100 Years of the Northern Territory
The Great NT Hat Yak
100 Akubra hats are travelling across the Northern Territory collecting hundreds of stories about the unique destinations, experiences and characters that call the NT home. As the hat gets passed along from person to person, 100 unique storylines will be created, forming 'The NT Great Hat Yak'.
100 years of the Northern Territory, over 50,000 years of stories
100 years ago, the borders of the Northern Territory were officially drawn and its capital, Darwin, officially named.
More than 50,000 years before that, the first Indigenous people began sharing their stories here; painting them on rock shelters, singing them to their children and dancing them at ceremonial gatherings.
Today, the Territory story unfolds through six destinations, from the tropics of Darwin and Kakadu National Park and sandstone escarpments of Katherine, through the grassy-plained, million-acre cattle station country around Tennant Creek to the rolling red desert that epitomises Alice Springs and Uluru in Central Australia.
The only thing more diverse than these incredible landscapes is the experiences on offer. Sit down with an Aboriginal artist and share their story, swim in a rock pool shaded by monsoon rainforest, wander through an ancient sandstone classroom where lessons are still etched on the walls.
The Territory is a place to engage with colourful characters only too willing to share a yarn. It’s a vibrant place, where in the space of a single day, the light on the landscape changes colour. It’s an ancient place with spiritual connections that can still be explored in the present day and an adventurous place that can transform and energise you.
Learn more about the Northern Territory
Darwin is a modern, tropical city with a relaxed lifestyle and perennial holiday vibe. It was founded in 1869, exploded during the gold rush of 1871, and decimated by Japanese bombs in WW2 then Cyclone Tracy in 1974. Today, Darwin is a multicultural mecca, renowned for its markets, restaurants and outdoor festivals.
Drive three hours’ east of Darwin and travel 50,000 years back in time, where the world’s oldest living culture have shared their stories through art, dance and song. This is also adventure country – swim, cruise, climb, birdwatch or bushwalk, all in a World Heritage-listed setting.
The Katherine township, 300km south of Darwin, developed with the arrival of the Overland Telegraph Line in 1872. This region is BIG and is most famous for its mighty 13-gorge escarpment. Katherine bridges the gap between the outback and the tropics and sets the scene for plenty of adventure.
Tennant Creek’s history is shaped by Aboriginal culture, pastoralism and gold mining. The town, 500km north of Alice Springs and 1000km south of Darwin, was the site of Australia's last major gold rush in the 1930s. The precariously balanced Devils Marbles, 100km south, are an Australian icon.
From the early 1900s, the headquarters and spiritual heart of Central Australia was explored for its promise of rubies and gold. They turned out to be garnets, but the pioneering spirit of Alice is still strong today. The Western Desert art movement of this area is world renowned.
The overwhelming enormity of Uluru, coupled with an almost tangible spirituality and striking colour palette makes everyone’s first visit a lifelong memory. The enormous domes of nearby Kata Tjuta date back 500 million years, and Kings Canyon’s sheer 300m rock face is only 300km away.
