Looking at modern day Darwin, it is difficult for those who didn't witness Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Day 1974 to conceive the power of its brute force and the devastation it caused, leading to the city having to be almost totally rebuilt. A stark reminder of this catastrophic event are the ruins of the Old Darwin (Palmerston) Town Hall in Smith Street.
Built in 1883 around the time of Brown's Mart across the street during a mining boom that created a streetscape of stone, it was left in the battered state we see today in the wake of Tracy's fury. Conservation techniques have been used to slow the decay of the ruined walls, which serve as a dramatic backdrop for outdoor theatre and as a reminder of the force of nature in tropical regions.
Built from local porcelanite stone and cyprus pine, the town hall was opened in 1883. It was used by the Palmerston District Council (later Darwin Town Council) until 1937. Over the years, the building has had many uses: library, court house and bank before functioning as a Navy workshop and storage area during the war.
Location: Smith Street, Darwin
Book Vehicle Hire
Book Accommodation
Design by W3Layouts | Content © 2013 Phoenix Group Co. | Sales: phone 1300 753 517, email: [email protected]
