Larrakeyah Barracks, incorporating , is the main base for the

Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...

in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and occupies the headland west of the suburb of Larrakeyah in the capital, Darwin. It was established in 1932–33, with building commencing in earnest in 1934, although many of the oldest structures were built in the early years of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The name Larrakeyah is a

transcription Transcription refers to the process of converting sounds (voice, music etc.) into letters or musical notes, or producing a copy of something in another medium, including: Genetics * Transcription (biology), the copying of DNA into RNA, the fir ...

of the name of the

Australian Aborigine Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Islands ...

tribe known also as the Larrakia people, the

traditional owner Native title is the designation given to the common law doctrine of Aboriginal title in Australia, which is the recognition by Australian law that Indigenous Australians (both Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people) have rights ...

s of where Darwin was built and its surrounding areas.

Geography

The base is on a mostly level headland running east–west, some 25 metres above the ocean. Darwin Naval Base is on a lower area on the south side, incorporating some reclaimed land. The base is bounded to the east by the suburb of Larrakeyah, to the south by HMAS Coonawarra and the boat harbour on Darwin Harbour, to the west by Emery Point overlooking the approaches to Darwin Harbour, and the north by Cullen Bay.

Heritage

A 15ha precinct within the barracks site is listed on the

Australian Commonwealth Heritage List The Commonwealth Heritage List is a heritage register established in 2003, which lists places under the control of the Australian government, on land or in waters directly owned by the Crown (in Australia, the Crown in right of the Commonwealth ...

as the Larrakeyah Barracks Precinct, while the Headquarters Building and Sergeants' Mess are separately listed.

Units

ADF units at Larrakeyah include: *

Northern Command (Australia) The Northern Command is a joint operational Australian Defence Force formation. Northern Command is responsible for the planning and conduct of operations to the north of Australia during peacetime and wartime. In addition, Northern Command manage ...

* Regional Force Surveillance Group *

NORFORCE The NORFORCE (North-West Mobile Force) is an infantry regiment of the Australian Army Reserve. Formed in 1981, the regiment is one of three Regional Force Surveillance Units (RFSUs) employed in surveillance and reconnaissance of the remote area ...

(Headquarters, Darwin, Training Support and Operational Support Squadrons) *—base supporting the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

's patrol boat and small amphibious craft forces * Elements of the

Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers The Royal Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RAEME; pronounced Raymee) is a corps of the Australian Army that has responsibility for the maintenance and recovery of all Army electrical and mechanical equipment. RAEME has mem ...

* Army Watercraft Troop

Notes

References

External links

HMAS Coonawarra
Barracks in Australia Royal Australian Navy bases Commonwealth Heritage List places in the Northern Territory 1932 establishments in Australia Military installations in the Northern Territory Military installations established in 1932 {{Australia-mil-stub