The Residents of Darwin
from Class Afloat News, December 16, 1996

It's no wonder that the people of Darwin have a reputation for toughness. Since its beginnings as a British outpost in 1869, the capital city of the Northern Territory has been defined by its frontier mentality. Buffalo and crocodile hunters, pearl divers, and cattle herders were among its early adventurers. When challenged, the city's inhabitants have proved resilient to disaster.

And they've had their share of them. During World War II the Japanese bombed Darwin. In 1974 Cyclone Tracy whirled into the city at 217 kilometers per hour, ravaging much of old Darwin. The whims of nature continue to act out their dramas: Darwin has one of the highest rates of lightning in the world, with an average of 88 days of thunderstorms each year. There's dangerous wildlife, too. Each year 150 crocodiles are removed from the harbor (an area popular for waterskiing) to a farm south of the city. Fannie Bay isn't somewhere you'd want to swim either. Box jellyfish inhabit these waters with tentacles up to three meters long. Their deadly sting can kill a human in three minutes.

Today, Darwin is home to nearly half of the Territory's 160,000 people. It's nicknamed the Top End, because it's Australia's northernmost city. Here you'll find over 45 nationalities ranging from Europeans to Asians. Newspapers come in dozens of languages. Twice there have been Chinese mayors. According to the Department of Ethnic Affairs, it "is a remarkable example of racial tolerance." Twenty-five percent of the population is aboriginal. Their tribal art is showcased across the city, whether it's the colorful silk-screen fabrics that the people of Darwin wear or the bark paintings and carved ceremonial poles found in museums and galleries.

The region's wealth lies in its mineral deposits, though raising livestock is also a major industry. Darwin's also known as the host of Australia's largest international yacht race, a 500-mile trip to Ambon, Indonesia. And there's the city's quirky side: the Mud Crab Tying Competition is a crustacean rodeo where competitors in their bare feet use string to tie up the crab's claws. The people of Darwin are individualists, and it's not hard to understand why.

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