101-587: Holtze is a locality in Darwin , Northern Territory , Australia . It is 22 km southeast of the Darwin CBD . Its local government area is the Municipality of Litchfield . The locality is mostly a rural area, just north of Palmerston . It was named for Maurice William Holtze (1840–1923), the botanist who established Darwin's Botanical Gardens, and his son Nicholas, who succeeded him as curator. In September 2010,
202-594: A B-24 Liberator bomber were also destroyed. Six RAAF personnel were killed. Lewis and Ingman list 30 aircraft destroyed. The Japanese carrier force launched a small number of D3A dive bombers during the afternoon of 19 February to attack the Florence D. and Don Isidro . Don Isidro was the first of these two ships to be attacked, and was rapidly sunk 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Melville Island. Eleven of her 84-strong crew were killed. The dive bombers also attacked Florence D. and sank her off Bathurst Island with
303-545: A Vickers Vimy , G-EAOU, and landed on an airstrip that has become Ross Smith Avenue. Other aviation pioneers include Amy Johnson , Amelia Earhart , Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Bert Hinkler . The original QANTAS Empire Airways Ltd Hangar, a registered heritage site, was part of the original Darwin Civil Aerodrome in Parap and is now a museum that still bears scars from the bombing of Darwin during World War II. Darwin
404-578: A greenfield site in Holtze near the intersection of Temple Terrace and the Stuart Highway as the location for the Palmerston Regional Hospital . The hospital opened in 2018. In the 2016 census, there were 1,810 people in Holtze. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 44.4% of the population. Darwin, Northern Territory Darwin ( Larrakia : Garramilla )
505-547: A "gunshot" and both crew (names unknown) being rescued after ditching (by the destroyer Tanikaze ). Allied ground fire was relatively intense and may have claimed all but two of the Japanese aircraft lost. Only one of the USAAF P-40 pilots remained airborne throughout the first attack, 1st Lieutenant Robert Oestreicher, who has also been credited by US and Japanese sources with one Aichi shot down and one damaged. Toyoshima's Zero
606-504: A 60-kilometre (37 mi) radius of Darwin alone—about three times the amount of lightning that Perth experiences on average in an entire year. Darwin's population changed after the Second World War. Like many other Australian cities, Darwin experienced influxes from Europe, with significant numbers of Italians and Greeks during the 1960s and 1970s. It also began to experience an influx from other European countries, which included
707-720: A B-52 bomber (on permanent loan from the United States Air Force) is on public display. Darwin is a coastal city, situated along the western shoreline of the Northern Territory. The water meets the land from the Beagle Gulf , which extends out into the Timor Sea . The central business district occupies a low bluff overlooking Darwin Harbour to the south, beyond which lie East Arm , Middle Arm, Northern Territory , and, across
808-551: A Japanese reconnaissance aircraft overflew the town, and identified an aircraft carrier (actually the seaplane tender USS Langley ), five destroyers , and 21 merchant ships in Darwin Harbour, as well as 30 aircraft at the town's two airfields. Among the ships in harbour were those returned the morning before the attack from the convoy escorted by USS Houston involved in the failed effort to reinforce Timor. Houston had departed for Java but left Mauna Loa and
909-630: A devil of a trip." But they had flown 9000 miles [14000 km] in two days, had broken the England to Australia record of 162 hr. in the unbelievable time of 52hr. 33 min., were only 2000 miles [3200 km] from their goal at Melbourne. The Darwin Aviation Museum is about 8 km (5 mi) from the city centre on the Stuart Highway and is one of only three places outside the United States where
1010-466: A nation that had already declared war on Japan (on 8 December 1941). It was similar in that it was a successful aerial surprise attack on a naval target that came as a great shock to the attacked nation. While the number of bombs dropped on Darwin (681 bombs weighing 114,100 kilograms (251,500 lb) by 205 bombers) exceeded those dropped on Pearl Harbor (457 bombs [including 40 torpedoes]) weighing 133,560 kilograms (294,450 lb) by 273), loss of life
1111-553: A no-rainfall event of this extent is rare. The 3pm dewpoint average in the wet season is around 24.0 °C (75.2 °F). Extreme temperatures at the Darwin Post Office Station have ranged from 40.4 °C (104.7 °F) on 17 October 1892 to 13.4 °C (56.1 °F) on 25 June 1891; extreme temperatures at the Darwin Airport station (which is farther from the coast and routinely records cooler temperatures than
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#17330861098701212-614: A plaque unveiled in Darwin in 2001 gave the total as 292. The plaque indicated 10 sailors had been killed aboard the USS William B. Preston but the US Navy said there were 13 fatalities and Peter Grose, author of An Awkward Truth , said fifteen – he wrote: "With the William B. Preston total corrected to 15, a figure of 297 known dead is the best count anyone is likely to achieve...the full death toll
1313-462: A raid of the scale which occurred on 19 February. In addition to the Australian forces, ten United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Curtiss P-40 Warhawks were passing through Darwin en route to Java on the day of the attack. The P-40 pilots were largely inexperienced in combat. A total of 65 Allied warships and merchant vessels were in Darwin harbour at the time of the raids. The warships included
