Darwin Attractions

The Botanic Gardens were laid out for the government in 1891 by Maurice Holtze, a Russian immigrant. They contain a great variety of tropical plants, either native or introduced to Australia. Particular high spots are the palms, a miniature rain forest with a waterfall and pond, and the orchid garden. In an amphitheater in the south part of the gardens Aboriginal dances are sometimes performed.

The Indo Pacific Marine features a large aquarium displaying living coral and other denizens of tropical seas.

At the north end of the Esplanade (Doctors Gully) is Aquascene, where at high tide the fish eat out of visitors' hands and play with them.

Australian Pearling Exhibition is an exhibition concerned with pearl fishing in Australia.

The exhibits highlight historic hard-hat days to modern day pearl farming.

The Darwin Aviation Museum features displays and relics (including a B52 bomber of the U.S. Air Force and a shot down Japanese Zero fighter) illustrating the development of aviation in the Northern Territory since the Smith brothers' landing.

Charles Darwin National Park protects the wetlands and woodlands of Port Darwin. There are a number of hiking and biking trails for visitors as well as a picnic area. The picnic area offers views of the harbor.

The Chinese Temple was originally built in 1887 for Darwin's sizeable Chinese community. The present building has preserved many interior furnishings from its predecessor.

The original Christchurch Cathedral (Anglican) was damaged by Japanese bombing during the Second World War and destroyed by Cyclone Tracy. The new building was consecrated in 1977 in the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The narrow porch and the adjoining wall, which survived the cyclone, were incorporated in the new octagonal church. The waves and fishermen's nets in the stained glass windows commemorate those who died at sea in the cyclone. The heavy altar consists of a single massive piece of jarrah wood.

The Civic Centre is a low rectangular building. In the courtyard is the Tree of Knowledge, a handsome old banyan tree.

Darwin Community Arts, opposite the ruins of the Old Town Hall, is another relic of Darwin's early days. This plain stone building was erected in 1885, damaged several times by cyclones and successively used as a shop, government offices and police headquarters. After the repair of damage by Cyclone Tracy it now houses a small theater.

The East Point War Museum or Military Museum is in the East Point Nature Reserve, in beautiful tropical gardens surrounded by the sea. It documents Darwin's role during the second world war as an important naval base which was frequently attacked by Japanese bombers from February 1942 onwards. Within the grounds are a coastal battery, observation towers, bunkers and gun positions dating from that period.

Darwin has numerous night clubs, cinemas and theaters. The Performing Arts Centre in Mitchell Street can seat an audience of over 1000; at the other extreme is the tiny theater in historic Brown's Mart (Smith Street). There are open-air performances in the Gardens Amphitheater in the Botanical Gardens (Gardens Street).

A popular attraction is Diamond Beach, which is part of a large new pyramid-shaped complex with a hotel, restaurants, discos, sports facilities and conference rooms just off Mindil Beach, near the Botanical Gardens.

Information about events and festivals in Darwin is given in the free brochures issued by the Top End Tourist Association and the free weekly publication This Week in Darwin.

In April is the City to Surf race. In June there is the Bougainvillea Festival, which lasts several weeks, with parades, open-air theater and a fair. The high spot for horse-racing enthusiasts is the Darwin Cup Carnival on Fannie Bay racecourse in July and August. In June the yacht race from Darwin to Ambon in Indonesia attracts large numbers of spectators. August is the big festival month, with the Darwin Rodeo and - perhaps the craziest event of all - the Can Regatta, a race in the harbor between boats made from empty soft drink cans. The Festival of Flaming Arrows also takes place in the harbor - a combination of fireworks and bizarrely decorated and illuminated boats.

The Fannie Bay Gaol (Jail) (Jail) Museum features a cell block of 1833 and the gallows on which the last execution was carried out in 1952. The exhibition traces the history of the prison.

This museum and art gallery has an excellent collection of Aboriginal and Southeast Asian art and works by Australian painters. A different kind of attraction is a stuffed crocodile, one of the largest ever killed in northern Australia. In addition there are presentations of local history, including Darwin before and after the passage of the cyclone Tracy in 1974.

