From Fortress Darwin to the Forgotten North

By The Fair Go Movement | July 2025

“Our northern frontier once bristled with vigilance. Now it echoes with silence and neglect.”

Darwin was once a fortress—scarred by Japanese bombs but vital to Australia’s defence. Today, it’s a forgotten outpost. While tourists marvel at its rugged beauty, very few realise that we’ve allowed the north to become one of the weakest links in our national security chain.

During World War II, Darwin was bombed over 60 times. Thousands of troops and aircraft were stationed across the Top End. The region was critical to halting enemy advancement. Yet in 2025, what’s left? A few token installations. Inadequate radar coverage. And a growing number of foreign-flagged ships and surveillance drones skimming just outside our territorial waters.

Strategic Geography, Strategic Amnesia

Look at a map. Northern Australia is closer to Jakarta and Manila than it is to Melbourne or Sydney. It is our most likely entry point in any regional conflict, especially with China expanding its influence across the Indo-Pacific. But we treat it like an afterthought.

• Military spending remains concentrated in the southern capitals
• Airfields like Tindal and RAAF Darwin are ageing and limited in reach
• Major roads are flood-prone and impassable for months each year
• Local communities lack resources to respond to even minor incursions

The Cost of Complacency

While our politicians obsess over far-off summits and foreign alliances, our most obvious vulnerabilities are being ignored. We don't need another overseas junket—we need boots on the ground, sensors in the air, and infrastructure that works year-round.

If Darwin was once our shield, it is now our soft underbelly. And our adversaries know it.

A Plan to Re-Fortify the North

The Fair Go Movement proposes a new “Northern Shield Strategy” built on three pillars:

1. Defence Infrastructure: Build and modernise radar, bases, and forward airstrips across the Top End.
2. Regional Logistics: Upgrade roads, rail, and ports to ensure rapid troop and supply movement year-round.
3. Civil Preparedness: Establish local response hubs, surveillance training, and early-warning systems for remote communities.

We must treat the north as a front line—not a fringe. It's time to remember what Darwin once stood for—and why its legacy demands our renewed investment and respect.

Published by The Fair Go Movement. All rights reserved.