Darwin is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland, lying on Choiseul Sound, on the east side of the island's central isthmus, 4 km north of Goose Green. It was known occasionally (and still is from time to time) as Port Darwin. Attractions in Darwin include a corral, the Galpon building which was home to nineteenth century gauchos, the Argentine Military Cemetery, and birdlife both in the Sound and the pond. There is also a small race course here, for local amateur and hobby horse riders.
History
It is named after Charles Darwin, who carried out a zoological survey of the Falkland Islands on the Beagle's second voyage. Darwin was said to have spent the night here. Approximately quarter of a century after Charles Darwin's visit, the settlement of Darwin was founded. The first building, erected in 1859, was the vicarage [1]. It was started as as the centre for sheep farming in Lafonia, which it remained until 1922. The farm was then transferred to Goose Green, south of Darwin and separated by the Boca Wall of peat, which grew to overshadow Darwin. Darwin was initially the haunt of gauchos, and cattle farmers, but sheep farming came to dominate the area, and Scottish shepherds were brought in.
- "In 1871, many shepherds situation on the Falkland Island Company's main farm at Darwin were of Scottish origin, and members of the Free Kirk of Scotland. Finding a growing need for a minister of their own, they undertook, with the assistance of the Company to employ a minister for Darwin, and in 1872, Rev Yeoman took up the appointment. In 1873, an iron constructed church was brought from England and erected at Darwin. About this time, it was estimated that one third of the Falklands' population belonged to the Presbyterian church.
- "As Stanley grew, the Darwin minister visited the town occasionally and held services in the infants' school." [2]
A few years later, the first large tallow works in the islands (though not the first) was set up by the FIC in 1874. It handled 15,891 sheep in 1880.[3] From the 1880s, until 1972, Darwin and Fox Bay had their own separate medical officers. Nowadays, most medical care is based in Stanley.[4] The first telephone line (and the second in the Falklands) was between Darwin and Stanley, built in 1906 with the ship Consort landing poles on the coast. The Darwin line was finnished in 1907, at a length of 49 ½ miles.[5] The line was initially only for business, but the public could make calls from time to time. Darwin and environs saw heavy fighting in the Falklands War during the Battle of Goose Green. A large number of Argentine casualties were buried near here.
References
- ^ Wigglesworth, Angela. (1992) Falkland People. Pub. Peter Owen. ISBN 0-7206-0850-3
- ^ Strange, Ian (1983) The Falkland Islands
- ^ Strange, Ian (1983) The Falkland Islands
- ^ Strange, Ian (1983) The Falkland Islands
- ^ Strange, Ian (1983) The Falkland Islands
