Darwin was built on the traditional lands of the Larrakia people. In 1974 the city was a close-knit multicultural city with a population of over 47,000 people.

The average salary was $7,600 per year. A loaf of bread cost 24 cents, a litre of milk was 30 cents, and a three-bedroom luxury home overlooking the ocean at Fannie Bay would set you back $42,000.

The city was in the middle of a housing boom. Although inflation under the Whitlam government was a concern to many, fibro housing was cheap to construct, and many new houses were being built in the northern suburbs.