Clarke Crescent Cottage opened in 1971 in the Darwin suburb of Rapid Creek. It was one of six family group homes known as Somerville Cottage Homes. The Homes were run by Somerville Homes Incorporated, an association established by the United Church in Northern Australian and the Methodist Overseas Mission. Clarke Crescent Cottage provided care for up to eight children, both Aboriginal and non Aboriginal, aged between 4 and 16 years under the supervision of cottage parents.
The other Somerville Cottage Homes were located in Chapman Road, Trower Road and Fox Crescent in Rapid Creek and Henry Street and Luxton Street in Stuart Park.
In an early pamphlet, Clarke Crescent cottage was also referred to as Seaview Cottage, carrying on the name of one of the cottages on Croker Island, from where many of the first children in Somerville Cottage Homes came. This name appears to have been used rarely as all of the Cottages were regularly referred to by their street addresses.
Clarke Crescent Cottage was damaged by Cyclone Tracy in December 1974 and therefore closed as a cottage for children. No children were present at the time of the cyclone as all were on holiday placements interstate. The building was repaired and in 1975 and operated as a family group home until 1981.
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Last updated:
07 November 2018
Cite this: http://www.findandconnect.gov.au/guide/nt/YE00239
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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