Many grey nomads have a keen interest in Australia’s military past and visiting war memorials and historical sites is an important part of their Big Lap.
Of course, large numbers have served their country and previously been deployed to places like Vietnam and elsewhere. But the desire to learn and to honour is pretty widespread across the entire nomad community.
And that explains in part why the Northern Territory Government is continuing to put a renewed focus on promoting what it calls military tourism.
A new national campaign highlighting the Northern Territory’s wartime history has been launched, alongside a 10-year strategy designed to strengthen the Territory’s position as a leading military tourism destination.
A well-maintained Vietnam War memorial near Muswellbrook, NSW. PIC: Cizza
The ‘Bet you didn’t know we had a war story like this’ campaign showcases the NT’s unique role in Australia’s wartime history and encourages visitors to explore significant military heritage sites across the Top End.
The NT Military Tourism Plan 2035 has been released alongside the new campaign, setting out a vision to grow military tourism by promoting the Territory’s rich wartime heritage, stories of courage, service and sacrifice and promote contemporary defence activities such as Exercise Pitch Black.
A military wall was unveiled at the Darwin Services Club last year.
The launch comes as the Territory prepares to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin in February next year. The anniversary will mark 85 years since war reached Australian shores, including attacks on Darwin, raids across the Top End and Katherine, and wartime operations extending into Central Australia.
The latest initiative builds on the success of the Territory’s 2025-26 military tourism focus earlier in the year, Plot Your Course Through History, which reached more than 1.4 million Australians with the Territory’s immersive military history.
The Military Tourism Plan 2035 focuses on building partnerships with Defence, veteran organisations, tourism operators, and Traditional Owners to protect and promote military heritage sites and to develop new visitor experiences.
The plan also embraces a range of digital platforms. The AI Military Trip Planner released last year has already generated 1,857 personalised trip itineraries, allowing visitors to explore military attractions and helping local operators to promote their products and attract bookings.
For more information about military tourism in the NT, and to find the AI Planner, click here.
Of course, there are countless well-cared-for war memorials in towns and cities across the country … and military sites, too.
The WWII Secret Base in Charleville in Outback Queensland, for example, has become a major tourist drawcard over the past few years.
During the war, the town welcomed 3,500 American servicemen and the entire community was sworn to secrecy about the top-secret military operations taking place in the ‘vault’ … a building that still stands today.
Long-term traveller, Mark David has no specific military connections but says visiting war memorials and learning about Australia’s military past is an integral part of his Big Lap travels.
“There is so much I don’t know and the more I learn, the more I feel an incredible gratitude and a sense of awe at the courage of those who put their lives on the line in conflict,” he said. “It is so important for me to pay my respects and simply to try to understand what it must have been like at that time.”
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