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As the capital of Australia's Northern Territory, Darwin is the centre of government and the major administrative and commercial centre. It is as close to Singapore and Manila as it is to Sydney and Melbourne and is increasingly making its mark as a major gateway with Asia.
Darwin City
 State Square |
 |
The
City of Darwin is probably the most cosmopolitan in Australia with
more than 60 nationalities and some 76 ethnic groups. Just over one
quarter of the Northern Territory population identify themselves as
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Aboriginal traditions and customs are still interwoven with daily life for Darwin's Aboriginal community and are being increasingly appreciated by others. Darwin is often described as a 'young' town because of its high proportion of young adults and children and low incidence of over 65 year olds. Indeed, the average (median) age for Darwin is just 31 years. However, with the comfort of airconditioning and better designed homes for the tropics, an increasing number of older people are finding there are many advantages to living their retirement years in the north. |
| The Northern Territory coastline stretches over 5,000km and Darwin has one of Australia's finest natural harbours and a harbour twice the size of Sydney's harbour. The main industries include mining and the development of petroleum resources, cattle, cropping, tourism, horticulture and fishing. As Australia's most northerly city and a major port, Darwin occupies a vital place in the nation's defence. The defence industry has become a major contributor to the Darwin economy and is playing an increasing role in everyday life, with some 14,000 defence people and their families already playing an active part in the local community. | |
 Darwin Harbour |
CLIMATE
Darwin's
weather is perfect from May to September. The days are mild and the nights
are balmy and cool. This is the 'Dry season', when the days are characterised
by gentle southeast trade winds and blue skies are the norm.
During the Dry, the early morning humidity is commonly around 65 per cent,
dropping to about 40 per cent in the afternoon. This is wonderful weather
for almost anything, especially for enjoying the great outdoors-day or
night. Sports played at night are a way of life in Darwin.
The coolest months of the year are June and July, when the daily temperature
range is 19 to 30 degrees. The hottest months are October and November
when daily temperatures are between 25 and 33 degrees.
Being a monsoonal climate there is a distinctive Wet Season period, with
most rain falling between December and March. There can be high intensity
storms at this time, often providing quite spectacular lightning displays.
The humidity during the Wet is regularly over 70 per cent, however many locals prefer the green and special beauty during this time to that of the Dry. Darwin averages 8.5 hours of sunshine a day, an annual rainfall of 1,669mm, 110 rain days (over 0.2mm or more), a mean temperature for the hottest month of 29.2 degrees and a mean temperature for the coldest month of 24.8 degrees. The cyclone season is from November to April. Active monsoon periods are the most likely time for development of cyclones. The new construction standards and building codes post Cyclone Tracy and annual public awareness campaigns ensure Darwin is now a safe place to live. Community cyclone shelters are available if required and brochures and pamphlets with step-by-step advice are readily available and actively promoted. |
|
 Wet Season Sky |
Information
obtained from the Northern Territory Government
and Darwin City Council
and CDU
