Investigative Inquiry: The Bombing of Darwin
The Bombing of Darwin
Bruce Acland - "I heard the roar of an aircraft and a role of holes appeared just above my
head. I was lagging behind - and the role of five holes - I think it was five - I come back later
to check up - sort of put the speed of lightning into my loins. I rushed up and fell into a slit
trench."
Investigative Options
People and places
Each visitor to the Defence of Darwin Experience will receive a character card with an image
of a real person who was in Darwin during World War II. While some of the cards represent
people who arrived during or after the bombing of Darwin, most people represented lived in
Darwin in the lead up to the war. The characters are well represented throughout the
Defence of Darwin Exhibition and students can use their time in the Museum to investigate
the type of people who were living in Darwin during February 1942, including the roles they
played in society and the defence of Australia.
If you are not able to visit the Defence of Darwin Experience, information related to the
characters can be found in the ‘Using the Character Cards’ section in the ‘A Guide for
Teachers’ menu tab on the website.

Using a range of resources research the following:
o
o
o
o
o
o

Who was living in Darwin in early December 1941?
Who was living in Darwin on 19th February 1942?
What roles did these people have?
Where had the rest of the population gone?
Who was living in Darwin at the last ABS census?
How does the population of Darwin in the 21st Century compare to the
population pre-World War II?
To investigate population numbers and gain further insight into the demography of
the Northern Territory in 1942, students can access the Australian Bureau of
Statistics for the following publications:
o
Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics – Demography 1941 http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/2616F974E1F8CD99CA2
57650001C5F13/$File/31410_No59_1941.pdf
o
Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics – Demography 1942 http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/2616F974E1F8CD99CA2
57650001C5F13/$File/31410_No60_1942.pdf
o
Year Book Australia, 1941 http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/1301.01941
< www.nt.gov.au/defenceofdarwin>I Middle Years
1
o

The National Archives of Australia ‘Evacuation of women and children from Darwin
1941-42 has a number of accessible records about the Darwin wartime evacuations:
o

http://www.naa.gov.au/naaresources/publications/research_guides/ntguide/chapter4/4.2.html
And, review The Stolen Generations website about ‘The bombing of Darwin and the
evacuation of the Aborigines’ at:
o

Year Book Australia, 1942-43 http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/1301.01942-43
http://www.stolengenerations.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl
e&id=167&Itemid=137ht
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2006 Census QuickStats provide information on
population numbers and characteristics at:
o
http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ProductSelect?new
producttype=QuickStats&btnSelectProduct=View+QuickStats+%3E&collectio
n=Census&period=2006&areacode=7&geography=&method=&productlabel=
&producttype=&topic=&navmapdisplayed=true&javascript=true&breadcrumb=
LP&topholder=0&leftholder=0&currentaction=201&action=401&textversion=fa
lse
Note that 2011 Census articles will be progressively uploaded on the ABS website
from June 2012.

Students can compare and contrast Darwin population and lifestyle in 1942 with 2006
using ABS Census data as well as drawing on the information available in the
Defence of Darwin Experience, books and internet resources.
Darwin’s Wartime Evacuees
Following the entry of Japan into the war in December 1941, the War Cabinet determined
that women and children should be evacuated from Darwin and surrounding areas. A
preliminary census conducted in 1941 had shown that there were 1,066 women and 969
children. The National Archives Darwin Office holds a list of census returns completed at the
time, in the form of handwritten notes, compiled on a street by street basis. The returns, held
as series F77, record names, nationality and age.
An evacuation program involving ships and aircraft began soon after, with the decree issued
on 12th December 1941. The last vessel left Darwin on 15 February 1942, while the last
aircraft left on 18 February 1942. The evacuation experience, described in Dickinson's 1995
study, Refugees in Our Own Country: A Story of Darwin’s Wartime Evacuees, was
harrowing for the evacuated families and the men left behind. Some returned to Darwin after
the war, but others never came back.
Source: National Archives of Australia
< www.nt.gov.au/defenceofdarwin>I Middle Years
2
In addition to visiting the Defence of Darwin Experience if you are able, you may wish to
review:
The National Archives of Australia ‘Evacuation of women and children from Darwin 1941-42
has a large number of accessible records about the Darwin wartime evacuations:
http://www.naa.gov.au/naaresources/publications/research_guides/ntguide/chapter4/4.2.html
And, review The Stolen Generations website about ‘The bombing of Darwin and the
evacuation of the Aborigines’ at:
http://www.stolengenerations.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=167&Ite
mid=137
And, you may wish to listen to the ABC Guest Room Podcast with Janet Dickinson. You can
download the MP3 in advance and just listen to the story component (or hear Janet’s music
selection) at:
http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2012/04/30/3499140.htm

Students could investigate
o
o
The stories of women and children who were evacuated
Why some women stayed in Darwin, why they were different and what role did
they play in World War II and the Defence of Darwin?
o How would this compare to an evacuation of Darwin in the 21st Century? Would
women and children be evacuated to the same extent? What roles would women
play in defending Darwin now?

