About a dozen troops sprang into action, firing machine guns and cannons off the cliffs of the Darwin Esplanade as smoke gathered around them.
As the re-enactment came to a close, a RAAF F/A-18A/B Hornet flew past Darwin city from the south east at a speed of 850km/h.
After a loop of the capital, it returned to Darwin from the north west, bringing a conclusion to commemorations, before returning to RAAF Base Tindal.
Later, dignitaries and VIPS lay wreaths at the Cenotaph, before the Last Post rang out and everyone bowed their heads for a minute's silence.