The first attempts to settle Australia's Top End were mostly due to British fears that the French or the Dutch might get a foothold in Australia. The British built Fort Dundas on Melville Island and Fort Wellington on the Cobourg Peninsula between 1824 and 1829, but both forts were abandoned not long after.

In 1839, John Lort Stokes, arrived in the region with the Beagle. He discovered a natural harbor that he named Port Darwin after former shipmate, Charles Darwin.

In 1845, explorer Leichardt reached Port Essington overland from Brisbane. This event ignited some interest in the Top End. In 1863 the region came under the control of South Australia and a year later, a settlement was established at Escape Cliffs on the mouth of the Adelaide River, not too far from Darwin's present location. In 1866 the settlement was abandoned.

Finally in 1869, Darwin was founded around the harbor that John Lort Stoke had discovered 30 years earlier. The town grew very slow, as the European settlers received fierce resistance from the indigenous Aboriginal population. The Aborigines tried to resist the takeover of land, on which their way of life depended.

Darwin started expanding more rapidly, after gold was discovered at Pine Creek, some 200 km (124 mi) south of town, in 1871. When the gold fever was over, things slowed down again, as, apart from gold, there was little reason for settlers to move to the region. Darwin has a harsh, unpredictable climate that includes occasional cyclones, while communications with other Australian cities was poor.

Growth continued at a slow rate and by the beginning of the 20th century, most of the surviving Aboriginal people who had inhabited the region around Darwin were confined to government reserves or Christian missions, or were living on cattle stations working as stockmen or domestic help.

During WWII, Darwin became an important base for Allied action against the Japanese in the Pacific. The road south to the rail terminus in Alice Springs was surfaced to progress the flow of materials and provisions for the base, finally linking Darwin with the rest of Australia. Darwin was the only city in Australia to suffer Japanese attacks, 64 all together, in which 243 people lost their lives.

On Christmas Day 1974, some 60% of Darwin's 11,200 houses were destroyed by Cyclone Tracy. The cyclone blew in at an estimated 280 km/h. Most of the city's historic buildings were reconstructed after the cyclone.

Nowadays Darwin is the gateway to northern Australia and the region's administrative and mining center. The city is closer to Jakarta and Singapore than to Sydney or Melbourne and as a result, its focus is on Asia, as much as on Australia. That proximity and familiarity with its Asian neighbors is reflected in the town's relaxed, cosmopolitan, tropical atmosphere.

Darwin's compact city center sits at the end of a peninsula and can easily be explored on foot. The suburbs spread 12 to 15 km (7 to 9 mi) to the north and east.

Many people think the wet season (October to March) is the best time to visit Darwin, as everything is green, there's no dust, barramundi fishing is at its best, prices drop, there are spectacular electrical storms and it is nice and quiet as most tourists have departed. The tourists aren't there for a reason though: the humidity is often unbearable, roads are impassable, swimming in the ocean is impossible and cyclones are something of a worry.

Late wet, early dry is probably the best season to visit the region, as the rains taper off and the humidity drops, but whatever time of year you come to Darwin, temperatures mostly hover between 30°C and 33°C (86°F and 91°F).

Most events take place in July and August.

Beach parties and rock concerts are organized on May Day to celebrate the start of the swimming season and the absence of box jellyfish. The Royal Darwin Show is held in July, while the Festival of Darwin in August includes the Beer Can Regatta, a series of boat races of craft that are entirely constructed of beer cans. The Rodeo and Mud Crab Tying Competition and the Darwin Cup horse race are also held in August.

