Buildings in Darwin

In  May, I went to Darwin for the first time to check out the Top End.  There are only two seasons in Darwin  the wet season and the dry season.  Both are hot (plus 30 degrees Celsius temperatures), but the wet season is not only wet with cyclones, but it is also oppressively humid.  That is why it is highly recommended that visitors to Darwin travel during the dry season.  May is the beginning of the dry season, so we started off on the right foot.

Below are photos of some of the interesting and often beautiful buildings that I spotted in my travels through Darwin.   These buildings traverse a wide range of architectural styles, reflecting different periods in Darwin's history. Many of  these buildings were damaged by the severe cyclones that Darwin has suffered over the years, and bombing during World War II by the Japanese, so have had to be restored to some degree.

First up is the Governor's residence, placed strategically down by the foreshore:

Note the gorgeous hedge of bougainvillea along the fenceline.

Here's a closer look at the house, with the Northern Territory and Aboriginal flags out front:

Across the road from the Governor's house are the old police station and magistrate's court, with portions of these buildings being genuinely old and other portions being later additions:

The unusual stone in these buildings is known as porcellanite, and features prominently in older Darwin buildings.

Moving into the centre of town, you will find Browns Mart in Smith Street, a porcellanite building established in the 1880s, and which has survived Darwin's harsh climactic events:

It started life as a goods exchange, but after numerous uses over the years, it has been a community theatre since the 1970s.

Back down on The Esplanade is Lyons Cottage, another porcellanite structure: 

This cottage was originally the home of the engineer for the Eastern Extension Australasian and China Telegraph Company, and is the only remaining example of a colonial style bungalow in Darwin.  After going through a number of different lives, just as many of the older structures in Darwin have done, it is now home to a native arts and crafts centre with the Aboriginal Bush Traders' café attached.

Heading back into the Smith Street Mall, you will find the Victoria Hotel,  another porcellanite structure:

The Victoria Hotel was built in 1890, and was a popular stopover for early aviators, including Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith.  Many of these aviators signed the stones in the walls inside  the hotel:

Popping out the other end of Smith Street, a few blocks down from the Mall, you will find the Darwin Memorial Uniting Church:

While originally built in 1902, it has had to be rebuilt since then, as it was partially destroyed by cyclones and bombing:

 The church itself is built in the shape of a sail in honour of the Australian navy sailors, and inside the church, there is a magnificent sail-shaped stained glass window:

Further towards the centre of town on Smith Street is a gorgeous example of art deco architecture, which currently houses Rorkes Beer Wine Food restaurant:

Although I was not enamoured of the food at Rorkes, it is worth going there just to check out the beautiful interior of the restaurant.

Another example of art deco architecture can be found at Hotel Darwin, on Mitchell Street, which back in the day was the place to be, and apparently had a stunning blue roof that could be admired from an aerial view:

Going outside of the Darwin town centre, you will find a cluster of four historic houses at Myilly Point, built between 1936 and 1939 as Type E residences for public servants:

Note the stilts and wide windows to allow the air to circulate.

There is also a Type E resident on The Esplanade that now houses a high end restaurant:

Heading back to the Smith Street Mall, you will find a tribute to the former Star Theatre, hiding behind this unassuming entrance:

This star used to grace the top of the theatre until it was torn down by Cyclone Tracey:

Here is a photograph of an early crowd at the theatre to view a movie:

They are a varied crowd, and if you look closely at the original, you can see that there are people with rifles in the audience - a little scary. 

Going out of town, at the end of Smith Street farthest from the ocean, you will find St Mary's Star of the Sea Cathedral: 

However, if you were to go back towards the ocean end of Darwin, you will find the Darwin Supreme Court Building in State Square:

There is a fantastic mosaic on the foyer floor of the Supreme Court, based on an Aboriginal art work called Milky Way Dreaming:

The story of this mosaic is seven sisters who become evening stars to escape an unwanted and persistent suitor.  The suitor turns himself into a star to continue to chase the sisters, but unfortunately for him, and much to the delight of the sisters, he becomes a morning star - hence he will never be able to catch them.

The Supreme Court is worth a visit as it houses a wonderful collection of art works, displayed throughout the building.

Another building in State Square in Darwin is Parliament House, home to the Northern Territory Government:

It is also jokingly known as the Wedding Cake because of all of its white layers:

Parliament House is built on the site of the old Darwin Post Office, which was bombed by the Japanese during World War II.  There are some historical artifacts of the old Post Office inside Parliament House, which also discuss the story of the people who died when the Post Office was bombed.

The outside of the building also tips its hat to the history of the site, with a number of pillars  made in the shape of bombs:

Here is the view onto the Parliament House forecourt, which overlooks the ocean: 

School children visiting Parliament House were eating lunch on the forecourt here when we visited.

It is rather grand inside the high-ceilinged ground floor of Parliament House:

The foyer of Parliament House features a mosaic of a seven-petalled Desert Rose flower:

The petals represent the six states of Australia and the Northern Territory, and the Desert Rose is the Northern Territory's floral emblem.

If you are an admirer of history and architecture, there is much to see and do in Darwin.