhere in the large museum, we found stories about the early days of Darwin and a Cyclone Tracy Experience that brought back the terror of Christmas day in 1974 that changed the landscape and so many lives.
Locked up
I have to admit I was really only interested in seeing the early architecture at the Fannie Bay Gaol, but I left with a new understanding of what life was like for the inmates. We learned about the last executions in the NT in 1952 and the wild west antics of the pair who murdered a taxi driver and stole his car in an ambitious attempt to sell the cab and return to their home country in Europe.
We also discovered that three inmates contributed to the first Indigenous art exhibition when they contributed to the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition in 1888. Reproductions of the works show traditional designs, and because the originals are on paper, they are extremely delicate, so these are the only examples of that early art on permanent display. The prison operated between 1888 and 1979 and opens Wednesday to Sunday with free admission.
East Point Military Complex
Even though it happened 80 years ago, the bombing of Darwin in 1942 still looms large in the Darwin narrative, and the fortifications at East Point built as war approached are a stark reminder of the conflict. Massive gun emplacements, constructed against a naval attack, are still in place, but the nature of war changed with the aerial attack and the guns never fired at shipping in anger. You can download an audio-visual app to get the most out of the visit and there are displays of military equipment through to the Vietnam War.
Nearby Lake Alexander is a large artificial waterway with superb picnic facilities, including free barbecues and walking and cycling tracks. It’s safe for swimming year-round and a great place for kayaks or paddle boards.
Bang, bang, bang on the door, baby …
Wrong B52, sorry. Darwin’s B52 is a monster bomber in a giant hangar at the Aviation Museum and the only one of two on display outside the USA. Let’s not overplay the military connections in the Top End city, but you don’t have to be a big machine tragic to be impressed by an up-close inspection of the monster aircraft. The museum’s B52 is a G model built in 1959 and flown on loan to the museum in 1990. Updated versions of the plane are still operating despite the last model coming off the Boeing production line in 1962. You walk around among the many aeroplanes as well as the big bomber; the display includes iconic GE F111, Dassault Mirage, Bell Cobra, a true-to-life Spitfire replica and much more.
But wait, there’s more
Sunsets across the Timor Sea are a special event, and two venues have the best seats in the house. Sail Darwin took us on a three-hour cruise on the 50ft Sundancer sailing cat for dinner and ample champagne. It was a great way to see the city from the water and a peaceful end to the day. Landlubbers can enjoy the ever-changing orange sky from Darwin Sailing Club on Fannie Bay. It’s a favourite with locals, so get there early and enjoy a meal in the outside dining area.
Don’t miss the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets on Thursdays and Sundays in the dry season (see below). There are lots of Asian and Aussie food stalls, art and clothing, and a wide beach to watch the sun go down.
When and where?
The tropical north turns on two seasons, the wet and the dry. Most travellers choose the southern colder months (dry season) — May to October — when the days are a warm 29°C, humidity is low and the skies are blue. Tourism is seasonal, and thousands of visitors can put pressure on available campsites, so you need to book early to ensure a spot close to town. Around a dozen caravan parks service the area, and prices for powered sites can be on the high end, as you might expect in a capital city. If you visit during the wet season (November to April), you can experience some of Darwin's epic storms and monsoonal rains, and while the Northern Territory's waterfalls and rivers might be at their mightiest, there's also higher chance of road closures and limited access to certain areas.
The wrap
Tourism is a major driver of the Top End economy, and Darwin knows how to make you welcome. With loads of activities and a bone-warming climate, it’s no wonder many travellers return every year. See you in the Northern Territory, indeed.
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