On 19th Feb. 1942 188 Japanese planes launched an attack on Darwin crossing the Australian coast over these waters. The raid was planned & led by the commander responsible for the Pearl Harbour attack. There were two attacks an hour apart lasting 40 minutes & 25 minutes. Between this date & 12th Nov. 1943 there were 64 raids on Darwin & 33 raids on other parts of Australia. In December 1941 most of the women & children were ordered to evacuate Darwin, the last ship sailed on 15th Feb 1942, just before the bombing.
This museum is a well presented & interesting monument to the people who lived here & were involved in the defence of Darwin & Australia during WWII. Many lost their lives and much infrastructure such as the PO. & Telegraph staion were destroyed. Both civilians & servicemen panicked & fled until order was restored after a few days. You can follow individuals stories of the attack & life in Darwin at the time through interactive video.
Various tanks & vehicles are scattered throughout the tropical garden, & other military memorabilia is housed in the original sheds on the site. The new museum has an amazing film produced from old film & still photos digitally enhanced to make you feel you are part of the population during the actual first bombing.
Below are photos of other artefacts in the collection from various Australian conflicts.
It's very sobering to see how close Australia came to being invaded by the Japanese. Throughout Darwin & the NT there is still evidence of the defence forces that were stationed here, including gun embattlements, storage bunkers & many landing strips adjacent to the Stuart Highway.
Posted with Blogsy
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