Guides
Evergreen briefings on the topics that define Darwin. Each guide gathers our newsroom's reporting in one place and links out to the latest stories.
Property
The Darwin property market in 2026 is shaped by tropical climate, defence-led population growth, gas-sector investment and a tight rental pool. This guide is your single starting point for understanding price movements across the inner suburbs, the northern beaches and the rural fringe, what is driving demand in Palmerston and Litchfield, and how interest rates, cyclone-rating requirements and land releases are changing what Territorians pay for a home.
Government and policy
Politics in the Northern Territory moves quickly and the decisions made in Parliament House on Mitchell Street reach further than any other Australian jurisdiction relative to its population. This guide tracks the NT Government's legislative agenda, the Chief Minister's priorities, budget settings and Commonwealth funding negotiations, alongside the federal policy debates that shape Darwin most directly: defence posture, AUKUS basing, critical minerals, immigration and remote-community services.
Business and economy
Darwin's economy in 2026 sits at the intersection of gas, defence, tourism, agribusiness and a fast-growing trade relationship with South-East Asia. This guide brings together our reporting on the companies, projects and policy settings driving the Top End, from Inpex and Santos on the harbour through to Middle Arm's industrial precinct, the Port of Darwin's lease question, hospitality openings on Mitchell Street and the small-business owners powering the city's CBD recovery.
Sport
Sport in Darwin runs to its own calendar. The dry season packs AFL Northern Territory, NTFL grand finals, V8 Supercars at Hidden Valley, the Arafura Games and a packed run of community carnivals into a few intense months, while the build-up and wet season bring indoor leagues, swimming, sailing and the city's basketball revival.
Living in Darwin
Living in Darwin in 2026 means two seasons, a saltwater lifestyle, the country's most multicultural city per capita and a pace that is unmistakably Top End. This guide is the practical companion to life in the Territory capital, gathering our reporting on the suburbs people are moving to, the schools families rate, the markets that mark the dry season, what is on at the Entertainment Centre and the Botanic Gardens, the festivals from Glenti to BASSINTHEGRASS, and the everyday questions newcomers actually ask.
Courts and justice
The Northern Territory's court system carries unusual weight for its size, from the Supreme Court on Mitchell Street through the Local Court circuit reaching Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to the federal courts sitting in Darwin. This guide pulls together our coverage of significant judgments, sentencing decisions, royal commissions and inquiries, coronial findings and the policy debates around bail, youth justice and remote policing that the Territory keeps at the centre of national conversation.
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