HECTIC , UNCERTAIN TIME FOR BOXED IN IMPORTANT TERRITORY ORGANISATION.

On  the day before   Christmas , the Genealogical Society  of  the  Northern Territory (GSNT)  is  supposed to receive  100 boxes ,  200 more  on order ,  to commence  packing up  for  removal  to a new  location in Darwin, not yet definite .  It  had been  proposed to  move  GSNT  across  the  road  to  new premises  , but  that  is no longer  available . In any case, GSNT  has to be   out  of  the  present  location ,sold  off,  by January   31. 

The  latest   proposal  is  to  share half  a  building in Casuarina, Ethos House,  used  by  the  motor vehicle  registration, but  this  is  not  certain . 

 For many  decades GSNT  has  been providing  a  much used   facility  , in the  process  building  up   an invaluable  Territory  collection   of   files, books,  ephemera, producing  regular informative journals . 

Part of  the  wide ranging  reference material  includes the  personal collections  of  two  late  GSNT  members,   Vern  and Jaci O'Brien , pictured below  on a  research trip in  America .  

Vern   exhaustively  researched  the  nomenclature of  the Northern Territory . His reputation in  this  field  of  research   became  known  internationally .  It  is  said  he  was highly regarded  in  Canada  as  a  result of his  tenacious research  into  place  names  .

In  his capacity as a Northern Territory  surveyor,  in  1961 he came across  the remains of  the    Kookaburra  aircraft  which   force  landed in the  NT Tanami Desert  in 1929  and  its crew,  Keith Anderson and Bob Hitchcock , perished  from  thirst.  They had taken  part in  the search for  Sir Charles Kingsford Smith  and  his crew  in the  Southern Cross ,missing in an episode dubbed the "Coffee  Royal " incident, because of  a  suggestion  it  was  a publicity  stunt .

            

The  tragedy was depicted in the above  drawing by  Virgil , in the Little Darwin  Collection .

In the large  collection of  photographs amassed by  Vern O'Brien  , a small Territory  sample  shown below , was one  which could have  been  a  Cobb and  Co. coach  in  Victoria  and  early  interior  shots  of  houses  in  Darwin . 

Mrs  O'Brien , the subject of a post in this blog,  the granddaughter of the  fabulous   Wolfram  Queen of   the Territory , May Brown,  gathered much material  related  to  the  history of  nursing  in  the  Territory .  

It is  to be hoped that the  Territory government  gets  right behind  GSNT and  helps  clear  up  its  present  uncertain , stressful  situation . The local media  should  also   take  a  close  interest  in  this  worthwhile  organisation , full  of   ripping  yarns.