On 19 February 1942 war came to Australia. Dubbed the “Pearl Harbour of Australia”, Darwin was subjected to two raids by the Japanese within an hour of each other. Over 240 people were killed, with another 300-400 wounded. These attacks marked the beginning of continued air raids until November 1943, with Darwin being bombed a total of 64 times and other northern Australia towns including Townsville, Katherine, Wyndham, Derby, Broome and Port Hedland also experiencing bombings.

Seventy years on, and this pivotal event continues to play an important role for many Australians – with hundreds of battlefield pilgrims expected to descend on Darwin on 19 February to commemorate those who lost their lives, not only during these bombings but throughout World War II and in all conflicts involving Australians.

 “More and more war veterans and everyday Australians are seeking the opportunity to visit former battlefields and learn more about Australia’s wartime history,” said Mat McLachlan, Australian Battlefield Historian and founder of Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours.

In response to this growing interest and to commemorate the Bombing of Darwin, Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours has developed a new, six-day Darwin Commemoration tour, to be led by World War II expert Brad Manera.

“Travel to significant battlefields has skyrocketed in recent years, and the development of this new Darwin tour is in direct response to this growing interest,” said Mat McLachlan.

“Darwin has moved on strongly since it was devastated during the war years, and is now one of Australia’s most vibrant cities and a very popular destination for both Australians travellers and international visitors.  This new tour aims to both commemorate the Bombing of Darwin and educate about Australia’s involvement in World War II, while at the same time highlighting the beauty of Darwin and the Northern Territory.”

About the Darwin Commemoration tour:

For 6 days and 5 nights, you will travel to various museums and important historical sites in Darwin and south of Darwin, as well as participate in the town's commemorations of the bombing on 19 February. The tour is escorted by WW2 expert Brad Manera. Cost: $1750 per person, twin share, land only.

2013 tour: 17 February to 22 February 2013 – book now to secure your place

About Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours

First launched in 2007, Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours is headed by leading Australian war historian, author, journalist and media commentator, Mat McLachlan. By combining his extensive war-time knowledge and story-telling abilities, Mat is able to bring the experiences of our diggers to life in the very places they occurred.
To ensure a memorable experience, Mat encourages his travellers to seek out their own ancestral roots as part of their journey, and he is more than willing to help locate sites of personal significance along the way.

Depending on the time of year, tour itineraries feature visits to significant sites in Gallipoli, the Western Front in France and Belgium, the D-Day beaches of Normandy, Armistice Day sites, Vietnam and more – as well as individually tailored tours to any location relevant to war buffs, school groups, cadets, and senior citizens.

And for those tours Mat can’t join himself, he has hand-picked a team of qualified historians who live and breathe the battlefields and are some of the world’s most respected authors and guides. Their expertise and publishing credentials far outweigh any offered by other war tour operators, and with Mat designing each battlefield tour, itineraries include sites unknown to many other groups.

Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours is a fully licensed travel company and a full member of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents. It is accredited by the International Cruise Council of Australasia and the Council of Australian Tour Operators, and is the preferred battlefield tour supplier for Harvey World Travel, Travelscene American Express, Jetset, Travelworld, Magellan, NRMA Travel, Breakaway Travel and Foxtel’s The History Channel nationally.