1414-483: A range of diseases to one of these institutions. Around 10,000 Australian and other Allied troops arrived in Darwin at the outset of World War II to defend Australia's northern coast. On 19 February 1942 at 9:57 am, 188 Japanese warplanes attacked Darwin in two waves. It was the same fleet that had bombed Pearl Harbor , though considerably more bombs were dropped on Darwin than on Pearl Harbor. The attack killed at least 243 people and caused immense damage to
1515-465: A section of the Great Barrier Reef . Only 22 men survived, while between 98 and 112 people perished. Many passengers who perished were Darwin residents, and news of the tragedy severely affected the small community, which reportedly took several years to recover. In the 1870s, relatively large numbers of Chinese settled at least temporarily in the Northern Territory; many were contracted to work
1616-531: A site at Escape Cliffs , near the entrance to Adelaide River, about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of the modern city. This attempt was short-lived, and the settlement abandoned by 1865. On 5 February 1869, George Goyder , the Surveyor-General of South Australia, established a small settlement of 135 people at Port Darwin between Fort Hill and the escarpment. Goyder named the settlement Palmerston after British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston . In 1870,
1717-564: A small number of Lewis Guns for use against low-flying raiders. The crews of these guns had conducted little recent training due to ammunition shortages. The air forces stationed in and near the town comprised No. 12 Squadron , which was equipped with CAC Wirraway advanced trainers (which had been pressed into service as fighters), and No. 13 Squadron which operated Lockheed Hudson light bombers. Six Hudsons, 3 from No. 2 Squadron and 3 from No. 13 Squadron , also arrived at Darwin on 19 February after having been evacuated from Timor. None of
1818-437: Is 18.4 °C (65.1 °F) on 3 June 1904 for the post office station and 21.1 °C (70.0 °F) on 14 July 1968 for the airport station. The wet season is associated with tropical cyclones and monsoon rains. Most rainfall occurs between December and March (the summer), when thunderstorms are common and afternoon relative humidity averages over 70 percent during the wettest months. It does not rain every day during
1919-410: Is a satellite city 20 km (12 mi) east of Darwin that was established in the 1980s and is one of Australia's fastest-growing municipalities. Darwin's rural areas, including Howard Springs , Humpty Doo and Berry Springs , are experiencing strong growth. Darwin's central business district (CBD) is bounded by Daly Street in the northwest, McMinn Street in the northeast, Mitchell Street on
2020-479: Is an excerpt from Time magazine , 29 October 1934: Third Day. Biggest sensation of the race came just before dawn on the third day, when burly Lieutenant Scott and dapper Captain Black flew their scarlet Comet into Darwin. They had covered the last 300 miles [480 km] over water on one motor, risked death landing on a field made soggy by the first rain in seven months. Said sandy-haired Lieutenant Scott: "We've had
2121-700: Is built upon a low bluff overlooking Darwin Harbour . Darwin's suburbs begin at Lee Point in the north and stretch to Berrimah in the east. The Stuart Highway extends to Darwin's eastern satellite city of Palmerston and its suburbs. The Darwin region, like much of the Top End, has a tropical climate , with a wet and dry season. A period known locally as "the build up" leading up to Darwin's wet season sees temperature and humidity increase. Darwin's wet season typically arrives in late November to early December and brings with it heavy monsoonal downpours, spectacular lightning displays, and increased cyclone activity. During
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#17330861098702222-564: Is considered to have been brought down by small arms fire from Sappers Tom Lamb and Len O'Shea of the 19th Battalion . Most aviation historians believe Tsuru and Uchikado's Aichi was brought down by ground fire, possibly from a major Australian Army camp at Winnellie . Egawa reported that the damage to his Zero came from hitting a tree at Darwin. The second wave, made up of 54 land-based medium bombers (27 Mitsubishi G3M and 27 Mitsubishi G4M ) arrived over Darwin just before midday. The town's air raid sirens were sounded at 11:58 am when
2323-502: Is likely to be a little over 300, perhaps as many as 310 or 320." Lewis and Ingman have revised that to 14 in their 2013 book Carrier Attack . In 2000, Darwin historian Peter Forrest, who spoke to survivors and researched the attacks for an unpublished book, said (as paraphrased by a journalist), "the first Japanese air raids on Darwin probably killed more than double the official figure of 243", but by 2002 had lowered his estimate to "anything up to double that 243". Other estimates put
2424-464: Is no evidence of torpedoes being used on this occasion; the D3A could carry up to 514 kilograms (1,133 lb) of bombs. All of these aircraft were launched by 8.45 am. This wave was led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida , who had also commanded the first wave of attackers during the raid on Pearl Harbor. On their way to Darwin, Zeros shot down a US Navy PBY Catalina and strafed a USAAF C-47 Skytrain on
2525-410: Is sunny, and afternoon relative humidity averages around 30%. The driest period of the year, seeing about 5 mm (0.20 in) of monthly rainfall on average, is between May and September. In the coolest months, June and July, the daily minimum temperature may dip as low as 14 °C (57 °F), but very rarely lower, and a temperature lower than 10 °C (50 °F) has never been recorded in
