Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Darwin is bombed by the Japanese during WWII - 243 people lose their lives in 64 raids. A mass
exodus cripples the Top End economy.
1974
Cyclone Tracy tears through Darwin on Christmas Eve, demolishing 70% of the city's buildings
and killing 65 people. Much of the city was rebuilt (more strongly) within four years.
1978
The Northern Territory is granted legislative self-government, but remains under the constitu-
tional auspices of the federal government (and does to this day).
1980
The rickety, washout-prone old Ghanrailway line through the Flinders Ranges and Oodnadatta
is replaced by a new, more reliable standard gauge line 160km further west.
1982
Blaming a dingo, Lindy Chamberlain is jailed for the murder of her baby daughter Azaria at
Uluru in 1980. She is finally exonerated in 2012.
1986
Paul Hogan stars as Mick 'Crocodile' Dundee and launches Kakadu National Park (in the NT's
Top End) onto the world cinematic stage.
1995
After 10 noisy years, Adelaide hosts the Australian Formula One Grand Prix for the last time.
Bon Jovi closes the show with some raucous, pyrotechnic cock rock.
1998
The NT returns a negative result in a referendum on whether it should become a state rather
than federally administered territory. The result surprises many.
1998
Ross Fargher stubs his toe on the world's oldest vertebrate fossil on his Flinders Ranges prop-
erty in SA. At 560 million years old, it beats the previous oldest find by 30 million years.
2000
Mandatory sentencing laws and zero-tolerance policing in the NT increase the jailing of Abori-
ginal people for trivial offences, causing national outrage. The laws are repealed in 2001.
