European Settlement in Darwin
In 1839 Port Darwin was discovered by John Lort Stokes, Captain of the Beagle, who named the area in honour of his former shipmate Charles Darwin. Settlement attempts were made at Port Essington, Raffles Bay and Fort Dundas, all of which were unsuccessful.
In 1869 the first successful settlement was established by George Goyder, which was first named Palmerston then later renamed Darwin City. Developments of the city happened in several booms throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s.
A gold rush near Pine Creek brought an influx of people and machinery which later phased out. A significant development was in 1872 when an extensive submarine cable was laid, connecting Australia to the rest of the world.
The onset of World War II saw 10,000 Allied troops arrive to defend the North Coast, which was attacked many times, first in 1942, causing hundreds of deaths of civilians. Darwin City continued to grow during the war despite the many air raids on Darwin by the Japanese.
In 1974 Darwin was devastated by Cyclone Tracy which destroyed many of Darwin’s historic buildings and caused a mass evacuation of the city. Darwin was consequently rebuilt using superior technology and now stands as the modern metropolis it is today. In 2003 the Adelaide-Darwin railway was completed, connecting Australia's south to its north.
