Burnett House, Darwin

The Darwin shown here is almost lost. You can imagine how a family would live in the thirties or forties in Darwin. Upstairs, see furniture of the period. See how the house and its occupants survived World War II, and Cyclone Tracy. Read about its previous occupants in the wall placards.

Imagine how you would sip a gin n tonic, resting in the cane chairs, enjoying the see-view and breezes, with the scent of frangipani just out the window.

The building is designed to be cool, using many of the principles found in original Asian tropical buildings: high pitched roofs with a ridge vent at the top, allowing air to circulate through the ceiling space and out the ridge. flow-through ventilation, low dividers between rooms, casement windows on the corners of the house, and the use of louvres around the house made of the new material, asbestos cement. Burnett designed a series of homes adapted to the climatic conditions of the Top End which included the use of lightweight materials.

See the holes in the fence caused by WWII shells. See  the shrapnel found in the gardens, now displayed in a cabinet. The house was just outside the area that most of the Japanese bombers were interested in, away from the harbour, and oil tanks, and military installations, although close to the hospital.

The Australian Women’s Army services were based here during the war and the building was also a rest area for nurses. Read some of their stories.

Tours can be specially arranged for groups for a cost, but otherwise, there is no special tour: visitors are invited to view the collection, and  the artefacts, such as the old bedstead, complete the full mosquito net over the bed, and  with the bedchamber under the bed.

A unique feature of the house is the coloured compass inlay in the ground floor concrete slab. Burnett’s original plans and early photographs indicate a rainwater tank at the rear, near the laundry.

The house was damaged by Cyclone Tracy in December 1974. From about 1983 the house remained vacant and was boarded up to prevent access from itinerants until it was restored in 1988 for the National Trust. It was officially opened as the headquarters of the Trust by the Administrator, Commodore Eric Johnston, on 18 April 1989. It then became known as Burnett House, after its designer

Devonshire Teas are held regularly on the second and fourth Sunday afternoons in the beautiful Burnett house gardens throughout the Dry season (May – September). Announcements of afternoon teas are regularly updated on our Facebook page (Burnett House NT) and Instagram Site. (Burnett House NT). Go to TryBooking to book.

Friday Evening Talks are held monthly during the Dry Season. (March to October). Announcements of the talks are regularly updated on our Facebook page (Burnett House NT) and Instagram Site. (Burnett House NT). There is no required booking.