The 2025 Darwin Sister City Storytelling Competition is currently open, with acceptance of submissions until Monday 17 March 2025. Learn more about the competition.
Sister Cities
City of Darwin’s current Sister City relationships are historical and are founded on the global Sister Cities movement.
Through the educational, cultural, professional, economic and humanitarian exchange, it aims to enhance cross-cultural understanding and build vibrant and connected communities and generating mutual benefits for both cities.
- Ambon, Indonesia
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Signing 28 October 1988 in Ambon, 21 July 1989 in Darwin
The proximity of Indonesia to Darwin and the large Asian community in Darwin form the foundation of the affiliation. The links between Darwin and Ambon date back to World War II and annual delegations have taken place to Ambon to commemorate ANZAC Day and the Gull Force Battalion.
Links have been strengthened with the annual Darwin to Ambon Yacht Race and Ambon Night Celebrations at the Indonesian Consulate in Darwin, resulting in close friendship bonds between the two cities.
- Anchorage, United States of America
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Signing 28 July 1982 in Darwin, 23 September 1982 in Anchorage
Initial moves for a sister city link began when former Darwin Mayor, Dr Ella Stack visited Anchorage in 1976. The Chief Minister at the time, Paul Everingham had also visited Anchorage and was supportive of the linkage.
Darwin and Anchorage share more similarities than you may think, apart from being opposite in climate, both cities are proud of the rich cultural heritage, and diversity of its population. Dena’ina Athabascans lived in Anchorage long before Europeans arrived, fishing, hunting, and living in locations spread across what makes up Anchorage today, similar to the First Nations people in Darwin, the Larrakia.
Anchorage Sister City activities are currently focused on celebrating cultural diversity and reciprocal arts and cultural exchanges. 2016 saw the two cities participate in Walk Together a huge celebration of diversity and a loud declaration that thousands of Australians believe we can become a nation known for our compassion, generosity, and welcome. It was the first year an international partner participated.
- Denpasar, Indonesia
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Signing 13 June 2022 Darwin
City of Darwin’s Lord Mayor, the Hon Kon Vatskalis led a delegation to Denpasar to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sister City Cooperation with the City of Denpasar from 13 – 17 June 2022.
The Darwin delegation included representatives from the NT Government, Tourism Top End, Chamber of Commerce NT, NT Farmers Association, Australia Indonesia Business Council NT Branch, Charles Darwin University, and Alana Kaye College.
The signing of the agreement was witnessed by the Vice Governor of Bali Province and Consul General of Australia in Bali. City of Darwin’s Lord Mayor signed an MoU with the Mayor of Denpasar on 13 June 2022.
Both cities agree to work together in the promotion of culture and tourism, the development of a creative economy, and the development of human resource capacity building. An Action Plan included as an Appendix of the MoU, identifies the programs and activities to commence within the first five years.
- Dili, Timor-Leste
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Signing 18 September 2003 in Darwin
Darwin established its Sister City relationship with Dili on 18 September 2003. The relationship aims to increase understanding between the two regions, particularly in the areas of tourism, sports, economic development, trade, education, and cultural exchange.
Darwin is one of Dili’s closest neighbors and played a crucial role in assisting Dili when violence broke out in 1999 through government and non-government programs that provided support to refugees and financial assistance.
City of Darwin and Dili conducted student and staff exchanges and shared information on waste management and By-Laws. Dili and its businesses participated actively in this year’s Darwin International Virtual Trade Show.
City of Darwin Lord Mayor’s delegation participated in the 2022 NT Timor Leste Trade Mission led by the Chamber of Commerce NT.
- Haikou, China
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Signing 5 September 1990 in Darwin
Initial investigations for a sister city affiliation with a city in the People's Republic of China began in February 1987 through Lord Mayor Alec Fong Lim, the Australian-China Friendship Society, and City of Darwin then Sister City Management Committee.
Based on the historical links between Darwin and Haikou, with the assistance of the Australian and Chinese Ambassadors, the Friendship Associations, and the Chung Wah Society.
There have been many successful education, arts, and cultural exchanges between the two cities. In 2016 Darwin received an Award of Honor for exchanges and cooperation with China at the China International Friendship Cities Conference.
- Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands
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Signing 5 July 1999 in Darwin
The Sister City Agreement was signed in Darwin on 5 July 1999 (National Sister Cities Day) City of Darwin Lord Mayor George Brown, Mr Allan McGill the then CEO, and on behalf of Milikapiti, Mr Gibson Farmer, Council President 1999.
