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Published: August 10th 2010
So, off on my own to Darwin, a fairly easy trip of about 320 kms with 2 major places of interest on the way. Pine Creek, which is just off the road on the left going north, was the 1st and it has a couple of major claims to fame. The first was that the first gold discovered in the NT was at Pine creek, which produced a population explosion in the NT (white population in the entire territory was less than 4,000 at the time).
The other was that the first rail line in The NT ran between Palmerston (as Darwin was then called) and Pine Creek. Today there is a few metres of line in the township, one old steam engine built in 1870 or thereabouts, with an equally old passenger carriage, and an old Commonwealth Railways Diesel Engine. With of course the original station building. Actually it was great to look over.
The new north- south railway lines runs about 300 metres away from the town. You would wonder why it didn't go through the town.
The other place of interest is the township of Adelaide River. This was where all the remaining live civilians fled to or were evacuated to immediately following the first Japanese bombings of Darwin on 19th February, 1942, by the same Japanese naval force that bombed Pearl Harbour. There is a very nicely maintained military cemetry there as well, where all the servicemen whose bodies were recovered from that and subsequent bombings and ariel combat over Darwin are buried. In addition servicemen who died as a result of accident, illness etc in the NT during the war are buried there.
Until almost the end of the war, Adelaide River was a major forward storage and staging base for the Pacific War.
The effect of the war on the people of Darwin and the NT generally is reflected in the extensive memorabilia on exhibition around the Darwin area and places like Adelaide River. At one time there was over 30 or 40 operational airstrips alone in the Territory, and over 400,000 troops were stationed there over the war years.
The initial Japanese air raids found a Darwin not ready or prepared for war, despite Pearl Harbour and the fall of Singapore only days before the 1st air raids. Over 243 servicemen, merchant navy sailors, and civilians died in that 1st attack, the lack of awareness is a blot on the political and military leadership of Australia at that time, which has never fully been aired. Let us hope it does not ever happen again.
Darwin is now a modern city in all senses of the word. It started as a small port and settlement and was where the first submarine telegraph cable connecting the UK to Australia came ashore. It was eventually linked to the land telegraph network through Tennant Creek and Alice Springs to Adelaide, thus ending our communication isolation from the rest of the world.
Darwin has endured many hard times, particually from cyclones which have devestated the city at least 3 times, the most recent one of course was Cyclone Tracey. The Darwin of 2010, is testimony to the survivors of that cyclone who remained and rebuilt their city, and to the thousands of newcomers from other parts of Australia and overseas who have made their home here. They need to build about 1,700 new homes a year in Darwin, just to keep up with new arrivals.
Darwin is probably the only city in the world that has grown up around it's airport, which is right in the centre of everything. It is of course a combined military and civilian complex. A look at Google Earth will highlight how it dominates area and dictates the geography.
This is now a very attractive town, with many 1st class new buildings, wharfs, tourist attractions, parks, gardens, shopping centre, malls, and of course war memorabilia and history. Weatherwise it is of course tropical so March through to October is the better time to visit, but all year round it is a very pretty place, and several hundred thousand people live and function here.
I can't do justice to Darwin in this blog except to urge all who can, who haven't been here before, to come and see and experience our northern most city. It will be an experience you should enjoy. The harbour is massive and the water colour superb.
I enjoyed my time here, seeing how much Darwin had grown and improved since I was last here 9 years ago.
I left Darwin this morning, (Tuesday 10th August) to g back to Katherine for a few days, to see the Katherine Gorge as well, and then head off to West Australia, with the first major destination being Broome.
Hope you are all enjoying the experience, and a search on the internet will help you fill in the gaps I've left in my story.
Travelling Pete
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Mary cork
non-member comment
I love it
I absorb every word as I read and am continually disappointed when I reach the last sentence because it is over. Can't wait for the next installment. Mary