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Last Australian frontier of backyard fireworks opens for business

Xinhua, July 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

The last Australian jurisdiction to sell fireworks to be set off in backyards opened for business on Wednesday and people from around the country flocked to warehouses selling them.

What was once an annual event called "cracker night" across Australia has been outlawed in all but the outback region of the Northern Territory (NT) where many laws are traditionally relaxed.

For one day of the year in the NT the general public are allowed to buy fireworks from warehouses and local media reported they have been doing a roaring business on Wednesday.

At one shop in Darwin packs of fireworks with names like Alice Arsenal, Ball Breaker, Fusion Mass Detonation and Fusion Peace Keepers were on display at the front counter.

Mother Hannah Evans, with her baby Odin Hutchins in a bassinet, picked up an Acme Super Selection box of 10 "multishots."

"This is his first cracker night," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, nodding to her son named after the Norse god of frenzy.

Representatives for NT Worksafe were on hand at 9:00 a.m. local time to check fire extinguishers and hand out pamphlets on how to use fireworks safely.

Backyard fireworks were banned around the rest of Australia because of injuries across the country and pet dogs fleeing their homes due to their heightened hearing abilities not being able to cope with the explosive noise of fireworks. Endi