• Home
  • /
  • Blog
  • /
  • Images: 0800-251 to 0800-300 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.

Last Updated on April 25, 2023

Images: 0800-251 to 0800-300 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.

Many old photographs and stories of the history of Darwin

More...

Please share this story with your family and friends so that they can read about the Darwin stories, its history,  and what it has to offer tourists. 

Thank you very much, Don...

Darwin Gallery Index. Images 0800-251 to 0800-300

Expand to display an index to all Darwin images.

Every image below has a link to 50 photographs. Simply click on the image to choose that group of 50.

Images: 0800-001 to 0800-050 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-051 to 0800-100 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-101 to 0800-150 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-151 to 0800-200 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-201 to 0800-250 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-251 to 0800-300 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-301 to 0800-350 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-351 to 0800-400 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-401 to 0800-450 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-451 to 0800-500 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-501 to 0800-550 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-551 to 0800-600 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-601 to 0800-650 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-651 to 0800-700 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-701 to 0800-750 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Images: 0800-751 to 0800-800 Darwin Gallery of historical B&W photos converted to colour.
Google Site Search
Photo Selector Photo 0800-

View-enlarge Images 0800-251 to 0800-300 (Includes the "Before" Images).

Click on the image to enlarge.

Click on the line below to take you to the story that you're most interested in viewing, or keep scrolling to read all stories. 


quick navigation

The Stories:

0800-251 Victoria Hotel Smith St Darwin 1915.

Photo Source: N/A

Victoria Hotel Smith St Darwin 1915

Posted 13 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-251

0800-252 Ernest Holmes Power Plant Darwin 1912.

Photo Source: Andrew King

Ernest Felix Holmes new power plant at his cold storage and ice making store on the corner of Smith and Knuckey Streets.

The site of the first 'public' power station in Darwin from 1912 to 1934. The power station was owned and operated by Felix Holmes.

Felix Holmes power station was on the site of the Darwin Plaza building in Smith Street Mall. Remnants of the engines were found in an underground tank when the Darwin Plaza building was constructed in the 1980s The remnants of the engines were recovered by Power and Water and are now stored at Berrimah Power Station.

Felix Holmes is of Holmes Jungle fame and Holmes Corner flanked Smith, Knuckey and Mitchell Streets. From this site, he sold ice, cordials, frozen foods, meat and bread and produced electricity. Holmes also owned a fleet of pearling luggers, a share of the Don Picture Theatre, a number of landholdings (32 lots
in the Darwin CBD alone), and lastly, a stable of 24 racehorses that raced in both Darwin and Sydney.

Posted 14 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-252

0800-253 Cavenagh Street Darwin looking south. circa 1930s.

Photo number: PH0238/0445
Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/734832
Collection: Peter Spillett Collection.

Description:
Cavenagh Street looking south. Chung King Cafe, Laundry, Tree of Knowledge (Banyan) in the distance. Chung King Cafe on the left that will become the Don Hotel after the war. Tree of Knowledge in the centre distance. The "Gor" of the Gordons Don Hotel sign just visible on the right.

Posted 15 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-253

0800-254 Sunday School picnic at Mindil Beach Darwin 1911.

https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+41111

Don:
I started with a very poor photograph, and decided to see how far I could push the facial upscaling. Many faces simply vanished into nothingness, however a few good ones also appeared. See the zoom shot.

Basically, this was an experiment to see how far I could push this facial recreation technology.

Posted 16 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-254

0800-255 Marrenah House The Esplanade Darwin Circa 1949.

Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/433524
Copyright owner: Library & Archives NT  
Collection: Leisure Activities, Darwin c1950

Description:
MS in blue on verso Joan Callaghan & self at Marrenah. A hostel for female government employees. The Travelodge Hotel was built on the site of Marrenah House.

JOY COLLINS, NTRS 226, TS 566 Joy arrived in Darwin in December 1952 to work for the government. Joy was met by two government employees and driven to a place called Marrenah House which was defined as a hostel for women employed by government departments. It was on the waterfront, along the Esplanade, and then I think there might have been 50 odd women there. ...I was shown a wardrobe to hang my clothes up in and they had these light bulbs all burning in the bottom of the wardrobes which I learnt afterwards, you know, it’s a very damp air and it saves on the mildew.

