1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,279 Speaker 1: As we know, Monday marks the commemoration of an important 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: day in the Northern Territories history. On February nineteenth, nineteen 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: forty two, Darwin was devastated when six hundred and eighty 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: bombs fell on the harbor in the first and largest 5 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: air raid against Australia during World War II. And well, 6 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:22,319 Speaker 1: the bombing of Darwin took a devastating toll, as we know, 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: on our great city and our wonderful people, with over 8 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: two hundred and thirty lives lost, more than four hundred 9 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: people wounded, and widespread destruction of ships, buildings and infrastructure. 10 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: The City of Darwin is going to commemorate and honor 11 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: the city's unique link to the war with a public event. 12 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 2: Now. 13 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: The City of Darwin has indeed advised that there's going 14 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 1: to be a venue change, and joining me on the 15 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: line to tell us more is the Lord Mayor of Darwin, 16 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: Combat Scalas Hikon. 17 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, and true, we have to change the 18 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 2: venue because I'm just looking the Bureau of a Geroology 19 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 2: weather charts now and it's going to be wet, wet, wet, 20 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 2: wet in the next few days. And already we had 21 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 2: two weeks of wet weather and the X Planet does 22 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 2: not look the best. It's very shoggy, very sad, and 23 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 2: if more weather comes in, it's going to be terrible. 24 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 2: So we have to change. 25 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:17,279 Speaker 1: So con where is it going to be happening now? 26 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 2: It's going to be at the convention Center starting a 27 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 2: nine point thirty, So please if you want to attend, 28 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 2: just be there by nine o'clock. They are not going 29 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 2: to be as many people as to be seated as 30 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 2: in the X Planet, so it got to be limited 31 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 2: a small number of seats, So come early to take 32 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 2: part to the ceremony. 33 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: Con do you reckon? I mean, it does attract such 34 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: big crowds as we all know, and there is going 35 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: to be that less capacity. But is it going to 36 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: change much of the of the commemorative service. 37 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: The thing we've got to be missing is the canons 38 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 2: and the re enactment the guns. You can't do that 39 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 2: one in an enclosed area, but the rest of it 40 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 2: and the spirit will be there alive and well. Wis 41 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 2: the same weather we have now was in nineteen forty two. 42 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 2: If that there was a situation, the Japanese might have 43 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 2: missed Darwin that day. 44 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, it does make you realize it's, you know, just 45 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: it's a sad irony, isn't It can't tell me in 46 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: terms of what is planned for this such an incredible 47 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 1: it's such an incredibly important day. What have you got 48 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:23,959 Speaker 1: sort of lined up for the morning. 49 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 2: Well, we're going to have the speeches as well. We're 50 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 2: going to have people from down south. The Fity Minister 51 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 2: for Veteran Affairs will be here and the last two 52 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 2: survivors of the bombing of Dawn will be watching us online. 53 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 2: So it's going to be a real bombing of Darwin event. 54 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:45,239 Speaker 2: But inside. It's not the first time actually had it 55 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 2: called very well. A few years back we had Anzac 56 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 2: Day held in the Darwen Demensenda because there was a 57 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 2: late cyclone of the season. We live in the tropics, 58 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 2: we live in a very interesting weather situation. We have 59 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 2: to improvise and we had a plan B and we 60 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 2: put in place the plan B to have it inside. 61 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, now tell me, I know that usually there is 62 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: like and you have sort of touched on this, there 63 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: is usually the re enactment and that kind of thing, 64 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: but obviously that cannot happen. And you also said there 65 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: that you know that you've got a few survivors that 66 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 1: are still alive. Is there many of them that are? 67 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 2: There are only two left. They're not coming up. They're 68 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 2: very old age, but they will be watching us from 69 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 2: where they are. I think one is just Money and 70 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 2: the others in Queensland. So because it will be transmitted 71 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 2: through with ABC throughout the nation, they said they're going 72 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 2: to actually watch it on television. 73 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: Yeah all right, So Corn, if people are keen to 74 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: come along, I know you've already touched on this, but 75 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: just give us those details again. 76 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 2: We're going to be at the Convention Center. Please come 77 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 2: around by nine o'clock because we start nine point thirty. 78 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 2: Don't worry about the change of venue. The event is important. 79 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 2: It's one of the most important, if not the most 80 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 2: important event in the history of Australia. Nineteenth of February 81 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 2: nineteen forty two was the day that Australia's luck run out. 82 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 2: Were not protected by osceans anymore. We can be an 83 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 2: easy reach of an enemy, so down when the first 84 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 2: example of changing technology reaching our costs. So a lot 85 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 2: of people in Australia don't know about the bombing of 86 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 2: Darwin because it was never taught at school, but go 87 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 2: online and find out about it. Be informed what happened 88 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 2: in Darwin. But remember it didn't happen only in Darwen. 89 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: It happened in Onslow, in Western Australia, in Poor Helen, 90 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 2: in Broome, in Darwin, in Katherine and as far as Townsville. 91 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 2: So the north of Australia was within easy reach of 92 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 2: the Japanese Imperial Air Force. We got a very good 93 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 2: lesson and I hope people down south learned about these 94 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 2: lessons and populate and arm the north properly. 95 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,720 Speaker 1: Colnor, I still find it so astonishing that you know 96 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: that so many Aussies do not know too much at 97 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: all about the bombing of Darwin. 98 00:04:58,160 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: Well, I have to admit I didn't know anything about 99 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 2: the bombing of Darwin because in history back in Greece 100 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 2: we learn a lot about Europe, but not for the 101 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,600 Speaker 2: Asian Pacific War theater. But one thing I found out 102 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 2: astonishing is there are more bombers felling Darwin than actually 103 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 2: in Pearl Harbor. And many years ago, as a minister 104 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 2: attending memorial in Changey in Singapore, and I was talking 105 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 2: to the guy next to me, sitting next to me 106 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 2: about the bombing of Darwin and somebody tapped me on 107 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 2: the solo turn around. It was a high rank naval 108 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 2: officer of the United States and he said to me, 109 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 2: where is Darwin. So I explained to him where we are, 110 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 2: said I didn't know anything about the bombing of Darwin. 111 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 2: I don't know that the actually you were attached by 112 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 2: the Japanese. I'm going back. None opened the book, the 113 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 2: history books, and I'm going to read about it. So 114 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 2: it's not only Australia, but the rest of the world 115 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 2: totally unaware of our bombing in nineteen forty two. 116 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: Well, Convat Scarlas, the Lord Mayor of Darwin, it is 117 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: always good to speak with you. I really appreciate your 118 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 1: time this morning and I know that it will it'll 119 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: be a really nice heartfell event. Even though there has 120 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:02,919 Speaker 1: had to be that venue changed. 121 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 2: Always a better talk to you and please people in 122 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 2: Darwin come along and commemorate one of the biggest events 123 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 2: in Australian history. 124 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: Convet scarlets, thank you for your time this morning.