Classroom Activity
Students are encouraged to work in groups to represent a ‘family’ for an evacuation.
Each ‘family’ is allowed one suitcase and within their groups, students have to negotiate
with their peers to ensure space for important and essential possessions.
Each group will be encouraged to think practically as well as ‘sentimentally’.
Critical and creative thinking can be encouraged through the following questions:
o
o
o
What items would you need to take with you to aid survival?
What items would you find it hard to live without?
What items could you share with other ‘families’ – could you work with
classmates to share some suitcase space and essential items?
When groups have completed this challenge, ask them to remove any items that
would not have existed in1942. What could they take instead?
Provide a short presentation to the class explaining why different things are packed
and how they felt about having to make these decisions.
< www.nt.gov.au/defenceofdarwin>I Middle Years
3

Wartime journalist for a day
Students work in pairs with one student taking the role of an interviewer for an online
media service while the other takes the role of a fictional evacuee from Darwin in
World War II. Obviously the person evacuated will be quite old when the interview
takes place in the 21st Century and this should be reflected in the interview. The
interview could be audio or video recorded and published online in the school
environment for other students to access.
A sample media interview with a survivor can be accessed at:
o http://www.news.com.au/national/blitz-of-darwin-remembered-on-70thanniversary-of-japanese-attack/story-e6frfkxr-1226274928729
Podcasts from the ABC’s Bombing of Darwin Walking Tour can be accessed here,
the Doctor’s Gully site tells an evacuee’s story:
o
http://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/bombing-darwin-walking-tour/id503768555 Doctor’s Gully
And, you may wish to listen to the ABC Guest Room Podcast with Janet Dickinson.
You may wish to download the MP3 in advance and just listen to the story
component (unless you also wish to hear Janet’s music selection) at:
o
http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2012/04/30/3499140.htm
The Herald Sun on February 18th 2012 published an article:
‘Allen Heckenberg was a 19-year-old ammunition loader on a three-inch anti-aircraft
gun overlooking Darwin Harbour when the port was attacked by dozens of Japanese
aircraft just before 10 am on February 19, 1942.....’
o
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/years-on-survivors-rememberthe-japanese-bombing-of-darwin/story-fn7x8me2-1226274502750
You could also enquire about listening to some Oral history interviews from the
Northern Territory Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and
Sport :
o
http://www.nretas.nt.gov.au/knowledge-and-history/ntas/guides/wwii_listings
Evacuation Experiences

How did this evacuation compare with the other famous one from Darwin?

Students could prepare a media story which compares and contrasts experiences
that lead to the evacuation of a city through investigating the personal experiences,
media coverage and museum exhibits at the Defence of Darwin Experience and the
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. The media story should use
< www.nt.gov.au/defenceofdarwin>I Middle Years
4
source materials and provide insight into people who experienced the events. A
comparison of the people evacuated, news coverage and actual evacuation should
be including as well as a personal story of each event.
Resources include:






Fact Sheet 176, National Archives of Australia http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs176.aspx
BBC news On This Day http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/25/newsid_3956000/3
956475.stm
Cyclone Tracy Newsreel on You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B89wBGydSvs
Cyclone Tracy Website
http://ntlapp.nt.gov.au/tracy/basic/Tracy.html
Northern Territory Government Cyclone Tracy Exhibition
http://www.nretas.nt.gov.au/knowledge-and-history/northern-territorylibrary/online_resources/cyclone_tracy
Wikipedia Cyclone Tracy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Tracy
< www.nt.gov.au/defenceofdarwin>I Middle Years
5
What happened in Darwin on 19th February 1942?
Over 250 people died on 19 February 1942. Ten vessels were sunk and a range of key
infrastructure, including the aerodromes, the wharf, and the post and telegraph services,
were either destroyed or badly damaged.
During your visit to the museum you have the option to experience the events of the day in
the Bombing of Darwin Experience Gallery. Please be aware that the experience is multisensory with loud explosive noises and strobe lighting so anyone with health problems may
be startled or adversely affected by the audio and visual special effects. Take care before
introducing a group of students to the gallery.
Headlines ‘42
In this Activity students will work in pairs to produce a newspaper article with captioned
photographs describing their experiences and the impact of the bombing of Darwin on
people and infrastructure. Their experiences will be based on a visit to the Defence of
Darwin Experience and the Bombing of Darwin Experience Gallery. Images for the article
will be provided in digital format.
Preparation for excursion
Ask students to work in groups of 2 and explain the aim of the Activity.