2626-772: Is the capital city of the Northern Territory , Australia . The city has nearly 53% of the Northern Territory's population, with 139,902 at the 2021 census . It is the smallest, wettest, and most northerly of the Australian capital cities and serves as the Top End 's regional centre. Darwin's proximity to Southeast Asia makes it a key link between Australia and countries such as Indonesia and Timor-Leste . The Stuart Highway begins in Darwin and extends southerly across central Australia through Tennant Creek and Alice Springs , concluding in Port Augusta, South Australia . The city
2727-753: The Administrator of the Northern Territory , John Gilruth , and demanded his resignation. The incident became known as the Darwin Rebellion . Their grievances were against the two main Northern Territory employers: Vestey's Meatworks and the federal government. Both Gilruth and the Vestey company left Darwin soon afterward. On 18 October 1918, during the Spanish flu pandemic , the SS Mataram sailing from Singapore with infectious diseases arrived in Darwin. In 1931,
2828-592: The City of Darwin , which takes in the CBD and the suburbs. The city has been governed by a city council form of government since 1957. The council consists of 13 elected members, the lord mayor , and 12 aldermen . The City of Darwin electorate is organised into four electoral units or wards. The wards are Chan, Lyons, Richardson, and Waters. The constituents of each ward are directly responsible for electing three aldermen . Constituents of all wards are directly responsible for electing
2929-562: The Dutch , Germans , and many others. A significant proportion of Darwin's residents are recent immigrants from Asia , including the peoples of East Timor . At the 2016 census, the most commonly nominated ancestries were: 38.3% of the population at the 2016 census was born overseas. The five largest groups of overseas-born were from the Philippines (3.6%), England (3.1%), New Zealand (2.1%), India (2%) and Greece (0.9%). 8.7% of
3030-606: The Japanese mandate in the central Pacific for bomber reinforcement of the Philippines. The first flight to use the route occurred when nine B-17D bombers of the 14th Bombardment Squadron (H) left Hawaii on 5 September and passed through Darwin 10–12 September. By October 1941 plans were underway to position fuel and supplies with two ships, including USAT Don Esteban , being chartered and actively engaged in that purpose when war came. By November 1941 Australia had agreed to allow
3131-482: The Meigs which had attempted to transport Australian troops to Timor and the U.S. Army transports Portmar and Tulagi which had embarked a U.S. infantry regiment at Darwin. Despite Darwin's strategic importance to the defence of Australia, the city was poorly defended. The Australian Army's anti-aircraft defences comprised sixteen QF 3.7-inch AA guns and two 3-inch AA guns to counter aircraft flying at high altitude and
Holtze, Northern Territory - Misplaced Pages Continue
3232-585: The Northern Territory —was a small town with limited civil and military infrastructure. Due to its strategic position in northern Australia, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) had constructed bases near the town in the 1930s and the early years of World War II . Darwin's pre-war population was 5,800. As early as August 1941, Darwin had been a key in the South Pacific air ferry route designed to avoid routes through
3333-587: The South West Pacific Area command's permanent Army fleet earlier in February, were near Bathurst Island bound for the Philippines with arms and supplies on the morning of the raid. Darwin was attacked by aircraft flying from aircraft carriers and land bases in the NEI. The main force involved in the raid was the 1st Carrier Air Fleet which was commanded by Vice-Admiral Chūichi Nagumo . This force comprised
3434-487: The United States Navy (USN) destroyer Peary and seaplane tender William B. Preston . The RAN ships in port were the sloops Swan and Warrego , corvettes Deloraine and Katoomba , auxiliary minesweepers Gunbar and Tolga , patrol boat Coongoola , depot ship Platypus , examination vessel Southern Cross , lugger Mavie , and four boom-net ships. Several USN and Australian troopships were in
3535-497: The ship's previous voyage . The settlement there became the town of Palmerston in 1869, but was renamed Darwin in 1911. The city has been almost entirely rebuilt four times, following devastation caused by a cyclone in 1897 , another one in 1937, Japanese air raids during World War II , and Cyclone Tracy in 1974. The Aboriginal people of the Larrakia language group are the traditional custodians and earliest known inhabitants of
3636-546: The 17 remaining patients from the leprosarium at Cossack, Western Australia were moved to Darwin, after it closed down. It was at a time when many Aboriginal people who were thought to have leprosy or other infectious diseases were sent to lock hospitals and leprosariums under the Aborigines Act 1905 , which gave the Chief Protector of Aborigines powers to arrest and send any Indigenous person suspected of having
3737-469: The Australian heavy anti-aircraft flak gunners were unable to shoot down or damage any of the high-flying Japanese aircraft. The bombers left the Darwin area at about 12:20 pm. This raid inflicted extensive damage on the RAAF base, though casualties were light. Of the RAAF aircraft at the base, six Hudson light bombers were destroyed and another Hudson and a Wirraway were badly damaged. Two American P-40s and
3838-668: The Darwin area at about 10:10. On their way back to the carriers, their crews noted two Philippine-registered freighters lying just outside the port: Florence D. and Don Isidro . This information contributed to planning for the second raid that afternoon (which sank both vessels). Japanese losses may have been as few as five aircraft and three crew. Another 34 Japanese aircraft landed safely with battle damage. Warrant Officer Katsuyoshi Tsuru and First Petty Officer (1st class) Takezo Uchikado were killed when their Aichi dive bomber (bu. no. 3304 ; tail no. AII-254) crashed near RAAF Darwin. Petty Officer Hajime Toyoshima (a.k.a. Tadao Minami)
