Mindil Beach, Beach near Darwin, Australia

Mindil Beach is a sandy shore that runs along Fannie Bay's coastline, forming a natural boundary between the Timor Sea and Darwin's gardens district. The beach stretches across a broad expanse and offers plenty of room for walking and spending time by the water.

The beach received its name from George Goyder's survey of Palmerston, Darwin's former name, which referenced the swampland that lay behind the early settlement. This naming came about during the area's early development in the 1800s.

The name Mindil was written on George Goyder's survey maps for the swamp behind the town blocks of Palmerston, as Darwin was then known, and passed from the swamp to the beach in front of it. The Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, held on Thursday and Sunday nights through the dry season, bring around 200 stalls, about 60 of them food, plus Darwin and regional Northern Territory artists performing and selling work.

The Mindil Beach Sunset Markets run on Thursday and Sunday nights from late April to late October, with around 200 stalls including about 60 food stalls. The beach lies in The Gardens suburb beside Darwin's central business district, so it can be reached on foot from the city centre. The dry season brings little rain; the wettest month is January, averaging 507 mm.

The market began in 1987 in Darwin Mall, but shopkeepers there complained to the council about lost trade, and it moved to Mindil Beach. It now runs on Thursday and Sunday nights through the dry season, with about 200 stalls, roughly 60 of them selling food.