The Esplanade, which was already designated in the 1869 plan as a public park, runs north from Government House to Old Admiralty House, one of the few surviving buildings dating from around 1920. It is now occupied by an art gallery and a tearoom.

The Old Town Hall was built in 1883, when the gold rush at Pine Creek was at its peak. Cyclone Tracy left only ruins, which have been converted into an open-air theater.

The Overland Telegraph Memorial is a rather inconspicuous tablet, commemorating the men who installed the telegraph line from Adelaide to Darwin, a distance of more than 3000km, in 23 months (1872).

Darwin is well provided with public open spaces. In addition to the East Point Reserve and the Botanic Gardens there are - particularly along the coast - numerous areas for water sports, cycle tracks, a golf course, a cricket ground, tennis courts and picnic and barbecue areas (Vesteys Beach, Mindil Beach, Bicentennial Park on the Esplanade, with the Leichhardt Memorial). There is good fishing from Stokes Hill Wharf, in the harbor.

To the northeast there are beaches on Nightcliff Drive and Casuarina Beach, which attracts many water sports enthusiasts. There is a large Olympic Pool in Ross Smith Avenue and public swimming pools in the suburbs. Local people prefer inland waters for bathing in summer.

Along the Esplanade from the Cathedral is the building (by J.K. Knight, 1884) occupied by the police station and the old courthouse, also known as the Old Naval Headquarters because it was occupied by the Australian Navy during the Second World War. Rebuilt after suffering severe damage in the cyclone, it now houses government offices.

The Ross Smith Memorial commemorates the brothers Ross and Keith Smith, who landed here in 1919 after a flight from Britain.

Darwin has numerous shops, including souvenir shops and craft shops, particularly on Smith Street. Typical Top End products are leather goods (e.g. the leather hats worn by the men of the outback) and Aboriginal craft products such as bark paintings, pictures reproducing sand paintings, woodcarving, basketwork and didgeridoos (tubular wind instruments).

The markets of Darwin, which because of the great heat take place in the evening, show strong Asian influence (spices, foodstuffs), offering an exotic experience. There is a food market every Friday evening at the Bus Transit Centre in Mitchell Street, and every Thursday evening there is a market at Mindil Beach. Markets are also held on Saturdays in the suburbs of Parap and Winnellie and on Sundays in Rapid Creek and Palmerston.

Visitors are offered a wide range of city sightseeing tours, half-day tours, whole-day excursions and harbor cruises. For information consult the Holiday Planner published by the Tourist Association and their numerous brochures and leaflets.

There are also a variety of cruises, e.g. day trips, night fishing cruises and weekend excursions, or evening cruises with traditional dancing and dinner on board. Ferries sail from Stokes Hill Wharf (southeast of the City) to Mandorah on the opposite side of the Cox Peninsula.

On a walk round the city center visitors can see most of the sights and at the same time experience the relaxed atmosphere of Australia's youngest capital. Because of the tropical heat in the middle of the day it is advisable to take your walk in the early morning or late afternoon.

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In the outer northern suburbs, extending from Rapid Creek to Lee Point is the Casuarina Coastal Reserve, with expanses of tropical rain forest and mangrove swamp and beautiful beaches (including a section for nude bathing). Off the coast is the Old Man Rock, a sacred place to the Aborigines. Here too can be seen Second World War artillery positions.

In the Crocodile Farm visitors can observe thousands of crocodiles, large and small.

The farm is home to Snowy, the world's largest albino crocodile.

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Holmes Jungle Nature Park protects monsoon forest. This forest is home to a variety of birds and animals. Palm Creek runs through the park. There are walking trails for visitors as well as separate trails for cyclist and horse riders.

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Ponds (bathing); rest areas; large numbers of birds. On the road are the oldest surviving houses in the tropical architectural style of 1913.

Adjoining the nature park is the Howard Springs Hunting Reserve, a flood plain and expanse of marshland near the mouth of the Howard River in which ducks and geese can be shot.

Manton Dam (1942) allows visitors a place for a variety of water activities. There are separate areas of the dam catering to swimmers, high speed boaters and low speed boaters. The dam itself was the first water supply for Darwin.

Yarrawonga Zoo provides a good introduction to the flora and fauna of the Top End.