Timeline of Darwin history
Year Date Event
1839 9 September HMS Beagle sailed into Darwin Harbour during its surveying of the area . John Clements Wickham named the area Port Darwin in honour of their former shipmate Charles Darwin . The settlement became the town of Palmerston in 1869 and was renamed Darwin in 1911
1862 24 July John McDouall Stuart reached the beach at Chambers Bay ( east of present-day Darwin )
1869 5 February George Goyder and survey party arrive in Port Darwin ( Palmerston )
27 March Gulnare arrives in Darwin with stores and reinforcements
24 May JWO Bennett speared by Aborigines he died and was buried on top of Fort Hill later being moved to the Pioneers Section of the General Cemetery
9 August Richard Hazard died of wounds received from Aboriginal attack . Buried on Fort Hill and later moved , 3 November 1965 , to McMillans Road Cemetery
19th Century
Note: When Darwin was first settled it was called Palmerston and the port was called Port Darwin. In 1911 the town was renamed Darwin due to the common usage of the name.