2026 Premier's Anzac Student Tour

Day 4 by Maya Gallegos, Year 10 Maya, Collie Senior High School.

Today was a busy day filled with travel and learning, particularly about the Bombing of Darwin from both the sea and the sky. We departed the hotel and headed to the USS Peary Memorial in Bicentennial Park, where one of the ship’s original guns is now displayed.

From there, we travelled to Stokes Hill Wharf to participate in the Bombing of Darwin harbour cruise. During the cruise, we explored significant World War II landmarks, including the oil storage tunnels, Stokes Hill Wharf, Fort Hill Wharf, and the wreck site of the USS Peary. Using sonar technology while floating directly above the wreck, we were able to appreciate the sheer size of the ship, which sank in the harbour 84 years ago. We also passed the local Navy base, Larrakeyah (which we will visit tomorrow), and were lucky enough to see some playful dolphins before disembarking.

After the cruise, we visited the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Museum, located on Stokes Hill Wharf. The museum provided a comprehensive history of the RFDS and its establishment, along with detailed information about the Bombing of Darwin. The experience was made particularly engaging through a range of immersive displays, including VR experiences and a simulation showing what the bombing would have looked like from the wharf.

We then headed to the nearby food court for lunch, where fish and chips proved to be the most popular choice among our group. After a filling meal, we made our way to Parliament House. Following security checks, we entered the main hall, which was once the site of the old Post Office prior to the bombing. Nine people were killed there during the attack, including the postmaster, his wife and daughter, 6 female telegraphists, and a postal clerk. Another individual was fatally wounded by shrapnel and died 2 days later. A small plaque marks the exact spot where the bomb struck, along with a photograph showing where Mr Mays scraped the bayonet of his rifle against a column during a Bombing of Darwin commemoration ceremony many years later.

Our final stop for the day was the Darwin Aviation Museum, which was my personal favourite. Inside the museum were approximately 20 aircraft used during World War II, as well as a Boeing B‑52G bomber, the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. After exploring the exhibits and viewing the interiors of several aircraft cockpits, we visited the gift shop to purchase souvenirs.

As this was our final full day in Darwin, we returned to the hotel and said farewell to our tour guide, John. Throughout the trip, he shared valuable insights into World War II and the Bombing of Darwin during our bus rides, along with many interesting and entertaining facts about the region.

Day 3 by Lucy Henville, Year 10, Mount Lawley Senior High School.

It seems crazy to imagine that only 3 days ago, we were eagerly awaiting our travel to Darwin and today we are on day 3 of the tour!

We have truly settled into the hotel, routine and Darwin, and today was our second entire day of action-packed activities. We embarked on a bus tour, guided by a local Darwin historian named John, to explore numerous historic sites around Darwin, most notably, the Adelaide River War Cemetery, which contained the graves of fallen soldiers that we have researched.

Our first stop was the WWII military base camp named 16 Mile, located along Stuart Highway. To be able to visualise the trenches that once protected the Anzac soldiers from enemy fire (now concealed with shrubs), was impactful as it felt very intimate and real. We began with a short walk through the nature that revealed steel pop-ups of soldiers with guns and radios near the path, giving us a perspective of what it would have been like preparing for the Japanese invasion at the time. Following Stuart Highway, we eventually arrived at Adelaide River War Cemetery. I was initially surprised at how well-kept and modest-sized it was, with many beautiful gardens and a serene atmosphere. Several Western Australian soldiers who lost their lives during the bombing of Darwin and its aftermath had gravestones in the cemetery alongside other soldiers from the Northern Territory and across Australia.

This visit has been a key takeaway from today, as being able to see first-hand the resting places of people that we had researched felt very close to home. It resonated deeply with me and served as a reminder that every grave has a story and loved ones who were left behind. This knowledge has made me feel especially appreciative of the hard-fought freedoms that we enjoy today.

Travelling by bus, we reached the Strauss airstrip, which is one of the most preserved pursuit fighter installations in Australia and serves as a public memorial to the Allied air defence during the war. The runway also shows life-sized aircraft models made of aluminium cutouts to represent the Kittyhawk and Spitfire aircraft used during the 1940’s.

Our touring of regions up to 150 km away from Darwin further highlighted the influence of Japanese attacks and 77 air raids, which also had a significant broader impact on rural areas outside of the main city. We finished our day with a delicious dinner at Darwin Services Club, where we bonded over shared stories and laughter. In addition, we gained insight from family members of one of the students and their personal connection to the Australian Defence Force over dinner.

Day 2 by Amy Newton-Norris, Year 12, John Curtin College of the Arts.

Our first full day in Darwin was an interesting start to the tour. After a big breakfast down the street, we all headed back to the hotel to get ready for a guided tour with coach driver Denis and historian John.

The first place we visited was the Darwin Cenotaph in Bicentennial Park. The Darwin Cenotaph holds deep significance, standing not only as a memorial for those who departed from this harbour, but also as a reminder of the resilience and courage shown across the Northern Territory during the Bombings of Darwin in WWII.

