Many years ago, PLan started work to establish a public and professionally run museum recognising Northern Territory’s role in the defence of Australia. Many saw this as to document the history, to be a safe repository of documents and memories from the families of those of at least four nations who joined in the defence, and as something for ourselves and our children to honour and cherish in thanks for their efforts. We pictured a small attractive freestanding building with a profile to the sea horizon at East Point, but not dominantly large. it would be administered by the staff of the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT.
We believed such a museum could lead to additional connected pavilions being commissioned, and added by groups from the other nations serving here during the war.
Some time later the NTG proposed a World War museum as a tourist attraction for the CBD. Public sentiment soon led this to be repositioned at East Point. An advisory committee, including a PLan representative worked hard on the scope and functioning of the museum. All appeared to go well until Darwin City Council, after considerable delay, failed to agree to the NTG’s proposal for its preferred siting in the East Point Reserve, near the huge gun turret.
As the Chief Minister Paul Henderson wants to open the museum on 14 February, 2012, on the 70th anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin, speed was deemed necessary to complete the project, for which $11.5 million was assigned. A couple of featureless rectangular small demountable like buildings, fitted out electronically, are now being constructed, filling a small remaining green open space in the RAAA Military Museum. This will be linked to an electronic World War II heritage trail around the East Point, and possibly further afield.
The museum will be renamed the Defence of Darwin Experience, and we will have lost a great opportunity for our visitors. We are embarassed for ourselves, and for the people of the Northern Territory, and feel deep regret at our failure to properly honour those who defended our shores, at their own peril.