Photo Source: N/A

Victoria Hotel Smith St Darwin 1915

Posted 13 June-2022

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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

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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

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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

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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

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

Description:
Michael T. Paspalis aged 17 years

Posted 18 June-2022

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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