Short History of Darwin
As Australia's northern gateway Darwin's unique character is shaped by its multicultural population (there are over 60 different cultural groups) and its place as a frontier town in the nation's history and exploration.
The traditional owners of this area are the Larrakia Aboriginal people, and the Aboriginal spirit and culture endures. The town's early European development was shaped by the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line from Port Augusta and a minor goldrush at Pine Creek during the 1870s. Darwin played an important role for the defence of Australia during World War II, when more than 60 bomb attacks by the Japanese reduced much of the city precinct to rubble. The most recent historic event to change the face of Darwin was Cyclone Tracy, which almost razed the city to the ground in 1974. The extensive rebuilding programme that followed transformed Darwin into the youngest and most modern capital city in Australia.