3939-586: The Darwin population averaged 33 years old (compared to the national average of around 37), to a large extent because of the military presence and because many people opt to retire elsewhere. As of 2021, 41.7% of Darwin had no religion, so described. The largest religious denomination was Roman Catholicism (18.2%) and Anglican (5.2%). The Darwin City Council (incorporated under the Northern Territory Local Government Act 1993) governs
4040-688: The Dutch names in the area, such as Arnhem Land and Groote Eylandt . During this period, Dutch explorers named the region around Darwin—sometimes including nearby Kimberley —variations of "Van Diemen's Land", after the VOC governor-general Anthony van Diemen . This should not be confused with the more general and prolonged use of the same name for Tasmania . The first British person to see Darwin harbour appears to have been Lieutenant John Lort Stokes of HMS Beagle on 9 September 1839. The ship's captain, Commander John Clements Wickham , named
4141-646: The Highest Traditions – RAN Heroism Darwin 19 February 1942 ), Dr. Peter Stanley (the Australian War Memorial's Principal Historian and author of several books about Australian military history), Tom Womack (author of The Dutch Naval Air Force against Japan ), Paul Rosenzweig (author of Darwin 1942: a reassessment of the first raid casualties ), and Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce (governor of South Australia) have said there were 250–262 fatalities. However,
Holtze, Northern Territory - Misplaced Pages Continue
4242-716: The Lord Mayor of Darwin. Since the August 2017 council elections, the mayor has been Kon Vatskalis . Bombing of Darwin Second Sino-Japanese War The Bombing of Darwin , also known as the Battle of Darwin , on 19 February 1942 was the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia. On that day, 242 Japanese aircraft, in two separate raids, attacked the town, ships in Darwin Harbour and
4343-454: The NWA staff could see what was happening and issued countermanding orders "the damage was done and hundreds of men were already beyond recall". The Australian Army also faced difficulty controlling some of its own troops from looting private property, including "furniture, refrigerators, stoves, pianos, clothes[,] [and] even children's toys" due to the breakdown of law and order after the bombing and
4444-475: The Northern Territory Government announced that new a Darwin’s prison precinct, Doug Owston Correctional Centre , would be built in Holtze, about four kilometres north of Howard Springs Road. In July 2012, a road in Holtze was registered and named after prison officer Reginald Anthony Willard (1943–1997), who worked at the correctional centre. In 2011, the Northern Territory Government identified
4545-414: The Northern Territory and parts of Western Australia 's north were bombed approximately 100 times between 4 March 1942 and 12 November 1943. One of the heaviest attacks took place on 16 June 1942 when a Japanese force set fire to the oil fuel tanks around the harbour and inflicted severe damage to the vacant banks, stores and railway yards. The Allied navies largely abandoned the naval base at Darwin after
4646-409: The Stuart Highway toward Palmerston, centred on Winnellie . The area'a largest shopping precinct is Casuarina Square . The most expensive residential areas stand along the coast in suburbs such as the marina of Cullen Bay , Larrakeyah , Bayview and Brinkin . These low-lying regions are at risk during cyclones and higher tides, but adequate drainage and stringent building regulations have reduced
4747-770: The US Joint Chiefs of Staff ). Admiral Halstead , strafed and with plates damaged by near misses, was brought to the pier where U.S. Army volunteers along with survivors of the U.S. and Philippine vessels helped unload her 14,000 drums of aviation gasoline. Of major military consequence was the loss of most of the cargo shipping available to support efforts in Java and the Philippines with Java being effectively sealed off from further surface shipments from Australia. The air raids caused chaos in Darwin, with most essential services including water and electricity being badly damaged or destroyed. Fears of an imminent invasion spread and there
4848-683: The aircraft carriers Akagi , Kaga , Hiryū , and Sōryū and a powerful force of escorting surface ships. All four carriers had participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor at the start of the Pacific War. In addition to the carrier-based aircraft, 54 land-based bombers also struck Darwin in a high-level bombing raid nearly two hours after the first one struck at 0956. These comprised 27 G3M "Nell" bombers flying from Ambon and another 27 G4M "Betty" bombers operating from Kendari in Celebes. The four Japanese aircraft carriers launched 188 aircraft on
4949-423: The airport. The hottest months are October and November, just before the onset of the main rain season. The temperature is usually below 35 °C (95 °F), but the heat index sometimes rises above 45 °C (113 °F), because of humidity levels that most find uncomfortable. Because of its long dry season, Darwin has the second-highest average daily hours of sunshine (8.4) of any Australian capital, with
5050-500: The area permanently, before or immediately after the attack. The two Japanese air raids were the first, and largest, of more than 100 air raids against Australia during 1942–1943 . The event happened just four days after the Fall of Singapore , when a combined Commonwealth force surrendered to the Japanese, the largest surrender in British history. In 1942, Darwin—whilst it was the capital of
