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Northern Territory - Organisation

Pine Creek Home (1940 - 1941)

  • Pine Creek Repeater Station

    Pine Creek Repeater Station, June 2004, by Baker, John, courtesy of Department of the Environment and Energy.
    Details

From
1940
To
1941
Categories
Government-run and Home

The Pine Creek Home, which had operated from 1931 to 1932, was reopened by the government in 1940 as a place for Aboriginal children who were being transferred from government institutions to various Missions. In late 1940, 70 children were in residence in the Home. Pine Creek Home only operated for a matter of months and closed in 1941. Records suggest that the Pine Creek Home may also have been used during 1942 as temporary accommodation for people being evacuated from the Northern Territory during World War II.

Details

In 1939 the new Native Affairs Branch, on a recommendation from the then Chief Medical Officer and Protector of Aborigines, Dr Cecil Cook, began negotiations with various religious organisations to have each denomination take charge of their own so called 'half-caste' children. When the agreement was reached many children from The Bungalow and Myilly Point Home were moved out to the Missions.

The Pine Creek Home at Pine Creek, approximately 200km south east of Darwin, had originally operated between 1931 and 1933 to accommodate children from the over-crowded Myilly Point Home for Aboriginal children who were considered at that time to be 'half-caste'. In 1940 the government reopened the Home to accommodate the Aboriginal children who were on their way from the government institutions to the various Missions. According to newspaper reports there were 70 children in residence at the Home when it was damaged by a cyclone in November 1940.

The Pine Creek Home only operated for a matter of months and closed in 1941. Records, however, suggest that the Pine Creek Home may also have been used during 1942 as temporary accommodation for people being evacuated from the Northern Territory during World War II.

Location

1940 - 1941
Location - Pine Creek Home was situated at Pine Creek. Location: Pine Creek

Related Organisations

  • The Bungalow (1914 - 1942)

    Children from The Bungalow were transferred to Pine Creek Home before being moved to various Missions in the Northern Territory

  • Myilly Point Home (1924 - 1939)

    Children from Myilly Point Home were transferred to Pine Creek Home before being moved to various Missions in the Northern Territory

  • Pine Creek Home (1931 - 1933)

    The Pine Creek Home that closed in 1933 was reopened in 1940 for temporary accommodation of Aboriginal children being moved out to various Missions

Publications

Online Resources

Photos

Half-caste home - Pine Creek, NT (1931 - 1941)
Title
Half-caste home - Pine Creek, NT (1931 - 1941)
Type
Document
Date
1931 - 1941

Details

Pine Creek Repeater Station
Title
Pine Creek Repeater Station
Type
Image
Date
August 1984
Creator
McKinnon, J
Source
Department of the Environment and Energy

Details

Pine Creek Repeater Station
Title
Pine Creek Repeater Station
Type
Image
Date
August 1984
Creator
McKinnon, J
Source
Department of the Environment and Energy

Details

Pine Creek Repeater Station
Title
Pine Creek Repeater Station
Type
Image
Date
June 2004
Creator
Baker, John
Source
Department of the Environment and Energy

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: 'CYCLONE IN NORTH', The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria), 14 November 1940, p. 4, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11325326; 'Half Caste Home at Pine Creek', Northern Standard (Darwin, Northern Territory), 9 August 1940, p. 10, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49472053; NAA: A431, 1951/1399 Garden Point (Melville Island). Review, reports etc - Northern Territory 1940-1952; NAA: A659, 1940/1/7551 Half-cast home - Pine Creek, NT 1931 - 1941.

Prepared by: Gary George and Karen George