Gallery: Waterfront fireworks, Mitchell St mayhem make NYE ‘24 a night to remember
Rolling storms, a bag snatch arrest, wild behaviour on Mitchell St and a pair of fireworks displays to stop a city – Darwin truly knows how to put on a show. Re-live the best bits of New Year’s Eve 2024.
Northern Territory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern Territory. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Fireworks, water shows, arrests, hoons on Mitchell Street – the last night of 2024 had it all.
Thousands of punters – Darwin Waterfront Corporation was expecting about 9500 – flocked down to the precinct to watch the two firework and Liquid Light shows, while Mitchell St heaved, with Monsoons’ Wet’n’Wild NYE Block Party proving especially popular.
In true Territory fashion, the Wet Season weather provided the expected hitches.
Revellers hoping to secure prime position for the 9pm fireworks were sent scurrying for cover when the heavens opened up about 6.30pm, while the midnight fireworks were brought forward half an hour to avoid a rapidly building storm cell.
Mum-of-two Suzannah Northcott said it was her family’s first New Year’s Eve in Darwin – they had moved from South Australia to Katherine in October.
The family moved for “work and lifestyle opportunities” – Ms Northcott has taken up a position in children’s mental health.
Asked how the Darwin fireworks compared to Adelaide, Ms Northcott said she didn’t know, as she was a Kangaroo Island native, and you’d be more likely to see snow there than a technicolour fireworks display.
Tuesday night was also the first time sons Tanner and Clay had seen fireworks, she said.
Tanner piped up to contradict his mum, but it subsequently emerged he was talking about the Liquid Light show from earlier in the evening.
Darwin locals Eb and Richard Wilson, who took their two young children Dante and Teah down for the 9pm fireworks show, said it was only a last minute decision to pop down.
“We were going to have a cob loaf at home but couldn’t find any cob loafs,” Mr Wilson said.
The pair said they were veterans of the Waterfront Precinct fireworks, nominating 2021, the year Amy Shark performed a solo acoustic set after her band was struck down with Covid-19, as their favourite.
Mr Wilson said while he and his wife weren’t hugely into New Year’s Resolutions, they would simply keep dear what they tell themselves at the start of every year: “Don’t let the urgent get in the way of the important.”
“We make that one every year,” he said.
About 8pm, the large NT Police contingent were made to sing for their supper when an alleged bag-snatcher took off through the crowd, his bid for freedom ending near Fort Hill when a couple of young lads from Victoria helped police apprehend the suspect as Police Commissioner Michael Murphy watched on.
He later joked he tried to recruit the men after watching their brave performances.
Towards 11pm, the Mitchell St crowd was starting to build nicely, with the Monsoons party clearly drawing in the most punters.
There was a heavy police presence in the party precinct, although it didn’t stop one young hoon, who revved his utility almost beyond breaking point outside Shenannigans, drowning out conversations.
MORE OF OUR FAVOURITE NYE ‘24 PICTURES
More Coverage
Originally published as Gallery: Waterfront fireworks, Mitchell St mayhem make NYE ‘24 a night to remember
Palmerston teen’s murderers condemned to total 67 years in prison
The family of a teenager hunted down on the streets of Palmerston yelled out ‘Enjoy the 20 years you dogs’ as his killers were sentenced over his murder.
NT Health look to ‘display’ Pride flags in Top End hospital
Doctors have criticised the NT Government for embarking on ‘culture wars around symbols’ rather than safe healthcare for all following a snap decision to remove pride flags.