5151-586: The attacks. In the words of journalist Douglas Lockwood , after the second Japanese air raid, the commander of RAAF Darwin, Wing Commander Stuart Griffith: summoned his senior administrative officer, Squadron Leader Swan, and gave a verbal order that all airmen were to move half a mile down the main road and then half a mile inland. At this vague rendezvous point [...] arrangements would be made to feed them. The order led to utter chaos. In being passed by word of mouth from one section to another, sometimes with officers present and sometimes not, it became garbled to
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#17330861098705252-423: The bombers were sighted. The Japanese force separated into two groups flying at 18,000 feet (5,500 m). One of these formations attacked RAAF Base Darwin from the south-west while the other approached from the north-east. The two formations arrived over the base at the same time, and dropped their bombs simultaneously. The Japanese bombers then turned, and made a second attack on the base. Due to defective fuses,
5353-494: The city centre. Outer suburbs away from the coast occasionally record temperatures as low as 5 °C (41 °F) in the dry season. For a 147‑day period during the 2012 dry season, from 5 May to 29 September, Darwin recorded no precipitation. Prolonged periods of no precipitation are common in the dry season in Northern Australia (particularly in the Northern Territory and northern regions of Western Australia ), although
5454-670: The city's buildings, including many old stone buildings such as the Palmerston Town Hall, which could not withstand the lateral forces the winds generated. After the disaster, 30,000 of the population of 46,000 were evacuated in the biggest airlift in Australia's history. The town was rebuilt with newer materials and techniques during the late 1970s by the Darwin Reconstruction Commission, led by former Brisbane Lord mayor Clem Jones . A satellite city of Palmerston
5555-511: The coal storage hulk Kelat sank later. At least 21 labourers working on the wharf were killed when it was bombed. All but one of the P-40s of Major Floyd Pell's 33rd Pursuit Squadron, was shot down or destroyed on the ground at RAAF Darwin by the Japanese. Japanese aircraft bombed and strafed the base and civil airfield, as well as the town's army barracks and oil store. All of these facilities were seriously damaged. The bombers began to leave
5656-550: The coast are home to recreational reserves, extensive beaches, and excellent fishing. Darwin and its suburbs spread in an approximately triangular shape, with the older southwestern suburbs—and the city itself—forming one corner, the newer northern suburbs another, and the eastern suburbs, progressing towards Palmerston, forming the third. The older part of Darwin is separated from the newer northern suburbs by Darwin International Airport and RAAF Base Darwin . Palmerston
5757-554: The construction of underground oil storage tunnels in Darwin in 1943. The number of people killed during 19 February raids is disputed. The Lowe Commission, which investigated them in March 1942, estimated 243 victims but, assuming a few were unidentified, concluded "I am satisfied that the number is approximately 250 and I doubt whether any further investigation will result in ascertaining a more precise figure." Some researchers and government officials, including John Bradford (author of In
5858-500: The country, allowing stories and histories to be told and retold along the routes. The extent of shared songlines and history of multiple clan groups within this area is contestable. The Dutch visited Australia's northern coastline in the 1600s and landed on the Tiwi Islands only to be repelled by the Tiwi peoples . The Dutch created the first European maps of the area. This accounts for
5959-399: The day of the attack the prime minister is quoted on the front pages of most newspapers: "Damage to property was considerable", he said, "but reports so far to hand do not give precise particulars about the loss of life." "The Government regards the attacks as most grave, and makes it quite clear that a severe blow has been struck on Australian soil." After the 19 February 1942 Japanese raid,
6060-405: The defence of the NEI. The Japanese had captured Ambon, Borneo , and Celebes between December 1941 and early-February 1942. Landings on Timor were scheduled for 20 February, and an invasion of Java was planned to take place shortly afterwards. In order to protect these landings from Allied interference, the Japanese military command decided to conduct a major air raid on Darwin. On 10 February
6161-457: The dry season, the city has clear skies and mild sea breezes from the harbour. The Larrakia people are the traditional owners of the Darwin area, and Aboriginal people are a significant proportion of the population. On 9 September 1839, HMS Beagle sailed into Darwin Harbour during its survey of the area. John Clements Wickham named the region "Port Darwin" in honour of their former shipmate Charles Darwin , who had sailed with them on
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#17330861098706262-518: The ensuing chaos. Many civilian refugees never returned, or did not return for many years, and in the post-war years some land they owned in Darwin had been expropriated by government bodies in their absence, made legal by the Darwin Lands Acquisition Act 1945 . The bombing of Darwin resulted in the destruction of 7 of the 11 above ground storage tanks, located on Stokes Hill, in raids on 19 February 16 March and 16 June 1942. This led to
6363-506: The establishment of training bases, maintenance facilities, munitions storage, communications, and improvement of airfields, including at Darwin, to meet the needs of the B-17 bombers in Australia. Following the outbreak of the Pacific War in early December 1941, Darwin's defences were strengthened. In line with plans developed before the war, several Australian Army and RAAF units stationed in
