Darwin Rebellion Liberty Square
1 May 1996
Liberty Square commemorates one of the sites of the civil unrest of 1918. It is symbolic of the Territory`s battle for self-rule and full admission to the federation of Australia. In 1918, Vestey`s Meatworks, the largest employer in the Northern Territory, was closed and this, together with the earlier nationalisation of hotels in Darwin, caused extreme agitation among Union members. The situation culminated in December 1918 when several hundred Union members marched in protest through Darwin and went to Government House to demand the removal of Administrator Gilruth and an investigation into his administration. The crowd assembled on the area now known as Liberty Square. This event is known as the Darwin Rebellion. Chief Minister Shane Stone unveiled a plaque commemorating the Darwin Rebellion as a further symbolic step from Self- Government to Statehood.
- Document type: Photo
- Time period: Legislative Assembly NT
- Person: John GILRUTH
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