Scouting in the Northern Territory

infobox WorldScouting

---

caption = Scouts Australia Logo
name = Scouts Australia
headquarters =
country = Australia
f-date = 1908
founder = Lord Baden Powell
members = 84 000 [ [http://www.apr.scout.or.jp/countries/australia.htm WOSM Asia-Pacific Region] Accessed 14 December, 2006 ]
chiefscout = Michael Jeffery [http://www.scouts.com.au/main.asp?iStoryID=734 Chief Scout] Accessed, 14 December 2006 ]

Scouting in the Northern Territory is predominantly represented by the Branch of Scouts Australia covering the Northern Territory.

History

Scouting started in Darwin in 1928, with the formation of the first Darwin Group under the command of Captain Len Samut. At that time it was controlled from New South Wales, but control passed to Queensland in 1929. The first group was formed in Alice Springs in 1936, but there are suggestions that Scouting had been operating there since 1923. The first Group to be formed in Tennant Creek was in 1941, and the first group to be formed in Katherine was in 1957, giving the Movement a presence in the main Territory towns. Control was passed from Queensland to South Australia in 1955. At that time, Scouting had not fully recovered from the Second World War and only two troops, 2nd Darwin and 1st Alice Springs, were operating.

Details with a photograph in the Chinese-Australian Historical Images in Australia (CHIA) database states that the 2nd Darwin Scout Troop was established by Jo Ruddict in 1938 and that the 1st Scout Troop finished in 1931. [ [http://www.chia.chinesemuseum.com.au/objects/D003031.htm Chinese-Australian Historical Images] Accessed 28 Hanuary 2007 ]

An official Northern Territory Area was formed in 1973, but records were destroyed by Cyclone Tracy in 1974. On 1st April 1989, the Northern Territory become a Branch and the Administrator, Commodore Eric Johnston was sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Northern Territory, Justice Asche, as the Chief Scout of the NT. The Northern Territory Administrator has continued to be the Chief Scout of the Branch.

Current situation

There are now Groups in Darwin (Darwin Sea Scouts) and its Northern Suburbs (Alawa and Sanderson), Berrimah, Palmerston, Howard Springs, Humpty Doo, Katherine, Nhulunbuy, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. There is a campsite owned by the Branch at Curragundi near Darwin River. Two accommodation buildings on the site were destroyed by bush fires in 2000. [ [http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/services_policy/public/sigwxsum/sigw0900.shtml Bureau of Meteorology Report] Accessed 28 January 2007 ] The Chief Commissioner is Chris Doidge.

ee also

*Baden-Powell Scouts' Association

References

External links

* [http://www.nt.scouts.com.au/index.htm NT Branch web site]