The Mentally Retarded Persons’ Association was founded in 1963 by Harold Garner, a well known Northern Territory educationalist. The Association lobbied the Northern Territory Education Department to establish a school for children with intellectual disabilities. This school was taken over by the Education Department in 1965. The Association then opened a pre-school in 1967. Supported employment and training commenced in 1968 and the Mentally Retarded Person’s Association Hostel was opened in that same year. The pre-school closed in 1973. In 1974 the mentally Retarded Persons’ Association expanded its services to all people with disabilities and changed its name to the Handicapped Persons’ Association of the Northern Territory.