Darwin, one of the fastest growing capital cities in Australia, has one of the youngest and most diverse group of people, including the Australians, English, Irish, Scottish, Chinese, British, Greek, Italian, New Zealanders, Filipinos and the largest population of Aboriginals of any capital city in Australia.
Darwin had been struck heavily multiple times during WWII and still today has a large military presence.
Darwin has a long record of alcohol abuse and violent crime, more than anywhere else in the world.
Sailing into Darwin I decided to forgo the planned shore excursion in favor of a brief walk to see what this "modern" but rather impoverished town had to offer.
Here I had the pleasure of meeting Sonda Turner Napijimba, an Aboriginal artist sitting outside a bookstore painting a DotDot acrylic on linen.
Sonda proudly shared with me the depth of meaning of the most famous form of Australian indigenous art today and how colors and use of dots tell sacred stories and are used in ceremony.
Sonda's work is on display internationly in museums and galleries.
See her website:
http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2010/09/24/3021233.htm
This great and diverse land "Down Under" is seared in memory forever
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