DARWIN PORT CORPORATION
FACT Sheet 7
Port of Darwin History
On 9th September 1839 Lieutenant John Stokes sailed on the HMS
Beagle into a broad but sheltered bay on Australia’s north coast and
named it Port Darwin in honour of his friend Charles Darwin. Little did
D
he realise at the time that the bay was subject to eight metre tides and
extremely strong currents. Despite these difficulties, a commercial port
was established in 1869 to supply the nearby settlement of Palmerston.
Before the advent of modern rail, road and air travel, the port was northern Australia’s only communication link with the outside
world. All stores, mail, passengers, imports and exports were shipped through the port.
Initially, everything – and everyone – who arrived had to be ferried to and from the port area in small boats. This proved both
dangerous and expensive and soon there was an urgent demand for a wharf to be built to provide easier access for vessels.
The first wharf, actually more of a causeway, was built in 1874 on the site of a wrecked ship called the ‘Gulnare’ and was
named Gulnare Wharf.
In 1885-86 the Railway Jetty was built of timber construction and the steam railway locomotive ‘Sandfly’ arrived on the vessel
‘Armistice’ and saw service from 1887 to 1950. As the Palmerston to Pine Creek railway ran onto the wharf it enabled direct
transhipment from ship to rail.
Australia’s northern gateway of choice
In 1891 the first live cattle were exported through the port,
the start of a trade which is still operating today with the
majority of Australia's live cattle shipped out of Darwin.
1956 and continually modified until 1972. It was the main
general cargo wharf until the commissioning of the new Fort
Hill Wharf in 1981.
The original railway wharf of 1885 didn't last long because
the timbers were eaten by termites. Consequently it was
replaced in 1904 on the existing Stokes Hill Wharf site by a
new structure which became known as Town Wharf.
Progressive development has seen the relocation of all
commercial activities from Fort Hill to East Arm Wharf,
allowing the city wharf to focus on cruise ship and defence
vessel activities.
Its poor design allowed only five railway wagons on the
wharf at a time and it was criticised throughout its life.
Nevertheless it gave the Port of Darwin good service until it
was severely damaged in the Japanese bombing raids of
1942. Between 1903 and 1942 it was Darwin's only wharf
and handled all cargo and passengers.
Today, East Arm Wharf is a multi-modal facility designed to
handle commodity ore exports, livestock exports, petroleum
imports and bulk liquids, containerised import and export
cargoes, specialised cargoes for the Timor Sea oil and gas
industry and general and heavy lift cargoes. It is a 21st
century development and the terminus of the AustralAsia
railway.
To replace the damaged Town Wharf a new timber wharf
was built at Fort Hill during World War II. Originally 900 feet
long, it fell victim of the teredo-worm and some 600 feet of
it collapsed. It was partially reconstructed with steel pipes.
Another two wharves, the Navy Boom Wharf and Navy
Repair Wharf, both situated at Fort Hill Wharf, were built in
1941 to handle the boom defence net for Darwin Harbour
and repairs to navy vessels.
In 1967 the Iron Ore Wharf was completed and saw
continuous service exporting iron ore until 1974 when
cyclone Tracy played a role in the cessation of this trade.
Stokes Hill Wharf as we know it today was completed in
With its unique geographical location, the Port of Darwin
provides an effective link between Australia and Asia and as
such is destined to play an even greater part in Australia’s
future trade.
Tel: +61 8 8922 0660 | Fax: +61 8 8922 0666
[email protected]
www.darwinport.nt.gov.au