Larrimah, Northern Territory

The Yangman people occupied the surrounding area for over 40,000 years.[17][11] They believe the Dreaming tracks of the Storm Bird (channel-billed cuckoo) created the landscape of Larrimah.[17] The name "Larrimah" means "meeting place" in the Yangman language.[11]

John McDouall Stuart explored the Larrimah area in the 1860s on his transcontinental journey from Flinders Range[11] but did not settle or establish a town.[17] The North Australia Railway, a 234 km long gauge railway from Darwin to Birdum, Northern Territory,[18] was officially opened in October 1889.[18]

Larrimah was officially established in 1940[19] as the rail terminus of the North Australia Railway from Darwin. It became the site of an army transit camp.[18] The railway transported troops and materials to and from the northern Australia war zone and was a vital link with Darwin for those living in remote communities[20] as communication between Birdum and Alice Springs was otherwise only available via the Stuart Highway.[21] Larrimah became a military town and the transfer point for army personnel and supplies.[22] In 1942, a repeater station was built from two Sydney Williams huts to provide direct communications with other sites including Tennant Creek and Newcastle Waters.[22]

Gorrie Airfield was established at the end of the North Australia Railway line, 10 km from the Larrimah town centre.[20] The airstrip was named after F/OP Peter C Gorrie who was killed in action on 12 January 1942 in the Dutch East Indies.[11] During World War II, it was a base for Royal Australian Air Force and United States Air Force personnel and it was the largest army base in Australia.[11] During 1943, it was home to 6,500 military recruits, making it one of the largest military bases in the Pacific Region during World War II.[20] A large bomb dump, petrol storage and other bulk supply storage was constructed in the area[20] for the warehousing of stores prior to issue to other units.[23] All personnel left Gorrie Airfield for Darwin during October 1945[20] after peace was declared on 15 August 1945.[23] All remaining machinery and equipment was sent to RAAF Base Pearce.[23]

Darwin was bombed on 19 February 1942 by 175 Japanese planes,[24] prompting fears of a Japanese invasion of Australia.[25] By March of that year, demand for manpower to meet the invasion threat became significant. To meet this demand, the army relaxed its attitude to the enlistment of Aboriginal people and large numbers of Aboriginal people enlisted.[25]

The Northern Territory employed more Aboriginal army labourers than other establishments.[25] By 1944, the army employed one-fifth of Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory.[25] In May 1943, Larrimah employed 497 Aboriginal men and 33 women.[25] Men carried out semi-skilled work including slaughtering, timber cutting and cleaning.[25] Women performed maintenance tasks and were employed in hospitals, similar to work performed by the Australian Women's Army Service.[25]

These "special settlements" established from Larrimah to Darwin became meeting grounds for Aboriginal people from Alice Springs, Victoria River and the Arnhem Land.[26] The diverse groups of Aboriginal people shared work and duties with each other and played cards together, emphasising their status as part of the wider army system.[26]

In the 1960s and 1970s, the railway was important for transporting iron ore from Frances Creek Deposits.[18] At its peak, one million tonnes per annum were transported.[18] When global prices dropped, the mine closed and traffic from other industries could not financially keep the line open.[18] The railway officially ceased all operations and closed in February 1981.[18]

A small township established in 1929 at the terminus of the North Australia Railway,[27] it had a Hotel, post office, railway infrastructure and a number of shops.[27] The township was the southernmost point reached by the railway and became an important transport hub for Territory road, rail and air transport in the 1930s.[27] It was the only location to serve all three functions.[27] It was briefly the headquarters location for the American Air Force, before moving closer to Larrimah.[27]

Structural remains at the site show the lives of a small community pre- and post-World War II, and has social associations with both American and Australian forces during the war.[27]

Built in 1941 and 1942, the Telephone Repeater Station and Powerhouse, relocated in 1946, were a result of the military's urgent upgrading of the Morse Code overland telegraph line to a direct voice system.[28] When established, the Repeater Station had a state of the art long line repeater system, consisting of four voice frequency and carrier channels.[28] This technology became obsolete in the 1970s.[28]

The Powerhouse provided operational electricity for the telecommunications system to keep bank batteries fully charged.[28]

Both buildings represent a significant era when telecommunication was changing, and they demonstrate characteristics of military commissioned architecture.[28]