Naming of Darwin
It was 170 years ago, in September 1839 that the HMS Beagle sailed into the harbour during its third voyage. John Stokes named the region "Port Darwin" in honour of a former shipmate, Charles Darwin who had sailed with them on a previous voyage.
Stokes thought his friend, Charles Darwin would be particularly interested in the unusual sandstone they discovered at Talc Head and that it afforded them, “an appropriate opportunity for convincing an old shipmate and friend that he still lived in our memory”. (Quote from Stokes’ book about the Australian voyage)
At the time, John Wickham was the Beagle’s captain and had been the first lieutenant on the earlier voyage when Charles Darwin was aboard. As captain, he had the right to approve or disapprove the names bestowed by his subordinates, so he obviously must have agreed to Stokes’ “Port Darwin”.
However, it wasn’t until 10 years after the publication of the Origin of Species that Darwin City had its modern day beginnings, when South Australian Surveyor General George Goyder and about 120 men arrived to lay out a northern town and port, and to survey agricultural land in the hinterland.
Darwin became a pioneer outpost and then a small port and has now evolved into one of Australia's most modern and multicultural cities.