Ask students to access and review the Argus Newspaper from 20 February 1942
from http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/618164. This will provide an example of
newspaper articles on the bombing.

Provide students with access to images for the newspaper article. Images are made
available towards the end of this resource. Alternatively, students may choose to
research and access their own images of the 19th February 1942.

In their small groups, ask students to prepare for the excursion by:
o
Deciding team roles, e.g. one person could be journalist and the other
photographer or one person could be the interviewer for the article and the
other an interviewee.
o
Discuss their approach to writing the article, will they take the approach of the
casual observer or a journalist with a vantage position, will the article be
political and contain propaganda or will it simply state the events as observed.
o
Students should select the photos they think suitable to highlight events in
their article, at this point they might want to choose all. Remind students that
the photos will be in the Defence of Darwin Experience with information on
the place and event depicted. It is important that the newspaper articles do
not simply replicate what is stated in the Museum.
o
Warn students that the Bombing of Darwin experience may be upsetting and
allow students time to discuss any concerns. In a multicultural community
such as Darwin please be aware of students who may have experienced
< www.nt.gov.au/defenceofdarwin>I Middle Years
6
violence and bombing in countries other than Australia as they may have
special needs during the excursion.
Extension activity

Ask students to search the Trove Database from the National Library of Australia at
http://trove.nla.gov.au to find other newspaper articles from that day.
During the excursion

Remind students to take notes about photographs during their visit to the Museum, it
is important that they know what the photo is about for their article. Make sure
students are aware of the photography policy at the Museum.

Encourage students not to take notes during the Bombing of Darwin multimedia
Experience rather they should be encouraged to be ‘in the moment’. Immediately
following the experience, allow space for students to debrief with each other or the
teacher. At this point encourage students to record thoughts and feelings about the
experience while it is fresh. Recording of experience can be by digital or written
means.
Classroom Activity following excursion

Students create a news article on the Bombing of Darwin, complete with captioned
pictures.

Ask students to share their final work and encourage them to discuss similarities and
differences in approaches taken to write the article. Ask students to consider the
following:
o
Is the event depicted in the same way in all news articles, why or why not?
o
Do the photos attached to the articles highlight the information provided in
words? If yes, in what way?
o
Discuss in large group: Why is the same event often represented differently
by different people?
Go to Newspaper Image Thumbnails (separate document)
< www.nt.gov.au/defenceofdarwin>I Middle Years
7
What happened in the Top End after the 19th February 1942?
The Japanese raids continued across the Top End of the Northern Territory for a further 20
months. There was further infrastructure damage and loss of life during those months, but it
was nothing like that of 19 February.
Over 20 months the following sites were bombed:


















Darwin
Katherine
Noonamah
Batchelor
Bathurst Island Mission
Milingimbi
Adelaide River
Fenton Airfield
Hughes Airstrip
Coomalie Airstrip
Firdan
Cox Peninsula
Livingstone Airstrip
Pell Airstrip
Southport
Strauss Airstrip
Brock’s Creek
Long Airfield
Strategies of War
In this Activity students will locate the areas bombed on maps of the Top End and think
about strategies of war in relation to the bombing sites. This activity can be used in class or
would complement an excursion to Airfields and other military sites around Darwin.
Preparation



Print the map of Airfields around Darwin from:
o http://mappery.com/Darwin-Area-Fighter-Guide-Map.
Provide students with a list of the sites bombed.
Download the Defence of Darwin Experience App from the Apple App Store if you
have and IPad or IPhone or from Google Play if you have an Android device.
Classroom Activity



Ask students to locate the bombing sites and label these on a map of Darwin.
Encourage students to observe the existence of any patterns in the types of sites
bombed, particularly if they can notice any particular strategy in deciding where to
bomb.
The following points may encourage and open discussion:
< www.nt.gov.au/defenceofdarwin>I Middle Years
8
o
o
o
If students put a point/pin in the map at each bombing position is any pattern
noted?
Do the locations bombed have anything in common?
What area of Darwin was most affected by the bombing (you may have to
investigate this a little further) and what does this tell us about the Japanese
strategy. (A discussion on the bombing of the harbour and airfields to disarm
and isolate Darwin as well as the bombing of the Post Office cutting off
communication from the rest of the world could be included).
< www.nt.gov.au/defenceofdarwin>I Middle Years
9