NT GENX.

Remember a childhood in the sun-drenched humidity thick suburbs of Darwin and the NT. Us Generation X Territorians grew up in an era when the sound of sprinklers on front lawns mingled with the distant chime of Mr Skippy on a stinking hot wet season day. Weekends and after school meant escaping the heat to the back yard pool yours or ya mates or heading Clay Pot down at Rapid Creek  or jumping in behind the Water Gardens. 

Our childhoods were marked by the unique rhythm of the Top End. The build-up before the wet season brought a palpable tension to the air, broken only by the spectacular light shows of tropical storms. We learned early to respect the power of nature, from cyclones that reshaped our landscape to the crocodiles that ruled our waterways.

School days were a mix of standard curriculum and lessons tailored to our distinctive environment. We only had and knew blackboards which now seems less dramatic than the constant battle against mould and humidity that threatened to claim our books or PE clothes each wet season.

Channel 8 and Channel 2 were all we had and brought the outside world to us, but it was radio that truly connected our vast territory. The ABC's crackly broadcasts were a lifeline, bringing news and entertainment to the most remote corners of the NT. On weekends we stayed up late to catch music videos on Rage, a window into a world of culture that felt simultaneously foreign and alluring.

Weekends and school holidays often meant back to Clay Pot or  the Water Gardens, Skate World., road trips bush to go camping or if you were lucky enough, catching Ansett from the old Darin Airport and heading Down South . We learned to appreciate the subtle beauty of the outback, from the rugged majesty of Kakadu to the stark splendour of Uluru.

As we entered adulthood, many of us faced the choice between staying in the Territory or venturing south for education and career opportunities. Those who left carried with them a unique perspective shaped by our upbringing, while those who stayed worked to build and shape the future of the NT.

The arrival of the internet in our young adulthood suddenly shrunk the vast distances that had defined our youth. We embraced this technology, using it to connect our remote communities to the wider world while still maintaining our distinctive Territory identity.

Now, as we navigate middle age, we find ourselves straddling two worlds. We're part of the global digital age, yet we still carry with us the laid-back attitude and resilience forged by our Territory upbringing. We're raising our own children, trying to instil in them the same appreciation for the unique beauty and challenges of life in the Top End.

Our Generation X Territory experience has shaped us into a group that's adaptable, resourceful, and fiercely proud of our heritage. We embody a time of significant change in the Northern Territory's history, bridging the gap between the old frontier mentality and the modern, connected world of today.