Evolution of Darwin 1869 - 1911

The Evolution of Darwin 1869-1911

Kathy De La Rue

Darwin is the only capital city situated in the Tropics. In its comparatively short history, it has been almost completely destroyed four times by Japanese bomber pilots in 1942, and by cyclones in 1897, 1937 and 1974. It has suffered many vicissitudes in social and economic spheres, and it has other unique characteristics which make it special to all who live there.

In an excess of enthusiasm and adventurous imperialism and driven by a compulsion to outdo its neighbouring colonies, the South Australian government annexed the Territory in 1863 in what F H Bauer called 'the biggest land grab in Australian history'.

Following a false start at Escape Cliffs, the Darwin peninsula was the site chosen for South Australia's second attempt at establishing a capital in the Northern Territory. This book traces the development of Darwin's social and physical history over the forty-two years of South Australia's administration of the region. Each chapter covers the term of office of the senior government officer in Darwin, starting from Surveyor-General George Woodroffe Goyder, whose team of men surveyed the town site and the surrounding country in 1869, through all the Government Residents to Samuel James Mitchell who orchestrated the ceremony which marked the takeover of the Territory by the Commonwealth government.

Kathy De La Rue graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts (English and History) in 1966. She taught for a few years before retiring to assist her husband, Colin, in his ministry, and to rear her two children. During this time, she successfully completed her training as a librarian and while stationed in Karratha, WA, she wrote 'Pearl Shell and Pastures', a history of the Pilbara region which was published as part of the sesquicentenary celebrations of Western Australia in 1979. She and her family moved to Darwin in 1981, and transferred to Nhulunbuy in the following year. Returning to work as Technical Services Librarian in the Northern Territory Library Service in 1985, she began a Graduate Diploma of Arts (History) in 1988. Ill health intervened, but in 1999 she completed the Diploma and decided to extend the work of her thesis which dealt with the first five years of white settlement in Darwin. 'The Evolution of Darwin' is the result.