Posted 17 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-255

0800-256 Michael T. Paspalis 1928 Darwin.

Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/311122
Chrissie Paspalis Collection ;

Description:
Michael T. Paspalis aged 17 years

Posted 18 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-256

0800-257 Darwin 16th June 1942 Japanese Bombing. Stokes Hill.

Image Source: N/A

Description: Andrew King

1942 On the 16th June 1942 air raid (12:01) Darwin Town area. Japanese bombers attack Darwin for forth day in succession. The final raid in the series, saw the Japanese repeat the high altitude penetration used with success in the preceding raids. With the bombers at 26,000 feet, it was all the P-40s could do to match their height. Captain George Kiser’s flight from the 8th Squadron attained that height in an effort to get into an attacking position, but the escorting Zeros were higher still and pounced on the P-40s. Lieutenant Andy Reynolds, leading a flight of the 9th Squadron, managed to attack the bombers as they dived for home across the Cox Peninsula. Despite American claims for two enemy aircraft shot down, all Japanese aircraft appear to have returned home safely, although nine bombers had been hit by fighter gunfire. In return three P-40s were lost, with 2nd Lieutenant Chester Namola shot down without trace into Darwin Harbour.

The June 16th raid was one of the heaviest raids. On that day a large Japanese force bombed the oil fuel tanks around the harbour and caused severe damage in the town to the vacant banks and stores (including Jolly's on the corner of Smith and Bennett Streets), and also to the railway yards. Oil tanks at Stokes Hill were then still being defended by the detachment of 14th Heavy Anti-aircraft Battery which had performed so well on February 19. The tanks were hit and exploded. Gunner Ray Fogarty died of wounds. Bombardier Jack Ryder, Gunner Wilbur Hudson and Gunner Ronald Craig were severely burnt. Lieutenant David Brown also suffered burns which required treatment for a year. As a result of the action Brown was awarded the M.B.E. Sergeant Tom Fraser and Bombardier Fred Wombey won the Military Medal. Gunner Hudson had already been awarded the Military Medal for his actions during the raids on February 19. He was the first man to be decorated for bravery on Australian soil. Brown was the first officer to win such an award.

The following extract of the interview describes Bill Dedman’s experience of the bombing of the fuel tanks on 16th June 1942.

Now, you were on duty at the fuel tanks in, I think it was June, when they were bombed ? On June the sixteenth 1942, there was about twenty-seven bombers came over, mainly to destroy the oil tanks – which they blew one sky-high. I went sky-high with it, and I landed on my back and my shoulders, which today, its been accepted as war caused disabilities of a crushed spine on the left hand side, and the vertebrae of my cervical [of the neck] is damaged in the fifth, sixth and seventh areas.

So, what happened then? How soon was it - ?

I bled from the nose, and I bled from the ears, and I was taken in then [to navy headquarters]. We had a lot of Navy personnel also in the oil tanks who used to attend the writers off the ships [with records]. They carried me inside, and then the next thing I was taken away and I went down to - they put me into hospital first at Bagot, which was a little hospital there. Then after that, they sent me down to Adelaide River hospital. I never ever went back to the oil tanks after that.

Posted 19 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-257

0800-258 Captain Wrigley's Plane Fannie Bay Darwin 1919.

Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/739326
Percy Brown Collection Fannie Bay

Description:
Group of men standing around Captain Wrigley's plane, which arrived in Darwin on 12th December 1919. Percy Brown is on far left.

Posted 20 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-258

0800-259 Darwin Flying Boat Base, Stokes Hill Circa 1946.

Photo: Courtesy of the National Library of New Zealand - image may be shared but
any commercial use is under copyright.

Andrew King:
Passengers from the Qantas flying boat G-AGJL alighting at the Darwin Flying Boat Base, circa 1946, and heading to the QEA bus to be taken out to the Qantas base at Berrimah. Qantas often put passengers up in hotels in the nine
stop-overs from Southampton to Sydney, but in some cases Qantas built special self-contained accommodation and dining facilities such as in Darwin (the base was at Berrimah) with a large staff living on-site, a large swimming pool, and
buses to provide transport to and from the facility.

