Reflections from the past
10 years ago February 20, 2007
ROCHESTER’s Stan Briggs does not think enough is known about Japan’s attacks on Darwin during World War II.
A member of the Australian Army, Mr Briggs arrived in Darwin on February 19, 1942 — the same day the city was bombed for the first time by the Japanese.
Japanese bombers swept over the city during two attacks that day, sinking eight ships and seriously damaging 15, destroying 23 aircraft and killing about 250 people — although no-one knows the actual number, because crews of some of the merchant ships were not known.
While Mr Briggs’ battalion was not there for the first attack, it was there in time for the second one, 40 minutes after the first. ‘‘That was bedlam,’’ he said. ‘‘They (the Japanese bombers) had a free go.
‘‘(The Australians) never had any fighter planes.’’
Yesterday marked the 65th anniversary of the first bombing of Darwin, in a campaign that saw 64 raids during 21 months.
The Australian defence force in Darwin was no match for the Japanese squadrons and it was not until the arrival of the Americans that Australia looked like it had a chance.
30 years ago February 24, 1987 ROCHESTER Shire council has decided to go ahead with the building of factoryettes in Baynes St, Rochester.
At the same time it was decided not to go ahead with a plan to put similar buildings on a site in Lowry St at the front of the council depot.
The moves followed consideration of the matters by council’s general purposes committee and recommendations on the two areas.
The committee was told central riding councillors had considered the industrial land recently purchased by council and reviewed the site on which it was proposed to build the factoryettes.
The use of the land and the basis on which council was prepared to negotiate sale of parts of it were also discussed.
Requests for council to sell part of the recently purchased land in Baynes St were also discussed.
It was moved in committee that council pursue application for future retail-service type industries on land in Lowry St.
100 years ago February 24, 1917
THE first meeting of the enlarged Rochester Recruiting Committee was held at the Shire Hall on Thursday evening last. The attendance was only moderate and, if the proceedings can be taken as a barometrical reading of the interest taken in the new recruiting campaign, the outlook is anything but encouraging.
We as a community apparently regard the winning of the war as the other fellow’s job.
Rochester has done well in the past but, as the chairman put it, the nation is up against it today harder than it ever was, because of the evidences that the critical and final period in the struggle for national existence was at hand.
The help of every man and every woman is required, and the greatest and most pressing need was to reinforce the boys at the front, thus fulfilling our undertaking to them.
Although a good deal of business was done, the meeting lacked enthusiasm.