Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Mayor of Darwin, AU visits Darwin, MN



Jennifer Kotila
Staff Writer

DARWIN, MN – The City of Darwin received a visit from a special guest July 21 – Lord Mayor Katrina Fong Lim of Darwin, AU.

The visit comes several months after Darwin, MN Mayor Josh Johnson was first featured on Darwin, AU radio station 105.7 ABC for Richard Margetson’s morning show.

Johnson shared the story of Francis Johnson, who created the world’s largest ball of twine, with Australian listeners in November 2014.

He was again featured on the radio show in February of this year for Darwin, AU’s Darwin Day, and told listeners about the city of Darwin, MN.

During those radio chats, Johnson met and spoke with Fong Lim, who came to the US with her husband, Tony Waite, about six weeks ago to visit her sister in New Jersey.

While planning her trip, Fong Lim decided she would like to come to Minnesota to see the great ball of twine, as well as visit Johnson.

During her visit to Darwin, MN, Fong Lim was given the grand tour of the small city via golf cart, ending at the Twine Ball Museum.

After the tour, Johnson was “going to show her how the majority of our state spends its summers,” by taking Fong Lim on a pontoon ride on one of the state’s 10,000 lakes.

Johnson will again be featured on the Darwin, AU radio station sometime during the week of Aug. 3-7, as Darwin, MN prepares for Twine Ball Day Saturday, Aug. 8.

About the two Darwins

Darwin is the capital city of Northern Territory, AU, with a population of 83,020. Darwin, MN is a small, rural town with a population of about 350.

Darwin Township in Minnesota was organized April 5, 1858, and the town was called Rice City. The name changed in 1869, to the name of its railway village, platted in October of that year.

The name was chosen to honor principal stockholder and promoter of the St. Paul and Pacific (now the Great Northern) Railroad, E. Darwin Litchfield of London, England.

The village of Darwin, MN was incorporated June 16, 1919.

The harbor at Darwin, AU was discovered in 1839 by John Lort Stokes, captain of the Beagle.

The city was founded in 1869, originally being called Palmerston. It was renamed to Port Darwin in 1911 after British evolutionist Charles Darwin, who had been a former shipmate of Stokes.

Darwin, AU is home to people from more than 60 nationalities, and 70 ethnic backgrounds, and features many cultural festivals throughout the year, according to its website.

It is also home to many different industries, although 60 percent of the population is employed by the government.

Darwin, MN’s population is mostly white. It is home to several businesses.

Darwin, AU is home to Darwin Festival, an 18-day event featuring outdoor concerts, workshops, theater performances, and film and visual art showings.

Darwin, MN is home to Darwin Twine Ball Day, a one-day event featuring a 5k run in the morning, food and beverage sales in the park throughout the day, a kid’s tractor pull, a parade, Minnesota Minn-e-rods, a pork chop dinner, and music in the park at night.

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