This would be around where the Jetty Restaurant car park is now.

Posted 21 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-259

0800-260 Awaiting Amy Johnson's arrival Parap Darwin 19-May-1930.

Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/828649
Irene Annie Bull Collection ;

Description:
Qantas biplane Hippomenes on airstrip with bicycle.
 
Notes:
Commercial postcards and photographs of Darwin, c.1930s

Don:
A little hard to see in this photo, but this was a four passenger plane, and the pilot sat at the rear in an open cockpit. I assume the "awaiting" was a bunch of southern journos-photographers waiting for the big story to break at Parap airport.

Posted 22 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-260

0800-261 Civil Aviation Control Offices Darwin Jetty 1939.

Image Source: N/A

"Thorby's Folly" Civil Aviation Control Offices for flying boats erected on foreshore at approach to Jetty. Contractor A. Weedon f4,816d. Completed 30-6-1939

Don:
BTW f4,816d = £4,816 contract price perhaps??

Posted 23 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-261

0800-262 Bombing of Darwin Harbour Looking from Middle Arm. 1942.

Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/311027
Merv J. Ogram Collection
Date Created: 01/03/1942

Description:
Looking from Middle Arm to Darwin Harbour at the results of bombing.

Posted 24 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-262

0800-263 George Goyder Surveyor General. Palmerston - Darwin Circa 1868.

State Library of South Australia
https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/208457859

Portrait of George W. Goyder, Surveyor General and leader of the Northern Territory Surveying Expedition. Restrictions Approximately 1868

Goyder, G. W. (George Woodroffe), 1826-1898

Posted 25 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-263

0800-264 Gordon Chin's Wedding Darwin.

Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/314701
Collection: Darwina & William Fong Collection

Description:
Marriage of Gordon Chin, to Carol-Lyn, Darwin, NT

Posted 26 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-264

0800-265 Horse and dray on Cavenagh Street Chinatown, Darwin, Circa 1910s.

Call Number PIC/8381/262 LOC Album 1054/C
Created/Published [Between 1899 and 1928]
PIC/8381/1-423 LOC Album 1054/A-1054/D-Francis Birtles motor car tour
collection, ca. 1899-1928 [picture].

Horse and dray on the street in Chinatown, Darwin, Northern Territory
Cavenagh Street near Bennett Street Darwin 1910s. Don Picture Theatre on the right.

Posted 27 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-265

0800-266 Mitchell Street near Knuckey Street Darwin 1962.

Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/732916
Peter Spillett Collection.

Description:
Mitchell Street with Hotel Darwin (Hot & Cold) in distance at left and used car yard foreground right, Fiat 850 parked on left. Taken from junction with Knuckey Street.

Posted 28 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-266

0800-267 Myra Wayoh and dog at Rapid Creek Darwin Circa 1920.

Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/323241
Bill Littlejohn Collection ;

Description:
Myra Wayoh (?) and dog sitting on the bank of Rapid Creek.

Posted 29 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-267

0800-268 Bennett Street Looking Towards Smith Street Darwin 1915.

Photo Source: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/696264
Collection: Darwin 1914-1916 Collection ;

Bennett Street Looking Towards Smith Street Darwin 1915.
 
Buildings on Bennett Street from near Mitchell Street.

Posted 30 June-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-268

0800-269 Smith Street Darwin Circa 1960s.

Image Source: N/A

Smith Street where the Shopping Mall is today. Vic hotel up on the right hand side.
Ford Anglia on the left.

Posted 1-July-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-269

0800-270 A trip north from Darwin to Fort Dundas. Joyce Buscall and Hazel Swan 1941.

Image Source and Description: Kerry Mark.

Melville Island & Fort Dundas trip for Joyce Buscall and Hazel Swan 1941

I have a lot of photos from this trip. Joyce is my nana and Hazel is one of her fathers (JC Buscall) brothers daughters. Hazel was visiting Darwin and Nana took her touring. This trip intrigues me as they were over there for a ceremony (I think) and although I have photos of the ceremony I can’t work out what it was.

