The Top Ender Magazine February March 2021 Edition

Joel Bowden
A warm welcome to our
relocating Defencepersonnel.
A big Territory welcome to all
Defence personnel across Army, Navy
and Air Force who have joined us in
Darwin and Palmerston with their
families. I have no doubt that you will
find your experiences in the Top End
enriching and I congratulate you
on the next stage of your journey as
you serve our country with pride.
I wanted to reach out and introduce
myself to you as your Federal
Member in Australian Parliament for
Solomon, representing Darwin and
Palmerston. My electorate is
regarded as a Defence Force town
with more than 12,000 serving ADF
members and their families living in the
Northern Territory. Like you, I served
in the Australian Defence Force for 13
years, with the Parachute Infantry,
Commandos and the Defence
Cooperation Program in Timor-Leste. I
also had the opportunity to work
abroad in Afghanistan and other
countries.
I was recently hosted onboard HMAS
Ararat by Lieutenant Commander
Martinussen and visited Larrakeyah
Barracks with my colleague, Shadow
Minister for Defence, Richard Marles. It
was impressive to see the infrastructure
upgrade works that are underway as
part of the Larrakeyah Barracks
Redevelopment Plan and I look forward
to seeing the progress of the
redevelopment throughout 2021.
As a proud veteran, I am incredibly
passionate about the commitment and
Luke Gosling
contribution of our Defence Force to
protect our nation and the sacrifice that
you all make. I am always advocating for
our veterans, current serving men and
women and their families in National
Parliament.
Therefore, it’s important that relocating
personnel are aware of who their local
Federal representative is and where to
find me should they need to raise any
concerns or just have a cup of tea and
a yarn. It’s always a real honour to
catch up with those who are serving, to
get a better sense of the demands of
their jobs and to thank them for
keeping our borders secure and our
nation safe.
I am aware that 2020 was a challenging
year for everyone, so the achievements
of Defence personnel and continuous
support from the Defence community
are a credit to you all — I thank each
of you for your dedication and service.
I know that the holiday period can also
be a stressful time for many, so look
after your families, colleagues and
mates, and if you are concerned or
facing hardship, don’t hesitate to seek
support and advice through your
command group, health service and/or
DCO.
I hope that you start the new year
rested and refreshed, and to those who
remained on watch, at sea and ashore,
or on notice to respond, I thank you
for your devotion to duty. Our
community was able to relax and
celebrate because you remained alert.
Your wellbeing and that of your family
is extremely important to me and I
would encourage you to pop into
our office in Casuarina (opposite
KFC) at any time. My door is
always open to you.
2020 is done and dusted - have a
great 2021 and I look forward to
seeing you around the Top End.
Luke Gosling MP
Member for Solomon
Luke Gosling is the Federal Member of
Parliament for Darwin and Palmerston and
served in the ADF for 13 years.
Co-Chair Parliamentary Friends of Veterans
Welcome to Darwin and the Top End.
Darwin is great city for families and anyone who enjoys
sunshine, beaches and our laid-back lifestyle.
My wife and I moved back to the Northern Territory with
our four children after a decade in Melbourne. We love it
here in Darwin.
There’s a saying that ‘nothing in Darwin is more than 20
minutes away’ and it’s almost true. There are no traffic jams,
no sitting in the car for an hour to commute to and from
work every day. This gives you more time to see what our
thriving multicultural community has to offer.
The Nightcliff foreshore is a great space to enjoy Darwin’s
natural beauty. There are great spaces for people of all ages
to enjoy the sunset - scenic walking tracks, cycle paths,
playgrounds, exercise equipment, swimming pool, café and
street food.
Vendors selling culinary delights from across the globe are an
iconic part of the Darwin lifestyle and along the foreshore
each night there are many options available. A favourite for
my family is the wood fired pizza. There are tables set up
under strings of lights or you can bring your own picnic set
up and enjoy the evening. The City of Darwin website has a
list of all the street food vendors and what nights they
operate. https://www.darwin.nt.gov.au/street-food-vendor
There is nothing quite like our dry season, which provides
perfect weather for our outdoor markets. Darwin and the
Top End has a strong culture of outdoor markets, including
Palmerston on Fridays, Parap on Saturdays, Mindil and
Nightcliff on Sundays. But if you want to go where the locals
go, its Rapid Creek on Sundays. The Rapid Creek Markets
are bursting with life, offering everything from locally grown
produce, handmade pastries, noodles, plants and freshsqueezed
juices. Rapid Creek markets offer many South East
Asian delights including laksa, pawpaw salad, Mie Goreng,
Thai desserts and much more.
We’re an active lot in Darwin and sport is high on our
agenda. For a city with a relatively small population, we play
an impressive range of sports. In Darwin, if you want to have
a go at a sport, everyone is welcome. There’s tennis, golf,
rugby, league, soccer, swimming clubs, triathlon clubs, paddle
boarding groups, athletics, dance schools, cycling and many
more. AFL is extremely popular across the Territory, with
many clubs offering great juniors' programs and adult teams.
The NT Football League offers live games and great
entertainment for football lovers and you might recognise a
few familiar club names and colours.
Top End locals are welcoming and people from all over the
world have made this tropical city their home. I urge our
newcomers to get out and enjoy everything on offer here.
You’ll make new friends, love the lifestyle and find plenty to
explore. Give it a go … you might find that you’ll stay here
for good!
Joel Bowden MP
Member for Johnston
Joel Bowden is also the General Secretary at
Unions NT.
8 The Top Ender | Tri-Services Magazine Incorporated FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 9