Palmerston House

Palmerston House was established in Darwin by the government in July 1963 as a Receiving Home for adolescent girls from the temporary Adolescent Receiving Home. In 1963 it accommodated seven girls, 5 of whom were State Children between 13 and 17 years old. During 1967-68 111 girls were accommodated at Palmerston House. Palmerston House moved to a new location in 1972 in the former Central Training Establishment building and closed in 1975.

Palmerston House was established at Myilly Point in July 1963 as a Receiving Home for adolescent girls. The girls were moved to this new location from a temporary Home known as the Adolescent Receiving Home which had been operating in Mitchell Street, Darwin. Palmerston House often took in up to 28 girls who remained there for varying lengths of time.

Adolescent girls had initially been placed with younger children in the Receiving Home in Mitchell Street, Darwin. When Dundas House was built as a Receiving Home for younger children, the older children remained for a short time in the original home before being moved to another former departmental residence in the same street as a temporary measure. They remained there until 1963 when they were moved to a larger premises on the corner of Kahlin Avenue and Temira Crescent. This residence, formerly the home of a magistrate, became known as Palmerston House in July 1963.

A memo written by the Assistant Director of Welfare in October 1963 noted that Palmerston House was Home to seven girls. Five of these were ‘State Children’ aged between 13 and 17. They had already been resident in the Home for a long period of time and were expected to remain there until after they turned 18. The two other girls were referred to as ‘non-paying boarders’. The Assistant Director commented that this situation showed that:

this institution bears no relation to its original purpose as a temporary receiving home for neglected or delinquent adolescent girls.

In an NT Administration report from 1967-68 it states that 111 girls were accommodated at Palmerston House during that financial year.

Palmerston House moved to a new location in 1972 in former the Central Training Establishment Building and the building at Myilly Point became Tambling House. Palmerston House at the new location closed in 1975.