In July 2001, the Milikapiti Council was dissolved along with the Councils of Nguiu and Pirlangimpi to form the new Tiwi Islands Local Government. The relationship continues under the new structure.
In 2005, City of Darwin staff traveled to Milikapiti in the wake of cyclone Ingrid to offer practical support to repair some of the damage left by this category 5 system. Locals and staff worked side by side to quickly respond to the various rebuilding efforts.
The Milikpaiti agreement still exists today and is activated in times of need between the two locations.
- Kalymnos, Greece
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Signing 23 April 1982 in Darwin
Darwin has an established Greek community, dating back to the early 19th century and booming in the 1950s when postwar immigrants arrived to work as sponge divers and pearling luggers. The majority of Greek immigrants arrived from Kalymnos, about 300km southeast of Athens in the Aegean Sea.
The Kalymnos Sister City activities are currently focused on participating in the annual Greek Glenti Festival and partnering with the Municipality of Kalymnos to deliver the Greek and English Language Scholarship Awards.
Friendship Cities
City of Darwin has established friendship city relations with five cities based on historical, cultural, and economic ties as well as strategic partnerships to build connections and understanding between communities for the benefit of the Darwin Community.
The friendship cities are:
- Guangzhou, China
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Signing on 25 October 2019
City of Darwin initially established a strategic partnership with Yuexiu District in 2018 taking into consideration significant Chinese community members from Guangdong dating back to the late 1870s when Chinese migrants first settled here during the gold rush era.
Guangzhou invited Darwin to enter into a friendship city relationship in 2019 to expand the two cities’ cooperation in economic, education, and cultural exchange programs. The opportunities from Guangzhou in terms of import and export, and tourism, are enormous not only because of its 80 million population and large economic scale with GDP in 2021 at $2.7 trillion.
Guangzhou is one of the largest cities in China, strategically located in the centre of the Greater Bay Area – Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Macau. There are 34,000 foreign companies, among which 301 Fortune Global 500 companies. Guangzhou is one of three major medical centres in China and has 82 colleges and universities with 1.1 million college students ranked number one in China.
Charles Darwin University signed an MOU with Guangzhou University under the Friendship City framework in 2020.
- Honolulu, United States of America
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Signing 12 March 2004
This relationship was initially considered because of the historical military connections between Darwin and Honolulu, which is under the banner of the "Bombing of Darwin".
In March 2004, then Alderman Robyn Lesley visited Hawaii, whilst there she met with the Mayor of Honolulu, Mr Jeremy Harris to discuss establishing exchange programs between Darwin and Honolulu that would mutually benefit both cities.
Upon her return to Darwin, Council received a letter from Mr. Manuel Menendez on behalf of the Mayor in Honolulu announcing that effective from 12 March 2004, Darwin is officially recognised as a "Friendship City" with Honolulu, Hawaii.
Honolulu is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is an unincorporated part of and the county seat of the City and County of Honolulu along the southeast coast of the island of Oʻahu. The city is the main gateway to Hawaiʻi and a major portal into the United States.
- Qingdao, China
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Signing on 17 October 2019
It was initially introduced and facilitated by the Northern Territory Government to establish a Friendship City with Qingdao, Shandong, China in August 2019. A delegation from the Qingdao Foreign Affair Office, Qingdao Municipal Government visited City of Darwin in September 2019 to discuss the interest.
City of Darwin Lord Mayoral delegation participated in the N.T.'s Reaching South Program in 2019. The MoU with Qingdao Municipal Government was established on 17 October 2019 in Qingdao. Following the signing, a Memorandum of Understanding was also entered into between Qingdao Sports Centre and Darwin Sailing Club in 2019, with a focus on a Youth Sailors Exchange Program.
Qingdao is a coastal and international port city occupying a land area of 11,000 sq. km and a sea area of 12,000 sq km. Qingdao has hosted a lot of international events, for example, the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition, the 2014 International Horticultural Exhibition, the Global Health Forum of Boao Forum for Asia, etc.
Qingdao established the Qingdao Area of China Polit Free Trade Zone and China Shanghai Cooperation, local economic organisations, and trade cooperation demonstration areas, among others, which provides substantial opportunities for businesses.
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Santa Cruz-Galapagos, Ecuador
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Signing on 29 March 2010
On 10 July 2009, City of Darwin wrote to the Mayor of the Gobierno Municipal de Santa Cruz in Galapagos, Republic of Ecuador to discuss the concept of a friendship agreement with City of Darwin.
