asprilla

Does anyone here ever read the Northern Territory news? I don't actually read the physical copy, but I always keep track of the headlines of the local rags via rss.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/

Now I've never been to NT. Yet I have gradually formed the impression that it is a very grim place, based on the regular headlines. Today's story of a young boy being run over, doesn't sound like a real event... instead it sounds like an extract from the script of a sick movie.

It is also worth bearing in mind that the population of NT as a whole is only approx 230,000..... with Darwin being approx 130,000.


Are there any Northern Territorians(?) out there who can set me straight, and tell it like it really is?

Amazulu

I remember watching a C4 documentary in the UK about the Peter Falconio murder. The presenter was talking to the owner of a pub in, I think, Tennant Creek. This guy was saying that the NT was full of nutters, murders, psychos etc and the murder was no shock to him. Basically the NT is the place to go if you don't want to be found, do your own shit, be a nutjob etc.

jad n rich

Mates of ours went up there for work, 3 of their kids ended up in trouble with the cops, parents said there was real pressure in highschool to prove how much of a man/nutcase you were.

Darwin wouldnt work for me, nowt to do with the nutters more the climate, I can understand why people go mad in that heat/humidity

bcworld

I've done a bit of work in both Darwin & Alice...people I know who live in Darwin won't go out at night when they're visiting Tennant Creek.

As far as murders and violent crime goes the NT is leagues ahead of the rest of the country...much of it happening within indigenous communities of course.

lou1003

That headline is horrific.
I live in Darwin, and things like this certainly don't happen regularly.
However, a lot of the headlines involve aboriginals and violence.
There is a large aboriginal population in the NT and sadly the majority of these type of incidents come from them. Rapes and violence in their communities and ours. A couple walking home last week got beaten up, knocked out and their teeth knocked out, all just for $50.

Because the NT is so sparsely populated, not that much news actually happens (30% of the headlines involve crocodiles!), that when something bad does happen it's heard about.

The NT isn't that bad. There are just a few isolated incidents.

geordie mandy

I live about 20 mins away from Darwin in a newly developed suburb and i have not witnessed anything that i read in the paper.
I know when we first arrived and stayed in the city there were certainly plenty of noise and sirens and i did see a few fights break out from the appartment window.
But its like most places on an evening, what i saw in Darwin is no worse than what i saw on a fri/sat night out in any city especially places like Newcastle and Hull where i used to go clubbing.
Saying that im not naive enough to believe that there are not any troubles but i often think the media just go over board up here.
I didnt choose to live up here but im making the most of it till we get moved on to different areas of oz.
Ive not ventured much around NT but freinds of mine have and for the most part have found it to be a sociable and freindly state. When we first arrived a young child had been killed in a house fire and the community rallied round to help support the family, the whole area came to a stand still as his coffin went past. Ive only ever witnessed that sort of things at military funerals.
The local governement are cracking down on alcohol big time and the cost of alcohol is very expensive, this i would imagine is to do with the alcohol related fights and disturbances that do occur.
I see aboriginal families every day, some live the grass life style and some are housed. My kids go to school with them and we have had no problems.
Darwin is actually growing on me and i would like to explore more of the area, when my OH gets time off as there is certainly plenty to see and do, just a case of driving to the different places.
I must admit now the humidity is rising i am suffering a little with it, but ive got aircon and i use it when i need to.
I suppose its like marmite, you either love it or hate
Mandy

mohogony

In DArwin alot of people go insane and turn violent caused by a combination of excessive alcohol and the tropical heat, they call it "going Troppo"
The NT has the highest crime rate in OZ, many wanted crimianals go there because its a good place to disappear. Australias most wanted man bank robber Brendan Abbott hid out there. Darwin was totally destroyed and rebuilt twice once when the Japanese bombed it and cyclone Tracy destroyed it in the 1970's

asprilla

I do see where you're coming from but I agree with bcworld's view regarding the crime rates.

Discovery

Oh yes it's a very grim place. There are crocs roaming the streets of Darwin and armed gangs with AK47 knocking on doors. Only joking of course. Look I moved to Darwin 31/2 years ago from London and I feel safer here than I did in the UK. What is the crime statistics like in Brisbane? How do people living in Melbourne and Sydney cope with rising level of violent crime?

I did move to Darwin originally with the intention of moving on to a bigger city but I am so comfortable here. I am happy to live with the 3 /4 months of humidity rather than give up the lifestyle I have here for another city.

lou1003

I just think the media go to town with it when something bad happens as it doesn't happen that often.
Same with any big city - crime happens.

We have a very high percentage of aboriginals here who are often responsible for a lot of the violent crime, and alcohol related problems.
I would completely agree Darwin/NT probably has some of the highest crime rates in the country (especially for the size of the population), but a lot of agoriginal related.
If there was as high a percentage of aboriginals in Melbourne or Perth, the crime rate I think, would also be higher.

Sorry to seem racist, I'm not, and regularly have conversations with the locals, but it is a fact that the indigenous population causes a fair bit of trouble.

asprilla

Cheers Mandy ! Glad that you are enjoying Darwin.

Many people on here (myself included) have never even visited Darwin or NT, let alone lived there. Rightly or wrongly, we form our opinions based on what we read in the news.... but we rarely balance these out with a bit of local insight/knowledge.

Discovery

Interesting facts. Is that why the quality of houses built in Darwin are far better than where you live?

asprilla

I believe that Brisbane is a much safer city than Darwin, in terms of violent crimes (don't have the figures to back that up though).

bcworld

Australian city of Darwin named 'broken jaw capital of the world'

lou1003

Everyone has a killer croc lurking for them at the bottom of the garden!

I feel very safe in Darwin.
I've been here about a year now and although you hear of a few fights at night by the bars and stuff (but where don't you hear of them?), and the occassional terrible story like the one in the NT News today, it's a good town.
Most people are very friendly and accomodating, look out for each other.
Crime happens everywhere.