Film production in Darwin
Between December and June, usable daylight in Darwin moves by 1h 27min — from 12h 51min down to 11h 24min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Darwin rises at 07:06 and sets at 18:30; the evening golden hour starts at 17:59 and runs for 31 minutes. By December that shifts to 06:17–19:08, with a 30-minute golden-hour window from 18:37.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 28 and 31 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 06:33 | 19:20 | 12h 47min | 18:50 |
| February | 06:47 | 19:17 | 12h 30min | 18:48 |
| March | 06:51 | 19:02 | 12h 11min | 18:34 |
| April | 06:52 | 18:42 | 11h 50min | 18:14 |
| May | 06:57 | 18:30 | 11h 33min | 18:00 |
| June | 07:06 | 18:30 | 11h 24min | 17:59 |
| July | 07:10 | 18:37 | 11h 27min | 18:06 |
| August | 07:01 | 18:43 | 11h 41min | 18:14 |
| September | 06:42 | 18:44 | 12h 01min | 18:15 |
| October | 06:22 | 18:44 | 12h 22min | 18:16 |
| November | 06:12 | 18:52 | 12h 41min | 18:23 |
| December | 06:17 | 19:08 | 12h 51min | 18:37 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Darwin starts at 18:44 in June and ends at 18:53 — a window of 9 minutes. In December it is 9 minutes from 19:22. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:02) and September (18:44) there are 18 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in June, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Darwin?
In June it starts at 17:59 and lasts 31 minutes; in December it starts at 18:37 and lasts 30 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Darwin get?
Between 11h 24min in June and 12h 51min in December. The 1h 27min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Darwin?
On daylight length alone, December is strongest with 12h 51min of usable light.