We conducted a commemorative address to honour the Anzacs who served throughout many conflicts and operations, including WWI, WWII, Korea, Malaya and Vietnam. We were able to lay a wreath and a poppy at this location. While standing near the harbour, John pointed out landmarks across the water to illustrate where the Japanese would have invaded from, which helped us visualise the intensity of the situation that civilians and soldiers alike experienced in Darwin in the 1940s.

When the first air raid occurred on 19 February 1942, the citizens of Darwin received no warning, initially believing the planes to be American aid. By 1943, Darwin had been subjected to 77 air raids.

We then took the coach to Charles Darwin National Park, where we explored a weapons storage bunker that had been converted into a small exhibit.

Our tour then took us to the WWII Oil Storage Tunnels, which were incredibly interesting to explore and learn about through the information signage. The integrity of the original structure had been perfectly maintained, allowing the tunnels to speak for themselves and reinforce what we had already learned about the Darwin attacks with something tangible from the period.

We then visited the main shopping precinct and walked the path to Parliament House while listening to John explain the damage caused by Cyclone Tracy. Arriving outside Parliament House, we received a lovely tutorial on the history of Northern Territory politics and laws, followed by a tour of the nearby gardens.

After a quick recharge at the hotel for lunch and an afternoon siesta, we were back on the coach for an exclusive evening experience at the Darwin Military Museum. There, we met Dr Norman Cramp, who provided us with a wonderful retelling of Darwin in the 1940s, combining everything we had learned with John into an easy-to-visualise history lesson.

The museum itself was a multifaceted treasure trove, with exhibits ranging from wartime weaponry to an expansive Holocaust reflection centre, as well as a beautifully produced Darwin Bombing film that fully rounded out an information-packed day.

For me, the icing on the cake was discovering a museum exhibit dedicated exclusively to the soldier I have been researching, Navy Private Paton Forster, an artist who sketched scenes from the bombings. The display featured some of his artwork and included an audio recording of an interview with Pat. Hearing his voice describe the experiences I have been researching over the past few weeks was something I never expected to be possible, and I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to listen.

Afterwards, we gathered with our guides to eat pizza and talk about the day, picking up souvenirs and taking a final look around. We headed home past a lovely Darwin sunset, pleased with how the day turned out and more than ready for bed.

My favourite part of the day was the museum at the end, made even better by having it all to ourselves during an exclusive after-hours experience. I think we all grew much closer today and worked really well together as a group. I cannot wait to continue tomorrow.

Day 1 by Mikaela Phin, Year 10, Busselton Senior High School and Adelle Hoddy, Year 11, Western Australian College of Agriculture - Cunderdin.

Today, the 10th of April 2026, marked the beginning of the 2026 Premier’s Anzac Tour. Ten students from across WA were selected to travel to both Singapore and Darwin to commemorate and acknowledge those who had fought in WWI, WWII and other peacekeeping missions and wars.

We all nervously arrived at the Perth airport at the ripe hour of 5 am, preparing to board our flight to Darwin. We said our farewells to our parents and ended up at the back of a line of at least 100 people to drop off our baggage. The line moved fairly quickly, though, and before we knew it, we were on board the plane.

After what felt like 10 hours (but was really about 3 and a half), we arrived in Darwin. We grabbed our luggage and picked up our suitcases before heading out the door. The moment we stepped outside, the humidity hit us like a brick. The air was stiff and hot, the sun like a flame against our skin. Just a quick look around and you could instantly notice the difference between Perth and Darwin, it was like a tropical wonderland surrounding us! The air definitely had something different to it, a meaner tinge that was not often felt in the city of Perth. The plants were a beautiful green, it almost felt like we were in Singapore already!

We took a bus to our hotel and settled in before meeting downstairs and heading off on a walk just near the coast in beautiful gardens. We had some delicious lunch and stopped at a playground for a quick burst of energy to bring us back to life. We then picked up some snacks for ourselves before heading back to our rooms and taking a much-needed shower.

After we had some time to relax, we headed to have a Chinese dinner, the wonton soup being a very popular choice amongst us. We finally made it back to the hotel to settle down with a debrief of our day and a look at what tomorrow has in store.

Tour Participants

Students were selected as tour ambassadors following a written submission and interviews, demonstrating their interest in Australian history and an understanding of the Anzac legacy.

The 2026 Premier’s Anzac Student Tour participants are:

• Year 10 Lucy Henville, Mount Lawley Senior High School 
• Year 10 Zach Lentin, Wesley College 
• Year 10 Maya Gallegos, Collie Senior High School 
• Year 10 Mikaela Phin, Busselton Senior High School 
• Year 11 Adelle Hoddy, Western Australian College of Agriculture - Cunderdin 
• Year 11 Henriette Hoger, Kolbe Catholic College 
• Year 11 Josiah Simmons, Hedland Senior High School 
• Year 11 Shylah Broux, Shenton College 
• Year 12 Amy Newton-Norris, John Curtin College of the Arts 
• Year 12 Bronte McGillivray, Lumen Christi College.