A collaborative exhibition between the Northern Territory Library and five Territory artists is exploring how the city of Darwin got its name.

Origin of a City is an innovative exhibition that combines history, art and film to revisit key periods of time when the place and space we now call Darwin existed under other monikers.

Curated by Koulla Roussos, historians from the NT Library with local artists draw on the library’s collection and respond to Darwin’s unique naming history through narrative text, photos, art objects and film.

Together, local historians and artists uncover the stories behind the Larrakia people's home Garrmalang, the arrival of sea faring European explorers, the surveying and settlement of Palmerston and its renaming as Darwin.

The exhibition invites the public to engage with Darwin’s amazing history and aims to open public awareness about the past, as well as reflect on the rich cultural literacy of local contemporary artists.

This exhibition is a sister exhibition to D.evolution, being held at Mayfair Gallery in Harriet Place. Audiences are encouraged to move between exhibitions by walking through Darwin’s backstreets, reflecting on the past, the present and the future imagined.

Where: NT Library

When: Exhibition dates: Tuesday August 12 – Friday September 26

Official Opening: 5.30pm, Thursday August 14

Contributors/Artists

NT Library:
Sam Wells
Lynette Aitchison
Cathy Hilder

Artists:
Gary Lee
Michelle Culpitt
Regis Martin
Nadine Lee
Emma Masters

To view the video installation, visit: https://vimeo.com/117087234