6464-477: The extent it was unrecognisable against the original. In its ultimate form it was interpreted, especially by those desiring such an interpretation, of an impending order for immediate and general evacuation of the area. Highly exaggerated rumours of an impending Japanese invasion had already reached the base from the town and spread quickly among those wanting to believe them. In the absence of restraint, men gathered their belongings and abandoned their stations. While
6565-741: The first poles for the Overland Telegraph were erected in Darwin, connecting Australia to the rest of the world. The discovery of gold by employees of the Australian Overland Telegraph Line digging holes for telegraph poles at Pine Creek in the 1880s spawned a gold rush, which further boosted the colony's development. In February 1872 the brigantine Alexandra was the first private vessel to sail from an English port directly to Darwin, carrying people many of whom were coming to recent gold finds. In early 1875 Darwin's white population had grown to approximately 300 because of
6666-513: The gold rush. On 17 February 1875 the SS ; Gothenburg left Darwin en route for Adelaide . The approximately 88 passengers and 34 crew (surviving records vary) included government officials, circuit-court judges, Darwin residents taking their first furlough , and miners. While travelling south along the north Queensland coast, the Gothenburg encountered a cyclone-strength storm and was wrecked on
6767-603: The goldfields and later to build the Palmerston to Pine Creek railway. By 1888 there were 6,122 Chinese in the Northern Territory, mostly in or around Darwin. The early Chinese settlers were mainly from Guangdong Province . The Chinese community established Darwin Chinatown . At the end of the 19th century, anti-Chinese feelings grew in response to the 1890s economic depression, and the White Australia policy meant many Chinese left
6868-406: The greater Darwin area. Their name for the area is Garramilla, pronounced / ɡ ɑːr ə m ɪ l ə / and meaning "white stone", referring to the colour of rock and sea cliffs found in the area. They had trading routes with Southeast Asia (see Macassan contact with Australia ) and imported goods from as far afield as South and Western Australia. Established songlines penetrated throughout
6969-658: The ground, near Melville Island . At 9.35 am Father McGrath of the Sacred Heart mission on Bathurst Island , who was also an Australian coastwatcher , sent a message using a pedal radio to the Amalgamated Wireless Postal Radio Station at Darwin that a large number of aircraft were flying overhead and proceeding southward. The message was then relayed to the Royal Australian Air Force Operations at 9.37 am. No general alarm
7070-419: The gulf, West Arm. Middle Arm has an industrial precinct on the peninsula, which is being promoted as a sustainable development area that will include plants for industries such as low-emission petrochemicals , renewable hydrogen , and carbon capture storage . The city is flanked by Frances Bay to the east and Cullen Bay to the west. The rest of the city is relatively flat and low-lying, and areas bordering
7171-414: The harbour along with a number of merchant vessels of varying sizes. Most of the ships in the harbour were anchored near each other, making them an easy target for air attack. Moreover, no plans had been prepared for how the ships should respond to an air raid. In addition to the vessels in port, the American Army supply ships Don Isidro and Florence D. , former Philippine vessels acquired as part of
7272-532: The harbour said, "we definitely estimate over 1,000", Rex Ruwoldt, one of the soldiers attacked that day, says that a few days after the raid he was told over the field telephone that Army Intelligence estimated 1,100 were killed. According to an AP article about the 50th anniversary of the attacks "some estimates say as many as 1,000 died". Bradford and Forrest said they spoke to survivors who estimated as many as 1,500 people died. Stanley, Grose, Rosenzweig, and Tom Lewis rejected such numbers. The former said "it
7373-608: The initial 19 February attack, dispersing most of their forces to Brisbane , Fremantle , and other, smaller, seaports. Conversely, Allied air commanders launched a build-up in the Darwin area, building more airfields and deploying many squadrons. The four IJN aircraft carriers ( Akagi , Kaga , Hiryū , and Sōryū ) that participated in the Bombing of Darwin were later sunk during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. A memorial ceremony has been held every year since at least 2009. On 19 February at
7474-431: The loss of four crewmen. All of the survivors from Don Isidro were rescued by the corvette HMAS Warrnambool on 20 February. Some of Florence D. ' s survivors landed on Bathurst and Melville Islands while the remainder were rescued by Warrnambool on 23 February. Among the survivors of Florence D. were the rescued crew of a U.S. Navy PBY piloted by then Lt Thomas H. Moorer (later to become Chairman of
7575-455: The morning of 19 February. The main objective of their crews was attacking ships and port facilities in Darwin Harbour. Their aircraft comprised 81 Nakajima B5N ("Kate") light bombers, 71 Aichi D3A ("Val") dive bombers, and an escort of 36 Mitsubishi A6M ("Zero") fighters. While the B5N was a purpose-built torpedo bomber, it could instead carry up to 800 kilograms (1,800 lb) of bombs and there
7676-571: The most sunshine from April to November; only Perth , Western Australia, averages more (8.8). The sun passes directly overhead in mid-October and mid-February. The average temperature of the sea ranges from 25.8 °C (78.4 °F) in July to 31.5 °C (88.7 °F) in December. Darwin occupies one of the most lightning-prone areas in Australia. On 31 January 2002 an early-morning squall line produced over 5,000 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes within
