Tomorrow marks a century since Darwin's infamous rebellion, which climaxed with angry residents marching through the streets and then burning an effigy of the the Administrator Dr John Gilruth. A range of factors had caused tempers to boil over. The NT had been handed back to the Commonwealth in 1911, leaving Territorians unrepresented at the highest level, plus there were ongoing industrial disputes and, perhaps the clincher, Darwin’s hotels had been nationalised which led to a significant jump in the price of beer. So after stop-work meetings on the morning of 17 December 1918, it was on. About 1,000 men walked to Government House with placards saying demanding "no taxation without representation" carrying an effigy of Gilruth tied to a stake. After weeks of what was essentially imprisonment in Government House, Gilruth left town.

Image: Rodgers Collection, Northern Territory Library

Published: 16 December 2018