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Northern Territory - Organisation

Santa Teresa Mission (1953 - 1977)

  • Aboriginal housing at Santa Teresa Mission south of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, 1966

    Aboriginal housing at Santa Teresa Mission south of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, 1966, by Carter, Jeff, courtesy of National Library of Australia.
    Details

From
1953
To
1977
Categories
Catholic, Home, Mission, Mission Boarding School and School
Alternative Names
  • Ltyentye Apurte (Also known as)

Santa Teresa Mission was the new name given to the Arltunga Mission after it was moved to approximately 80 kms south east of Alice Springs in 1953. Run by the Catholic Church the Mission included a Mission school and dormitories which accommodated Aboriginal boys and girls aged 5 to 17 years. The Mission's administration passed to an Aboriginal land trust in 1977 and the area was renamed Ltyentye Apurte. The residential sections of the Mission School closed at that time.

Details

The Santa Teresa Mission, run by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, was previously located at Arltunga and known as the Arltunga Mission. In 1952 a block of Crown Land, approximately 80 kilometres to the South East of Alice Springs, was leased to the Mission by the Commonwealth Government. This block of land was formerly known as Phillipson Block. The mission moved to the new site in 1953 and was renamed the Santa Teresa Mission. A Mission School was established at the Mission in 1953. Original plans for the new Santa Teresa Mission show the School building and proposed dormitory blocks for Aboriginal girls and boys.

At the Mission School the girls were supervised by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and the boys by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. The children's ages ranged from 5 to 17 years. The missionaries provided accommodation, education, medical care and religious instruction. The Mission was paid a subsidy by the government for each of the Aboriginal children it maintained at the Mission.

In the mid to late 1970s, as the settlement developed, the residential sections of the school were discontinued. The day school, however, continued to operate.

In 1976, in accordance with the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, the lease automatically converted to Aboriginal freehold land. The administration of the area was taken over by a Land Trust comprised of traditional owners and the area was renamed Ltyentye Apurte. Much of the infrastructure of the Mission, with the exception of the school, was handed over by the church to the traditional owners. The school was still operating as the Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School in 2013.

Location

1953 - 1977
Location - Santa Teresa Mission was situated at Santa Teresa, Northern Territory. Location: Santa Teresa

Timeline

 1935 - 1942 Little Flower Mission
       1942 - 1953 Arltunga Mission
             1953 - 1977 Santa Teresa Mission

Run By

Related Glossary Terms

Related Organisations

Publications

Books

  • Pye, John, Sanata Teresa and East Aranda History 1929-1988, Australian National Library, Canberra, 1988. Details

Online Resources

Photos

Roman Catholic Mission - Santa Teresa (1952-1955)
Title
Roman Catholic Mission - Santa Teresa (1952-1955)
Type
Document
Date
1952 - 1955

Details

Aerial view of Santa Teresa Mission, Northern Territory, 1 May 1962
Title
Aerial view of Santa Teresa Mission, Northern Territory, 1 May 1962
Type
Image
Date
1 May 1962
Creator
Mulligan, John
Source
National Library of Australia

Details

Aboriginal housing at Santa Teresa Mission south of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, 1966
Title
Aboriginal housing at Santa Teresa Mission south of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, 1966
Type
Image
Date
1966
Creator
Carter, Jeff
Source
National Library of Australia

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: "A Piece of the Story": National Directory of Records of Catholic Organisations Caring for Children Separated from Families, December 2001, https://cssa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Piece-of-the-Story.pdf; Pye, John, Sanata Teresa and East Aranda History 1929-1988, Australian National Library, Canberra, 1988; 'Santa Teresa Health Centre (Ltyentye Apurte)', in Northern Territory General Practive Education, Northern Territory General Practice Education [NTGPE], 2012; NAA: F1, 1954/64 Roman Catholic Mission - Santa Teresa 1952-1955.

Prepared by: Gary George and Karen George