We cruised into Darwin mid-morning today, under partly cloudy skies. Soon after our ship was docked, we joined the tour, “Darwin’s Military Past.” We traveled by bus through Darwin National Park, to view several bunkers from WWII. We visited Darwin Aviation Museum, housing one of Australia’s largest collections of military and civil aircraft.
We visited the East Point Military Museum, filled with photos and artifacts of Darwin’s wartime history, plus a small holocaust museum. On February 19, 1942, Japanese forces launched two air raids on Darwin. At 9:55 am, 188 planes were launched from aircraft carriers in the Timor Sea, targeting ships in the port, and the town center. A second raid by 54 land based bombers followed at 11:55 am, targeting the RAAF base. At least 235-250 people were killed and 300-400 wounded, including Australian military, US personnel, and civilians. Eight ships were sun in the harbor, and the town’s infrastructure was severely damaged. It was the first and largest foreign attack on Australian soil during WWII. There were 96 more air attacks on Northern Australia, lasting until November 1943.
We saw wallabies playing in a park along the way, a beautiful beach - Mindil Beach, and we stopped at Darwin’s Esplanade to visit the Cenotaph, the primary site of remembrance for the victims of WWII bombing in Darwin, with a flame sculpture reminding us “Lest We Forget,” as we arrived.
We also learned of Cyclone Tracy’s devastation of Darwin in December 1974. It hit on December 24 after 10 pm, with winds over 135 mph for hours. Residents were celebrating Christmas and didn’t immediately acknowledge the emergency. Sixty six people died, 70% of Darwin’s buildings were destroyed, including 80% of houses. Over 30,000 people were evacuated after landfall, of whom many never returned. Darwin suffered two devastating events within 30 years - bombing and a cyclone. Darwin is remote from the rest of Australia and an interesting place, with a beautiful location on the sea.