• There are many beaches in and around Darwin, but during the wet season, swimming is not recommended because of the deadly box jellyfish. In north Darwin, a stinger net protects parts of the Nightcliff Beach, but the most popular beaches are Mindil and Vestey's. A 7 km (4 mi) long stretch of Casuarina Beach further east is officially designated for nudism.
• Brown's Mart was built in 1885 as a Mining Exchange. Nowadays, it houses the Home of Territory Performing Arts, Brown's Mart Arts and the Brown's Mart Theater.
• The Chinese Temple was originally completed in 1887. Cyclones damaged it in 1897 and 1937. During WWII, the building was almost destroyed and subsequently rebuilt. Another cyclone completely destroyed it in 1974 and reconstruction was completed in 1978.
• The Christ Church Anglican Cathedral was severely damaged by bombs during WWII in 1942. The damage was repaired, but in 1974, the building was almost completely destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1977.
• Darwin Aviation Heritage Center houses a collection of historic aircraft.
• The Darwin Convention Center was built between 2006 and 2008. The convention center includes a 1,236-seat auditorium, which is a venue for frequent performances. It is located in the Darwin Waterfront Precinct.
• The Darwin Entertainment Center opened in 1986. It can seat an audience of 1,054 people and it is the main concert venue in Darwin. The entertainment center is located at 93 Mitchell Street.
• The East Point Reserve is located on a peninsula, north of Fannie Bay. The area of undeveloped bush land is a good place to visit during the late afternoon when the wallabies come out to feed. The reserve includes a jellyfish-free salt-water lake that is good for swimming. When the sun sets across the bay, a cool breeze usually springs up.
• Government House was built in 1870-1871. The building was expanded and renovated in 1878-1879. It is the office and official residence of the Administrator of the Northern Territory. It is located on The Esplanade in Darwin's CBD.
• The Indo-Pacific Marine & Australian Pearling Exhibition consists of an excellent aquarium, where you can see living coral ecosystems, as well as a variety of exotic creatures associated with coral, including sea horses, clown fish and butterfly fish. It is housed in the same building as the Pearling Exhibition, which explains the history of Australia's pearling industry. It has interesting audiovisual displays. The exhibitions are in the Wharf Precinct, Darwin's former port facility.
• A highlight of the excellent Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) is the collection of Aboriginal art, which includes interesting carvings and bark paintings from Arnhem Land, Bathurst and the Melville Islands. The exhibition also includes artefacts from the Pacific and South-East Asia, such as Indonesian ikat (woven cloth), gamelan instruments and a sea gypsies' prahu (floating home) from Sabah, Malaysia. The Museum/Art Gallery was established in 1981 and it is located at 19 Conacher Street in Fannie Bay in the west of the city.
• On Thursday nights during the dry season, people start arriving at the Mindil Beach Sunset Market from 5.30 pm. Everybody brings tables, chairs and rugs and numerous food stalls spring up. Thai, Sri Lankan, Indian, Chinese, Malaysian, Greek and Portuguese meals and snacks are all available. There are also cake stalls, fruit-salad bars and handicraft stalls. Sometimes bands or street theatres show up and provide entertainment. Most people enjoy the food while watching the sunset, sitting under the coconut palms.
• The bustling Nightcliff Market is located in the Nightcliff district.
• The Parap Village Market is one of the longest running markets in Darwin.
• Parliament House was constructed between 1990 and 1994. It has since been the seat of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.
• The Rapid Creek Sunday Market is the oldest market in Darwin. It is a good place to try exotic foods such as Malaysian Laksa, Thai papaya salad and Vietnamese rice paper rolls.
• St. Mary's Star of the Sea Catholic Cathedral was completed in 1962.
• The Uniting Memorial Church was inaugurated in 1960.
• The Victoria Hotel is colloquially known as The Vic. The hotel opened in 1890, but it is currently closed.

• The Bicentennial Park stretches along Darwin's waterfront. The park includes several memorials to the victims of the bombing of Darwin, which took place in 1942, during WWII.
• The Casuarina Coastal Reserve.
• The Charles Darwin National Park is located 4 km southeast of Darwin. There are several WWII-era bunkers, one of which has been converted into a visitors center. WWII memorabilia are on display there. There are numerous walking and mountain-biking trails in the park.
• The East Point Reserve is an urban park, located in the suburb of East Point.
• The George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens were originally established in 1886. In 1974, they were severely damaged by Cyclone Tracy. The park was restored after the cyclone under the direction of George Brown. In a response, the park was renamed after him in 2002. An old church building in the park has been converted into a café.
• The Jingili Water Gardens.
• The Knuckey Lagoons Conservation Reserve is a protected wetlands area around a lagoon on the outskirts of Darwin. The reserve was established in 1966. It got its name from the lagoon, which was named after surveyor Richard Randall Knuckey.
• The Leanyer Recreation Park.
• The Nightcliff Foreshore.

