History of darwin, an overview of recent and modern history of darwin

History

	Pre 20th Century History

	It took a long time to decide on Darwin as the site for the region's centre, and even after the city was established, growth was slow and troubled. Early attempts to settle the Top End were mainly due to British fears that the French or Dutch might get a foothold in Australia. Between 1824 and 1829 Fort Dundas on Melville Island and Fort Wellington on the Cobourg Peninsula, 200km (124mi) northeast of Darwin, were settled and then abandoned. In 1845 the explorer Leichardt reached Port Essington overland from Brisbane, arousing prolonged interest in the Top End. The region came under the control of South Australia in 1863, and more ambitious development plans were made. A settlement was established in 1864 at Escape Cliffs on the mouth of the Adelaide River, not too far from Darwin's present location, but this was abandoned in 1866. Present-day Darwin was finally founded in 1869. The harbour had been discovered back in 1839 by John Lort Stokes aboard the Beagle, who named it Port Darwin after former shipmate, Charles Darwin. The process of white settlement in the Northern Territory was just as troubled and violent as elsewhere in Australia, with Aboriginal groups vainly trying to resist the takeover of land on which their way of life depended. Darwin's growth was accelerated by the discovery of gold at Pine Creek, about 200km (124mi) south, in 1871.

	Modern History

	Once gold fever had run its course, Darwin's development slowed down due to the harsh, unpredictable climate (including occasional cyclones) and poor communications with other Australian cities. By the early 20th century, most of the Aboriginal people who had inhabited the land which had become Darwin were confined to government reserves or Christian missions, or were living on cattle stations working as stockmen or domestic help. WWII put Darwin permanently on the map when the town became an important base for Allied action against the Japanese in the Pacific. The road south to the railhead at Alice Springs was surfaced, finally putting the city in direct contact with the rest of the country. Darwin was attacked 64 times during the war and 243 people lost their lives; it was the only place in Australia to suffer prolonged attack. By 1974, Darwin was a growing settlement with a population of 48,000 that was developing new suburbs. Early on Christmas morning of that year, Cyclone Tracy passed over Darwin, killing 69 people in six hours (including 16 at sea) and flattening the city.

	Recent History

	Modern Darwin is one of Australia's most cosmopolitan cities, more open to Asia than perhaps any other Australian city. It plays an important role as the front door to Australia's northern region and as a centre for administration and mining. The completion in mid-2003 of a railway link to Alice Springs and Adelaide fuelled hopes that Darwin could eventually become the continent's transport hub with Southeast Asia. A $1 billion development of the city's waterfront area was recently undertaken, with a new convention centre, a large hotel, numerous cafes and restaurants, a wave lagoon and a public promenade scheduled for completion by 2008.