7777-614: The population, or 11,960 people, identified as Indigenous Australians ( Aboriginal Australians and/or Torres Strait Islanders ) in 2016. This is the largest proportion of any Australian capital city. At the 2016 census, 58% of the population spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home include Tagalog (3.7%), Greek (3.5%), Mandarin (2.0%), Nepali (1.2%), Indonesian (1.0%), Australian Aboriginal languages (1.0%), Malayalam (0.9%), Vietnamese (0.8%), Cantonese (0.7%), Italian (0.6%), Portuguese (0.5%, mostly spoken by Timorese ), and Tamil (0.5%). In 2011,
7878-451: The port after Charles Darwin , the British naturalist who had sailed with him when he served as first lieutenant on the earlier second expedition of the Beagle . In 1863, the Northern Territory was transferred from New South Wales to South Australia . In 1864 South Australia sent B. T. Finniss north as Government Resident to survey and found a capital for its new territory. Finniss chose
7979-427: The post office station, which is in Darwin's CBD) have ranged from 38.9 °C (102.0 °F) on 18 October 1982 to 10.4 °C (50.7 °F) on 29 July 1942. The highest minimum temperature on record is 30.7 °C (87.3 °F) on 18 January 1928 for the post office station and 29.7 °C (85.5 °F) on both 25 November 1987 and 17 December 2014 for the airport station. The lowest maximum temperature on record
8080-502: The potential damage to buildings or injury to residents. The inner northern suburbs are home to lower-income households, although low-income Territory Housing units are scattered throughout the metropolitan area. The suburb of Lyons was part of a multi-stage land release and development in the Northern Suburbs; planning, development and construction took place from 2004 to 2009. More recent developments near Lyons subdivision includes
8181-502: The six Wirraways at Darwin on the day of the raid were serviceable. At the time of the event, there was no functional radar to provide early warning of air raids, and the town's civil defences were dysfunctional. The Lowe Commission, led by Victorian judge Charles Lowe and appointed to investigate the raids shortly after they occurred, was informed that the Australian military estimated that Darwin would have needed 36 heavy anti-aircraft guns and 250 fighter aircraft to defend it against
8282-528: The southwest, and Bennett Street on the southeast. The CBD has been the focus of a number of major projects, such as the billion-dollar redevelopment of the Stokes Hill wharf waterfront area, including a convention centre with seating for 1,500 people and approximately 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) of exhibition space. The developers announced that this includes hotels, residential apartments, and public space. The city's main industrial areas are along
8383-532: The suburb of Muirhead . Darwin has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen Aw ) with distinct wet and dry seasons, and the average maximum temperature is similar year round. The Australian Building Codes Board classifies it as Climate Zone 1. The NCC Climate zones are a broad classification of climate zones by the NCC ranging from one to eight, categorising the different climates of Australia. The dry season runs from about May to September, during which nearly every day
8484-657: The territory. But some stayed, became British subjects, and established a commercial base in Darwin. The Northern Territory was initially settled and administered by South Australia , until its transfer to the Commonwealth in 1911. In the same year, the city's official name changed from Palmerston to Darwin. The period between 1911 and 1919 was filled with political turmoil, particularly with trade union unrest, which culminated on 17 December 1918. Led by Harold Nelson , some 1,000 demonstrators marched to Government House at Liberty Square in Darwin, where they burnt an effigy of
8585-460: The toll far higher: one soldier who was there claimed to have seen barges filled with bodies towed out to sea, a member of one of the burial teams recounted seeing uncounted bodies "shoved in a large hole dug by a bulldozer" (paraphrased), according to some sources, former Darwin Mayor (1921–1922) Jack Burton estimated 900 people were killed; Harry Macredie, who helped rescue survivors and recover bodies in
8686-460: The total between 250 and 320. Grose wrote: "if 900 or 1100 died, why were the numbers of injured so low? The count of the injured is more accurate, because they were treated in hospital or shipped out aboard the Manunda [a hospital ship]. The hospitals and Manunda noted names and numbers of those they treated." The Japanese raid was unlike the attack on Pearl Harbor in that it was launched against
8787-708: The town were sent to the Netherlands East Indies (Dutch East Indies; NEI) to strengthen the defences of the islands of Ambon and Timor . An improvised plan for support of the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies was completed in Washington on 20 December 1941 by the U.S. Army General Staff. It envisioned Darwin as the hub of transshipment efforts to supply those forces by landing supplies at Brisbane, shipping overland to Darwin, and onward by air and blockade-running ships. In reality, transport to Darwin by sea
8888-597: The town's air raid sirens were belatedly sounded. The Japanese bombers then conducted dive bombing and level bombing attacks on the ships in Darwin Harbour. These attacks lasted for 30 minutes, and resulted in the sinking of three warships and six merchant vessels, and damage to another ten ships. The ships sunk were the USS Peary , HMAS Mavie , USAT Meigs , MV Neptuna (which exploded while docked at Darwin's main wharf), Zealandia , SS Mauna Loa , MV British Motorist . The oil tanker Karalee and