• At the Darwin Crocodile Farm you can see around 8,000 saltwater and freshwater crocodiles. Most times a crocodile is caught in one of the Northern Territory's waterways; it is brought to the farm. Some 2,000 of the crocs are killed each year for their skins and the meat. Croc steaks and burgers are widely available in Darwin's restaurants. Try to visit the farm in the early afternoon, when it's feeding time. Day trips to the Darwin Crocodile Farm are available in town. You can also get there with your own car of course. The farm is 40 km (25 mi) south of Darwin.
• Howard Springs is a crocodile-free swimming hole surrounded by a lush forest. It is a very nice place, some 35 km (22 mi) east of Darwin. The climate in the area is cooler than that of Darwin, but during weekends it can get a little too crowded. There are short walking trails in the forest and you can see a wide variety of birds, as well as all sorts of fish and turtles. Tame wallabies graze around the springs.
• Tours to Kakadu National Park are available in Darwin. The park is located, 171 km (106 mi) southeast of Darwin and it is a UNESCO world heritage site.
• Litchfield National Park was established in 1986. It is located 100 km southwest of Darwin. Tours to the park are organized in Darwin.
• Mandorah is a popular beach resort on the tip of Cox Peninsula. It is only 10 km across the harbor by boat. The crossing takes about 30 minutes and ferries run three or four times a day from Stokes Hill Wharf.
• The Nitmiluk National Park includes the Katherine Gorge.
• The 400-hectare Territory Wildlife Park is 60 km from Darwin on the Cox Peninsula Road. It is home to a wide variety of Australian mammals, fish and reptiles.
• The Berry Springs Nature Park is located in the vicinity of the Territory Wildlife Park. It is a great place for a swim. It has several spring-fed pools and a warm thermal waterfall.
• The 650 km² (254 sq mi) Litchfield National Park is 140 km (85 mi) south of Darwin. It encompasses much of the wide sandstone plateau of Tabletop Range, which is surrounded by cliffs. The four waterfalls that drop off the edge of this plateau and its surrounding rainforest patches are the park's main draw-cards. At the bottom of the waterfalls are beautiful swimming holes. Cruises of the Reynolds River system that runs through the park are available and you are also allowed to camp in the park. Organized tours are available in Darwin, but you can also get there with your own vehicle.
• Other activities in Darwin include fishing for barramundi, a freshwater and saltwater perch with a length that often reaches over one meter. Most evenings, sunset cruises of Darwin's harbor are available. You can also join a boat trip at Adelaide River Crossing, to see crocodiles. The animals grab pieces of meat held on the end of poles. On weekends, bungee jumping is organized at Wharf Precinct. At Batchelor, 85 km south of Darwin is a parachute club. Darwin is a good place to stay if you want to go bush walking, or take a 4WD tour of the Top End, Kakadu or The Kimberley.

Darwin's airport is 6 km (4 mi) from the city center. It services both international and domestic routes. There are numerous flights between Darwin and Indonesia and other location in Southeast Asia. Flights to all other Australian states are available too, but often they make a stop in Alice Springs, Brisbane or Adelaide. A shuttle bus connects the airport with downtown and taxis are also available.

Darwin can be reached using three bus routes. There are connections with Broome, Derby, Port Hedland and Kununurra, via the Western Australian route, Mount Isa to Threeways and up the Track, via the Queensland route and straight up the Track from Alice Springs. All buses arrive at the transit center, in the center of town.

Darwin's local bus network is fairly good, but it only operates to the full from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, only a fraction of the buses are available and on Sundays they don't run at all. Shuttles between Darwin's major sights are operated by several private bus companies.

Darwin has an extensive network of bicycle tracks. Most hotels and backpackers' hostels rent bikes.

There is a wide variety of accommodation in Darwin, including hostels, guesthouses, motels, holiday flats and a some up-market hotels. The most expensive places are clustered along the beach. There are also many caravan parks, but they are various kilometers out of town.

Darwin is close to Asia, which heavily influences the city's restaurant scene. You will find a large number of Asian eateries in Darwin. Most takeaway places are concentrated on Smith Street mall. The best places to find really cheap food are the Asian-style markets, such as the one held at Mindil Beach on Thursday nights during the dry season.

Darwin is located in the far north of the Northern Territory, west of Arnhem Land and some 3,130 km northwest of Canberra.