All of the photos from this trip I posted to DH so if you have a peep and can work out what’s happening I would love to know. Actually the post was taken down by FB and I was reprimanded for posting pornography? It was an Aboriginal dance. After I protested FB reinstated the photos.

Fort Dundas was a short-lived British settlement on Melville Island between 1824 and 1828 in what is now the Northern Territory of Australia. It was the first of four British settlement attempts in northern Australia before Goyder's survey
and establishment of Palmerston, now known as Darwin. The three later attempts were at Fort Wellington, Port Essington and Escape Cliffs.

Posted 2-July-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-270

0800-271 Ben Hammond Complex, Woolner. Darwin 1977.

Image Source: RAAF

Stuart Park school top right hand corner with Verburg Street, and bottom left is the turn to Parap Road.

Posted 3-July-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-271

0800-272 View From Fort Hill Palmerston - Port Darwin. 1887.

Photographer: Foelsche, P. (Paul), 1831-1914
Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/436143
Foelsche Photograph Album. One of Paul Foelsche's most famous photos.

Description:
View of Palmerston from Fort Hill / 1887 . Depicts a number of ships at anchor and various sheds in the foreground, in centre is Knight's Folly , and in the distance are the police barracks, gaol and courts at right and Government Residence at left.

Andrew King:
I love this photo. It's taken from Fort Hill, in 1887, looking back at the town of Palmerston (now Darwin). It has so much detail and is so clear. Knight's Folly (or Mud Hut) sitting in the middle with all the boats in Kitchener bay now all filled in.

Joyce Davis: 25-April-2023
My mothers handwriting on the back of this photo. See image Below:

Posted 4 July-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-272

0800-273 Darwin RAAF aerial photography Saturday 19th May 1945.

Image Source: https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-293364179/view
Darwin - WWII : RAAF aerial photography Saturday 19th of May 1945
Prepared by The Australian Institute of Cartographers (N.T. Division)

Don:
This was already a great image with superb resolution, so I was wondering if I should even modify it.

The NT Division of the Australian Institute of Cartographers have done a fabulous job with the research on the annotations, and have added modern references to make it easier to follow.

If you really want to study this image in detail, your best bet is to click on the green Image-Story link where you can view it on line and zoom around all over the place.

I felt the colourisation makes it a little easier on the eye to follow. I went through about 20 versions of upscaling and colourising to achieve a reasonable balance to create a web friendly image where the text could still be readable.

The old Civil drome at Parap, and the new RAAF drome can be readily seen in this image.

Posted 5-July-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-273

0800-274 Kingsford-Smith's Southern Cross Parap Airport Darwin 1930.

Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/828645
Irene Annie Bull Collection

Description:
Kingsford-Smith's Southern Cross before departing Darwin for Koepang.
 
Notes:
Commercial postcards and photographs of Darwin, c.1930s

Posted 6-July-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-274

0800-275 Kahlin Compound Larrakeyah Darwin 1930.

Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/786532
John Oxley Library Collection

Description:
Kahlin Aboriginal compound. TS on back "The Aboriginal Compound at Darwin May
1930". Stamped "Jack Buscall Darwin N.A."

Posted 7-July-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-275

0800-276 London to Australia air race, control tent Parap Darwin 1934.

Citation address: https://hdl.handle.net/10070/738997
G. J. Towers Collection ;
Date: 1/10/1934 Location: Darwin Parap

Description:
1934 London to Australia air race. Control tent. G.J. Towers at table. Behind the tent a 1930s car
MacRobertson Trophy Air Race

Don:
That item on the tent post is a telephone. I recognised the writing platform as I have a similar one at home. There were many configurations. I have the number 14 in the image that I have added. These were all built in the Australian PMG workshops. One of my first training jobs as a PMG tech, was wiring up the looms of these things in about 1959.

Posted 8-July-2022

Click on image to enlarge.
Then Click on back button (or close tab) to return.

Before.

0800-276