Various shots erection



People watch



Siren framed in Australian flag.



Officials watch - in centre is Mr Bob Thurley Superintendent of Public Works which erected the system and on the right is Mr. Dick Webber the head of Civil Defence in the Northern Territory.



At the Headquarters of the Darwin (NT) Fire Brigade.



Siren atop roof. Sounds and people listen.



Firemen listen



Cars stop and listen.



Wing Commander Dick of the RAAF watches.



Fire Brigade Chief, Robbins watches.



Children watch.



Street scenes in Darwin



Darwin Post Office



Darwin waterfront.




Initials



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Workmen at the suburb of Nightcliff erecting a siren.The two aboriginal workmen are Victor Raymond with cap and Fred May in shirt.This is at the Nightcliff fire station.

Main siren at the Darwin Fire Brigade Headquarters tested for first time afternoon of 29.1.65.Tested six times and could be heard as far away as the suburb of Nightcliff five miles away.The same day another of the ten sirens which are being installed in Darwin was installed on top of the Fire state at Nightcliff.Of the ten sirens, two are in Darwin city -- the Fire HQ and at the Police Station.They should have a range of four miles each.The other 8 are to be scattered through the outlying residential areas.All are to be fully operational within a fortnight.They will be controlled from a control room at the Darwin Fire Hq.and would be sounded under orders from either military officials in Darwin or the Darwin CD organisation.The sirens were made in Australia - weigh 100 pounds each.There was no siren system as comprehensive as this at the time of the Japanese attack on Darwin in Feb.1942.They are officially termed "Warning Sirens".The test today was watched by officials of Civil Defence and the RAAF, and was conducted by Mr.Dick Webber, Defence Officer in charge of Civil Defence.Hq.Brigade officer George Robbins said the test reminded him all too much of the raids he saw on Devon and London in World War II.Cars passing the station stopped and people in the main streets paused to listen to the sirens.Today's test was also heard on the Darwin waterfront which was badly damaged in the 1942 attack.