Darwin - I've given up keeping track of what day it is.

21 July,

We have now come to the end of our stay in Darwin and tomorrow we leave for Kakadu National Park.  We have already paid our park entry fee and so we expect to be welcomed with open arms.  We  will be staying at a place called Cooinda Resort Campground.  We have heard mainly good reports about it so we have our fingers crossed.  I suspect that Internet access may be an issue, so my apologies in advance in case I cannot send out any posts

Yesterday was remarkable in that I overcame the prevailing Darwin ennui, got off my backside and stirred my stumps long enough to go into the city centre to take some photos.  I am so glad I did.  i could not get over the changes and large-scale development that has occurred here in the last twenty or so years since I was here last.   Here are a few photos of downtown Darwin

Smith St Mall

Smith St Mall

One of several highrise office blocks and apartments

 After wandering around the shops in Mitchell St and the Smith St Mall, I walked down towards the waterfront and had a look at some of the more historic buildings and landmarks.  I walked past some of the modern government buildings

These are the ruins of the first townhall.  It was built in the early 1880's.  In those days, while the port was called Port Darwin, after Charles Darwin who was a friend of the discoverer of the harbour, the town was called Palmerston.  Apparently the local worthies could not tolerate naming a town after someone who came up with something as scandalous at the theory of evolution.  After a few years, commonsense prevailed and the town was called Darwin.   The name Palmerston has been given to a modern town centre on the south eastern edge of the Darwin suburbs.  The building ceased its role as town hall in the 1930's but continued in a variety of roles until it was destroyed by Cyclone Tracy

The following two photographs show where the first telegraph pole of the overland telegraph was erected in 1872.  The overland telegraph was of vital importance to the development of Australia and this site deserves vastly more attention than just a piece of iron pipe stuck in a garden bed.

This, and the photo below are of a replica of the original administrators house, police station, court house and post office.  The actual building was destroyed by Cyclone Tracy.  Much of the material of the old building was used in this recreation

NT Supreme Court

The Administrator's House.  The Crown is still represented in the Northern Territory system of government,  The Administrator performs a role similar to that of a governor of an Australian state.  Interestingly, The government of the Australian Capital Territory, a similar self-governing territory does not have an Administrator.  The role is carried out by the Governor General.

NT Parliament House.  The Australian Capital Territory has a population at three times as large as the Northern Territory but does not have a legislative chamber anywhere as grand as this one.  Hmmm

The reason I came to Darwin twenty years ago was to run a conference.  The conference was conducted in this hotel on the Esplanade .

At that stage, it was the only 5 star hotel in Darwin and, in my memory at least,  was by far the tallest building along the strand. Now it was one of many hotels and apartment buildings along the Esplanade and is dwarfed by some.

So that's Darwin.  Next stop Kakadu.