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Bombing of Darwin - Waterside Workers & SeafarersPrint Page 
The mural commemorates the waterside workers and seafarers who died at Stokes Hill Wharf during the bombing of Darwin on the 19th February 1942.
The bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942 was both the first and the largest single attack mounted by a foreign power against Australia. On this day, 242 Japanese aircraft attacked ships in Darwin's harbour and the town's two airfields in an attempt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases to contest the invasions of Timor and Java. 252 Allied service personnel and civilians were killed although some believe that the toll was much higher.
Location
| Address: | Stokes Hill Road, Stokes Hill Wharf , Darwin, 0800 |
|---|---|
| State: | NT |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -12.470195 Long: 130.849578 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Art |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 19-February-1942 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 19-February-1942 |
Dedication
Plaque :
Bombing of Darwin
19th February 1942
Darwin Port Corporation pays tribute to all waterside workers and seafarers who lost their lives at Stokes
Hill Wharf , `Town Wharf`.
On the morning of the 19th February 1942, Darwin harbour was busy with around 45 vessels at various moorings including Stokes Hill Wharf.
Just before 10am the first wave of 188 Japanese bombers unleashed their deadly cargo on the harbour, wharf and town centre, the same aircraft used to bomb Pearl Harbor.
Some of the 80 waterside workers rostered on that day had just settled in the recreation hut to enjoy their morning smoko when it was blown apart by the first bombs ever dropped on Australian soil.
Six men died outright and as the bombs continued to rain down over the next 42 minutes a large section of the wharf was destroyed and many vessels set alight or sunk.
In total a known 23 waterside workers and 48 seafarers lost their lives that day. On the 19th of February each year family, friends and colleagues gather of the Wharf to honour the memory of those who died.
