On the 19th of February each year, we commemorate the Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin.

In 2022, it will be 80 years ago that Australia faced an unprecedented foreign attack on home soil.

The Bombing of Darwin Day, is a day to reflect on our past and to pay tribute to those servicemen, servicewomen and civilians who were there - those who courageously defended our country, those who selflessly helped others, those who dealt with the aftermath, and those who lost their lives.

The 19th of February 1942 marked the first of at least 64 air raids on the Top End of Australia, which continued until November 1943. In commemorating this day, we are also passing the story on to the next generation. 

Step Into the Past!

The 19th of February 2022, for the 80th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin, saw a new education project using state-of-the-art Augmented Reality (AR) technology launch, to commemorate the stories of service and sacrifice, of civilians and military personnel available on your smartphone device.

The Darwin Remembers project, by Green and Gold Education and True Blue Productions, is inviting tours of the AR experience from the Darwin Cenotaph to the USS Peary along the scenic 1km along the Esplanade. This 3D AR walk involves re-enactments of a dozen former Darwin identities telling stories of sacrifice and bravery in the places where their stories are remembered. 

Visitors can see a re-enactment of the sinking of the USS Peary, take a photo with a 3D replica of 3.7 AA gun and follow the stories of Darwin local identities including Iris & Hurtle Bald, Daisy Martin and Jack Mulholland at a range of mapped out locations.

For more AR on this AR experience in Darwin, visit Darwin Remembers.com to book a tour or send an email to info@darwinremembers.com.

Hudson Apartment Hotels Parap is in a significant WWII and historical aviation precinct. Not only is our hotel appreciably named after a tourism icon and RAAF serviceman, but we are also neighbour to an old QANTAS hangar, surrounded by roads named after significant service people and runways used throughout WWII.

Hudson Fysh is who our name originated from. He fought in the Lighthorse Brigade during WW1 and was squadron leader in the RAAF in WWII. He escorted casualties during WWII along the Darwin to London journey, the longest aviation route travelled! He also was the CEO and Managing Director of QANTAS, was knighted for his services to Australian and international air travel and is considered the founding father of Australian tourism.

Drive along a WWII run-way!

The route Fysh flew in WWII was initially established by Ross Smith and his brother, Keith Smith. They were the first pilots to successfully fly from England to Australia, in 1919 in the Great Air Race! Ross Smith fought in the Lighthorse Brigade during WW1 and has many icons in Darwin named after him, including a road situated on the corner of our property called Ross Smith Avenue. This road was site of Darwin's first civil aerodrome, a serviced airfield used in WWII!

Not only flying this route, was Amy Johnson, a UK icon who began her journey in Croydon, England on 5 May 1930 to Darwin, Australia. She flew roughly 18,000km’s with no radio for 20 days, across land and sea with only a compass and wristwatch to guide her. On 24 May 1930, Amy Johnson arrived in Darwin, on the final leg of her solo flight before continuing to Brisbane. Today, you can drive down a road in Darwin named Amy Johnson Avenue!

Eat at a WWII Restaurant!

Admiralty House is home to two restaurants, the award-winning Char Restaurant and The Darwin Club, perfect for a unique seafood experience! Not only do these two things make this location special, but it is also steeped in historical and architectural significance.

The house was originally built by the Commonwealth Principal Architect Beni Carr Glyn Burnett, in November 1937, on the corner of Peel Street and the Esplanade. This had been vacant and in absentee English hands until it was resumed by the Commonwealth that year. From that time, it was the residence for the District Naval Officer. In September 1951 the house was moved from its original position to the present one on the corner of Knuckey Street and the Esplanade.

Having survived both WWII and Cyclone Tracey, Admiralty House is a true survivor; embodying the resilience of the Northern Territory people.

Set within a lush tropical garden landscape, Admiralty House is a sanctuary within the city. Admiralty House is one of only two surviving ‘B Type’ tropical houses in the Darwin central business district, making it a very unique and treasured establishment. Admiralty House - Home