Were the mission children actually stuck on an island in Darwin’s harbor when the Japanese attached?
A. No, that part’s exaggerated. But there’s a kernel of truth to the story. One of the first Australians to spot the incoming Japanese planes was a priest, stationed on a lonely island off Darwin’s shore. “An unusually large air formation bearing down on us from the northwest,” he radioed into Darwin’s radio operators on the morning of the attack. The operators shrugged off the warning. Twenty minutes later, the town was attacked. Q. How can I find more information about Australia? A. There’s some good books out there, but what Australia hopes is that people bypass the reading, and instead decide to come down under to visit. The country helped fund the film, believing it could spark a tourism boom. It might work. Though in these penny-pinching times, Australia might have to offer some extra inducements to tourists. Some personal time with Australia’s very own “Sexiest Man Alive” might do the trick. Cathy Schultz, Ph.D., is a history professor at the University of St. Francis in Illinoi
