2003: Darwin hosted its first international test cricket match at Marrara Oval

ASK any local about BASSINTHEGRASS and they’ll tell you it’s a Darwin rite of passage

JULY 18, 2003: Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh tosses the coin as Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud (2/R) looks on as match referee Mike Proctor (R) and former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy watch at Marrara Oval.

ASK any local about BASSINTHEGRASS and they’ll tell you it’s a Darwin rite of passage.

The iconic music festival kicked off in 2003 with a line-up that included The Living End, 28 Days, NoKTuRNL and Shellie Morris.

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Darwin hosted its first international Test cricket match between Australia and Bangladesh this year, and there was cause for celebration when the 1420km railway track between Alice Springs and Darwin was completed.

JULY 19, 2003: Australian captain Steve Waugh goes down on one knee as he plays a pull shot during the first Test, Australia v Bangladesh, at Marrara Oval.

This was the last stage in the construction of the 2979km Adelaide-Darwin railway line, which was first envisaged in 1911.

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This year also saw the birth of Charles Darwin University following a merger of the Centralian College in Alice Springs and the Northern Territory Rural College.