Geographical and historical correlations between Darwin and Santa Cruz have resulted in similarities in culture and our environmental systems. Areas of common interest include the balancing of environmental concerns versus tourism in a fragile ecosystem the managing of tourism, and the realities of environmental impacts of introduced species. In many respects, the similarities outweigh the different positions in Darwin as opposed to the whole of the Northern Territory as the focus of a future relationship.
Specific examples include:
- Both cities act as a gateway to the natural wilderness and national parks that lay beyond the cities
- Industry focus on tourism with the government heavily involved with support of the tourism business
- Significant visitor numbers assisted by visiting cruise ships;
- Both are Learning Cities of the Charles Darwin Foundation and Charles Darwin University - School for Environmental Research, supporting a focus on environmental issues and climate change, and
- The linkage with Charles Darwin. In 1835 the HMS Beagle visited Galapagos as part of a five-year voyage to make navigational charts for the Royal Navy. Onboard was a young, unknown naturalist named Charles Darwin.
Strategic Partnership
- Shenzhen, China
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City of Darwin attended the Global Smart City Forum held in Shenzhen in May 2019. The forum attracted 300-400 guests from various countries including, U.K., Mexico, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Italy, Greece, etc. The participants, including the City of Darwin, signed a Memorandum on International Friendship Smart City Ecosphere Building with other guests.
During Shenzhen International Friendship Smart City Forum 2019, the participants reached "three consensuses" as follows under the development principle of openness, equality, mutual benefit, reciprocity and win-win. With the memorandum as the basic guideline for action, the cities will jointly advance international smart city construction and achieve the sustainability of the "smart global village".
Key Sister and Friendship Cities Programs
City of Darwin believes that increased understanding, exchange, and people-to-people links between united cities create opportunities for trade, investment, tourism, and education. Our firm belief is that through these international relationships, we are creating growth and development for ourselves and our Sister and Friendship Cities.
- Kalymnos and Darwin Language Scholarship Program
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City of Darwin’s Sister Cities Program has for many years supported local language competitions for a range of languages from our Sister Cities and promotes the Sister City Program targets students.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the sister city relationship between Darwin and Kalymnos in 2022, City of Darwin is pleased to deliver an English and Greek language scholarship program, which will encourage the students in Darwin to study Greek and students in Kalymnos to study English.
The Kalymnos and Darwin Language Scholarship Program will allow high school students from both Darwin and Kalymnos to apply for AU$500 cash each to continue the study of the Greek/English and related professional development activities.
Kalymnos is Darwin’s first sister city established on 28 July 1982, Darwin has an established Greek Community dating back to the early 19th century and booming in the 1950s when post-war immigrants arrived in Darwin and worked as sponge divers. Much of the Greek community in Darwin is from Kalymnos. Kalymnos is 300km from southeast of Athens. There is a total of 3,216 people from Greece in Darwin as per the 2021 census based on ancestry, which is ranked as the Top 8 of the dominant groups in Darwin.
- Darwin International Dragon Boat Festival 2023
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Darwin International Dragon Boat Festival won the 2023 Chief Minister’s NT Export Awards for "Excellence in events/international trade delegations supporting Northern Territory export activities and businesses" award. It was a huge collaboration with local and national stakeholders, special dignitaries, and 120 international delegations from across the world. The festival encompassed a number of key events, including the Dragon Boat Festival community event, Sister and Friendship City gala dinner, international trade show, and business networking events.
- Darwin International Virtual Trade Show 2022
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City of Darwin's 2022 Darwin International Virtual Trade Show has won a national award from Sister Cities Australia for the tourism and trade category. This innovative two-day online program brought together 107 businesses and organisations from Darwin and its Sister and Friendship Cities, attracting 1,000 attendees despite closed international borders. The Trade Show delivered 39 presentations with topics in education, tourism, international trade, businesses, and migration from Darwin and its Sister and Friendship Cities.
- Darwin International Business Directory 2021
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This directory is a chance for people to connect from different corners of the globe. Discover education service providers, businesses, and organisations from the Darwin municipality and our sister and friendship cities.
There are currently 174 businesses listed in International directory | Discover Darwin
- Parallel Hearts Podcast 2020
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City of Darwin's Parallel Hearts podcast, a Sister Cities audio collaboration between the Indigenous people of Anchorage and Darwin launched by Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis and Chairman of Larrakia Nation Elder at Larrakia Nation on 14 November 2020.
The project captures the voices of First Nations people from Darwin and Anchorage - the Larrakia and Dena’ina people. It is designed to increase understanding, knowledge, and appreciation of Indigenous culture.
Seven podcasts have captured the themes of maintaining culture, this is our land, caring for country, seasons, history, and Sister Cities.
- Lord Mayoral Trade Mission to China 2019