Fishing > Destinations > Darwin & surrounds > Heritage and culture
Tiwi Islands
Melville and Bathurst Islands, known collectively as the Tiwi Islands, lie 80 kms north of Darwin. Famed for their distinctively colourful art, the Tiwi people have lived on the Islands for thousands of years and they welcome tour groups with dance and story telling.
Chinese temple
Located in Litchfield Street in the city centre, Darwin's Chinese Temple was first built in 1887 however Cyclone Tracy destroyed much of the original building. Rebuilt to retain its original features, the temple remains a focal point for the local Chinese community.
Art galleries
Many of Darwin's art galleries are centred in and around the city centre. While some galleries specialise in the work of particular Aboriginal communities, others stock a range of styles; from the totem poles of the Tiwi Islands to the dot paintings of Central Australia.
East Point Military Museum
Located at picturesque East Point Reserve, just 10 minutes drive from the city centre, this unique collection of artillery is housed in the original concrete bunker used by the army to plan the strategy for the wartime defence of Australia's northern shores. Also includes a video showing dramatic footage of Darwin being bombed during WWII.
Historical Burnett House
Every Sunday from 3.30pm to 6pm the National Trust host a High Tea in the verdant tropical gardens of Burnett House in the Myilly Point Heritage Precinct. Burnett House is a rare example of Darwin's early tropical architecture, having survived both the Japanese bombings in 1942 and Cyclone Tracy in 1974.
Adelaide River War Cemetary
East of the highway in Adelaide River is Australia's largest war cemetery. Rows of brass plaques dot the manicured lawns shaded by enormous tropical trees. The cemetery commemorates those killed in the Japanese air raids in Australia's north during WW11.
Darwin's cultural heritage is a unique blend of ancient Aboriginal custom, European pioneering legacy, WWII history and fresh Asian influence.
A visit to the eclectic collection at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, just 4 kms from the city centre is a great place to start your exploration of Darwin's heritage.
The Art Gallery houses a comprehensive display of Indigenous art and artefacts that reveal much about the various Aboriginal groups from Darwin and its surrounds.
Indigenous art is thriving in many communities throughout the Northern Territory's tropical outback. These include Maningrida, Oenpelli, Tiwi Islands and Yirrikala. While buying direct from these communities is a unique experience, indigenous art can also be purchased from the many art and craft outlets in and around Darwin.
The city of Darwin was badly damaged during WWII when it endured 64 Japanese air raid attacks, the most prolonged attack in Australia. Much of the town's military history can be explored by visiting various WWII sites that are scattered across town, including ammunition bunkers in Charles Darwin National Park and a variety of old airstrips in and around town.
The city was again devastated, then rebuilt in 1975 after Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974. Despite its ordeal, Darwin regrouped, rebuilt and now stands stronger than ever - literally - as modern building regulations ensure a similar force could not wreak such damage again. The Museum and Art Gallery has a very realistic Cyclone Tracy display that recreates the atmosphere of that fateful Christmas Eve.
