Darwin Rocksitters Club marks 50 fabulous years

A popular Darwin Club has celebrated 50 years of sitting and drinking. Read why it’s special.

A Darwin club whose members became a worldwide phenomena for doing nothing but sitting and drinking has celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Members of the Darwin Rocksitters Club, which had its origins inside the NT News’ darkroom, marked its 50th anniversary by doing what they do - sitting and drinking - at East Point on Saturday evening.

In the months before Cyclone Tracy, NT News photographers Peter Bennett, Bob Hannan and Beat Erismann were chatting in the darkroom on a Saturday and decided they’d go fishing after work at East Point.

Joined by photographer Baz Ledwidge and a couple of long-gone Territorians, the mates bought a slab of beer, sat on a rock, drank, talked and caught zero fish.

Darwin Rocksitters Club at East Point near commemorative plaque, recognising them as champion rocksitters.

“We threw our lines out,” Beat said. “It was a wonderful afternoon sinking a few tinnies, spinning a few yarns and watching the lovely sunset, but there were no fish.

“The next Saturday we went back for the beautiful sunset but left the fishing rods at home, and a few others came along. Every week after that we sat on the rock talking, drinking and watching the sunset and the numbers just grew and grew.”

For a time the club was forced to annex a second rock to accommodate all the rocksitters.

If a sitter came on two consecutive Saturdays they would qualify for membership and receive a free T-shirt.

The formation of Darwin’s club attracted the interest of other similar organisations globally and before long the Darwin was embroiled in a sit-off against a fierce New Zealand challenger, prompting years of rivalry and competition to determine which club could rock sit longest.

Members of Cold Chisel hanging with the Darwin Rocksitters.

“We did a five-day sit, then New Zealand did six days then Portland in Victoria did eight days then we did 10 days.”

Rules of engagement, written by former NT News reporter Rex Clark, limited the comforts to one sleeping bag or two blankets, with pillows banned. Competitive sitters had to down 18 cans of beer every 24 hours - in the days before mid-strength. Darwin still holds the world record with a 12-day sit.

If the club appears to be a quaint diversion 50 years later then think again.

Darwin Rocksitters Club attracted politicians, businessmen, regular punters and celebrities - all lured by the camaraderie, beer, rock and sunset.

A famous black-and-white photo from 1980 has members of what was then Australia’s biggest rock band, Cold Chisel and its charismatic frontman Jimmy Barnes perched atop the rock.

Members, many of them now in their 80s, gathered at the rock at Darwin’s most westerly point to watch the sunset before heading to the Ski Club for a closed celebration with buffet.