8989-528: The town's two airfields in an attempt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases to contest the invasion of Timor and Java during World War II . Darwin was lightly defended relative to the size of the attack, and the Japanese inflicted heavy losses upon Allied forces at little cost to themselves. The urban areas of Darwin also suffered some damage from the raids and there were a number of civilian casualties. More than half of Darwin's civilian population left
9090-496: The town, airfields, and aircraft. These were by far the most serious attacks on Australia in time of war, in terms of fatalities and damage. They were the first of many raids on Darwin. Darwin Chinatown which lay within the heart of Darwin was razed to the ground by the Japanese bombing and was never rebuilt. Northern Territory administrator Aubrey Abbott wanted to eliminate the Chinese community and forcibly seized their land as it
9191-462: The wet season, but most days have plentiful cloud cover; January averages under six hours of bright sunshine daily. Darwin's highest daily rainfall verified by the Bureau of Meteorology is 367.6 millimetres (14.47 in), which fell when Cyclone Carlos bore down on the Darwin area on 16 February 2011. February 2011 was also Darwin's wettest month ever recorded, with 1,110.2 millimetres (43.71 in) at
9292-444: Was a wave of refugees, as some of the town's civilian population fled inland. There were reports of looting, with provost marshals being among the accused. According to official figures, 278 personnel belonging to RAAF North-Western Area Command (NWA) were considered to have deserted as a result of the raids, although it has been argued that the "desertions" were mostly the result of ambiguous orders given to RAAF ground staff after
9393-652: Was built 20 km (12 mi) east of Darwin in the early 1980s. On 17 September 2003, the Adelaide–Darwin railway was completed, with the opening of the Alice Springs–Darwin standard gauge line. Darwin hosted many of aviation's early pioneers. On 10 December 1919, Captain Ross Smith and his crew landed in Darwin and won a £10,000 prize from the Australian government for completing the first flight from London to Australia in under 30 days. Smith and his crew flew
9494-466: Was certainly not the 1,024 claimed recently in unsubstantiated reports" and Grose wrote "numbers such as 1,100 are fancifully high". By contrast, there is less dispute over the number of injured during the attacks. The Lowe Commission estimated "between 300 and 400" people were wounded. Lewis said the number was over 400, about 200 of which were seriously injured. Womack wrote that 311 were wounded. Australian military historian Chris Coulthard-Clark put
9595-446: Was considered prime real estate. Darwin was further developed after the war, with sealed roads constructed connecting the region to Alice Springs to the south and Mount Isa to the southeast, and Manton Dam built in the south to provide the city with water. On Australia Day (26 January) 1959, Darwin was granted city status. On 25 December 1974, Darwin was struck by Cyclone Tracy , which killed 71 people and destroyed over 70% of
9696-419: Was given until about 10 am as the RAAF officers there wrongly judged that the aircraft which had been sighted were the ten USAAF P-40s, which were returning to Darwin at the time after reports of bad weather forced them to abort a flight to Java via Kupang, West Timor. As a result, the air raid sirens at Darwin were not sounded before the raid. Flying escort in a Zero fighter, Petty Officer Yoshikazu Nagahama
9797-558: Was home to Australian and U.S. pilots during the war, with airstrips built in and around Darwin. Today Darwin provides a staging ground for military exercises . Darwin was a compulsory stopover and checkpoint in the London-to-Melbourne Centenary Air Race in 1934. The official name of the race was the MacRobertson Air Race . Winners of the race were Tom Campbell Black and C. W. A. Scott . The following
9898-453: Was much greater at Pearl Harbor (more than 2,400 people) than Darwin (236 people) due to the presence of capital ships and the catastrophic loss of a single battleship, the USS Arizona , and its 1,177 men. A frequently repeated myth is that the Australian government downplayed the damage from the bombing raids on Darwin, in a "cover-up". The newspapers of the day disprove this claim. On
9999-462: Was necessary. Supplies and shipping intended both to build the Darwin base and to support the Java and Philippine forces were gathered in Darwin and the vicinity. In the two months before the air raids, all but 2,000 civilians were evacuated from the town. Japanese submarines I-121 and I-123 laid mines off Darwin in January 1942. By mid-February 1942, Darwin had become an important Allied base for
10100-512: Was separated from his squadron while he was attacking the PBY flying boat and arrived over the city alone ahead of the strike force, which was making a turn to attack from the south. He engaged five US Army Air Force P-40 Warhawk fighters and single-handedly shot down four of them. The Japanese raiders began to arrive over Darwin at 9:58 am. HMAS Gunbar was the first ship to be attacked, being strafed by several Zero fighters. At about this time,
10201-466: Was taken prisoner after crash-landing his damaged Zero (bu. no. b. n. 5349 ; tail no. BII-124) on Melville Island. Those who ditched near the Japanese fleet and were rescued included Flyer 1st class Yoshio Egawa and the Aichi crew of Flyer 1st class Takeshi Yamada and Flyer 1st class Kinji Funazaki. In 2013, a reference was discovered in Japanese records to a Nakajima torpedo bomber suffering wheel damage from
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