Harbour Tours

Other Darwin Historic WWII Attractions

Sea Darwin recommends the following local Darwin WWll attractions to complement your Bombing of Darwin cruise or tour.

Darwin Aviation Museum

Learn about the aviation history of Darwin by viewing actual aircraft and other stunning exhibitions at the Darwin Aviation Museum. The main exhibit is a massive B-52 bomber (one of only two on display outside the U.S.) along with other military aircraft, engines and the wreckage of a Japanese Zero fighter shot down in the 1942 air raids on Darwin. An impressive presentation of aviation videos of the B-52 and the Bombing of Darwin are continuously displayed. You can see some rare amateur footage of the first air-raid in Darwin and also original footage from Japanese archives.

There are 19 aircraft on display, as well as 38 major displays, relics of crashed aircraft and 21 engines. The exhibits are continually updated by a small group of enthusiastic volunteers of the Aviation Heritage Society of the Northern Territory, a non-profit association. Aircraft include a B-25 Bomber – one of the few surviving in the world with a proven track record. There are Mirage and Sabre jet fighters, and a Royal Australian Navy Wessex helicopter that assisted in the clean-up of Darwin after Cyclone Tracy struck on Christmas Day 1974. One of the most popular displays is an F-111C strike fighter which arrived in Darwin by road from Amberley, Queensland on 16 June 2013.

Darwin Heritage Walk

Explore the city on this guided 2-hour walk and enjoy a local’s perspective whilst getting a sense of how the city of Darwin has developed to blend the past with today’s modern multicultural vibe. Our guides cheerfully share their passion for the town they call home and will tell of the history of the World War II bombings and Cyclone Tracy. Discover many of the remaining buildings such as the old Court House and Police Station, Browns Mart and the old Palmerston Town Hall ruins, all of which have been painstakingly reconstructed. View Government House, Parliament House and the Northern Territory Supreme Court on our journey through the streets of this modern tropical city. There are many hidden treasures to see on foot, like the Beagle Bells and plenty of opportunities to capture photographs of the indigenous sculptures, architecture, historic buildings and modern day CBD intrigue.

Parliament House Tour

The Northern Territory’s Parliament House opened in 1994 and is a magnificent example of tropical architecture. During the construction and fit-out of the Parliament House, the Speaker, Members and Clerks of the Legislative Assembly, were conscious of the responsibility to appropriately commemorate those who were killed and to maintain this significant historic site which was originally the Darwin Post Office, where 10 people were killed during the Bombing of Darwin raids on 19 February 1942. A remnant of an original porcellanite wall of the Post Office was relocated to the historic lobby, the entry to the Northern Territory Library, together with a piece of shrapnel that was recovered from the ruins. A commemorative plaque was laid in the Main Hall which is purported to be the exact location of where the bomb fell. On 18 February 2000, the eve of the annual commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin, Mr Speaker McCarthy hosted a reception to unveil commemorative panels in the Main Hall. The panels comprise of photographs and biographical information of the ten people who were killed in the first raid and photographs and information relating to the former Darwin Post Office.

Free Parliament House Information Booklets are available in the foyer of Parliament House allowing visitors to explore the public areas of the building at their own leisure.  Tourism Top End also runs guided public tours every Friday morning from April to October.