Advance publicity says President Obama will honour the memory of those who died and served in wars when he visits Darwin on November 17. Presumably that ceremony will take place at the Darwin War Memorial , off the Esplanade, where the large media contingent likely to lob in town will be able see how Darwin authorities have allowed glaring errors in the spelling on the western granite wall at the back of the cenotaph to go unchanged for years . This includes the incorrect spelling of the Philippines , a significant nation in American war history, as it was from there that General Douglas MacArthur was driven by the Japanese and flew to Australia , landing at Batchelor, with his wife and son. After proceeding to Alice Springs , the general’s party travelled south where he made his famous statement that he would return to the Philippines .
General MacArthur’s arrival kick started Australia’s close relationship with America eventually enshrined in the ANZUS Treaty, another reason for the Darwin memorial to be spot on . Another obvious error is the incorrect spelling of another theatre of war to the north of Darwin, in what was known as the Netherlands East Indies,now Indonesia .The memorial erroneously states NETHERLAND'S . Again , America was deeply involved in this part of the conflict.
Then the memorial wrongly refers to UNITED NATION PEACEKEEPING , when it should be plural- UNITED NATIONS , which, of course , is based in New York .
On October 18,2009,Little Darwin drew attention to this matter. Nothing happened. Again,on February 24,2010, after the annual observance of the bombing, Little Darwin pointed out the unsatisfactory situation and that there were errors on Darwin websites dealing with significant NT war sites. Incredibly, nobody in high office-the NT Government, Darwin City Council, RSL, spin doctors,the media ,the large committee planning the 70th anniversary of the bombing ,under the repugnant title of BRAND BOMBING, responded.
On October 18,2009,Little Darwin drew attention to this matter. Nothing happened. Again,on February 24,2010, after the annual observance of the bombing, Little Darwin pointed out the unsatisfactory situation and that there were errors on Darwin websites dealing with significant NT war sites. Incredibly, nobody in high office-the NT Government, Darwin City Council, RSL, spin doctors,the media ,the large committee planning the 70th anniversary of the bombing ,under the repugnant title of BRAND BOMBING, responded.
It would seem that Darwin needs more than a bomb under it to erase these clangers which make the place look like Hicksville . If these embarrassing errors are not corrected by February 19 next year when there will be many Americans here , some from Hawaii- Pearl Harbour- then Darwin (Australia's Pearl Harbour ), should hang its head in shame.
Little Darwin pointed out that when the original war memorial , made from granite by a Sydney monumental mason, arrived in the 1920s to be erected opposite Government House, and it was discovered that there were errors , PROMPT action was taken to make corrections within months. Some 80 years later , Darwin has failed all round to come to grips with this classic snafu which reflects adversely on the NT and could be said to be disrespectful of those that the memorial honours.
