Putting the Bombing of Darwin story together

 On the Darwin Harbour Cruise - learning about the Bombing of Darwin





The 1941 gun emplacement at East Point 


Lunch at Subway in the Darwin CBD


A chance meeting in the Darwin Mall with Dayle Lord - the travel consultant in Darwin who has done the bookings for our trip. It was great for the students to meet and thank Dayle for her amazing work on our behalf.



Pizza dinner on the Esplanade



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts

If only I could capture this moment forever

Image
  Oh, The Places We Went  by Alexandra Seal There were many aspects of the Premier’s Anzac Spirit School Prize Darwin Trip, which were unforgettable and surreal. Visiting the graves of the Bald Family and the places of their final moments was an incredibly eye-opening experience. I reflected on their courage and Anzac spirit throughout the trip as well as my own personal journey as we hiked in Kakadu. I often walked at the back of the group, taking the time to appreciate the journey and the adventure it became to arrive at the gorgeous destinations. I learnt that by taking it slow and not rushing the long journey to the waterfalls, I could appreciate the beauty of the Northern Territory and be even more grateful for the opportunity I had been given. By learning to slow down a usually fast-paced journey, which we call life, I was able to catch beautiful glimpses of Australia’s ecosystems at work. From seeing lizards lounging in the sun to listening to Aaron explain the flora and fauna s
Read more

Frederick Gillespie by Ella Tanti

Image
  Frederick Gillespie  B orn in Semaphore South Australia on the 30 th of January 1914, son of Thomas Stanley and Irene Gillespie, Fredrick James Gillespie died in an aircraft accident on the 5 th of August 1945 aged 31 years. Husband to Hazel Gillespie and father of two sons Graeme and Peter, he worked as a bank clerk along with being a member of the Berri Golf Club and one of the outstanding players of the Upper Murray, and a prominent cricketer. Gillespie joined the air force in November 1940, training at Mt. Breckan, Parafield, Point Cook, Camden and Deniliquin, when he became appointed the squadron leader of no. 87 (Photographic Reconnaissance) squadron. The squadron was first formed at RAAF Station Laverton on the 8 th of June 1942 as No. 1 Photo Reconnaissance Unit, also known as 1 PRU, with eight officers and thirty-five airmen. The unit received its first mosquito aircraft on 26 th May 1944 representing a significant upgrade in capability, between June and August the
Read more

Margaret Augusta De Mestre by Olivia Brook

Image
  Margaret Augusta De Mestre was a nurse during WW2, who worked on the HMAS Manunda which was an AIF hospital ship.   On the 19 th of February 1942, Manunda was moored 2.5km southwest of the Stokes Hill Wharf in Darwin Harbour. That day, started off like any other, the harbour was calm and there was a clear, sunny sky with the temperature around 26 degrees.   As it was a hospital ship, the doctors and nurses including Margaret were onboard training, doing their rounds and attending to the many sick and injured patients on board.   At quarter to ten, the buzz of a large number of Japanese planes approaching from the southeast could be heard in the distance. The noise was gradually getting louder and then at 9:58 am, all hell broke loose. Air raid sirens were set off and wailing loudly. Then soon after, bombs were raining like hail stones and going off all over the harbour. The noise was horrendous.   The crew, doctors and nurses on the Manunda quickly rushed to grab their helmets and
Read more