Kahlin Compound was an institution for part-

Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...

people in Darwin in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

of Australia between 1913 and 1939. After 1924, "

half-caste Half-caste (an offensive term for the offspring of parents of different racial groups or cultures) is a term used for individuals of multiracial descent. It is derived from the term ''caste'', which comes from the Latin ''castus'', meaning pu ...

" children were separated from their parents and other adults and moved to an institution at Myilly Point.

History

In 1913 the Northern Territory

Protector of Aborigines The role of Protector of Aborigines was first established in South Australia in 1836. The role became established in other parts of Australia pursuant to a recommendation contained in the ''Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Abori ...

, anthropologist

Walter Baldwin Spencer Sir Walter Baldwin Spencer (23 June 1860 – 14 July 1929), commonly referred to as Baldwin Spencer, was a British-Australian evolutionary biologist, anthropologist and ethnologist. He is known for his fieldwork with Aboriginal peoples in ...

decided to solve what he called the "

problem" by rounding up hundreds of Aboriginal children and removing them from the "native camp". The Kahlin Compound and Half Caste Home was established on Lambell Terrace at Myilly Point, overlooking

Mindil Beach Mindil Beach is a beach in the Northern Territory of Australia, located in the suburb of The Gardens, Northern Territory, The Gardens, near Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin's central business district. Mindil Beach holds the Mindil Beach Suns ...

in Darwin. Spencer envisaged that the compound would be self-sufficient, providing housing, schooling and domestic training for each Aboriginal family. The whole compound was to be fenced with access for Aboriginal people and Departmental officials only. A 1923

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

parliamentary inquiry headed by the South Australian Senator

John Newland John Newland (November 23, 1917 – January 10, 2000) was an American director, actor, television producer, and screenwriter. Early life and career Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Newland began his career in vaudeville while still in his teens. Aft ...

included an investigation of conditions at the Compound. Newland recommended that it be moved to a site further from the town, but this did not happen (perhaps because the residents were a source of cheap labour). A subsequent inquiry appointed by the NT Administrator also recommended the establishment of a new compound be established and also that "half-caste" children should be separated from adults, in a separate institution where they could be disciplined and integrated into the

hite Hite or HITE may refer to: *HiteJinro, a South Korean brewery **Hite Brewery *Hite (surname) *Hite, California, former name of Hite Cove, California *Hite, Utah, a ghost town * HITE, an industrial estate in Pakistan See also *''Hite v. Fairfax ...

community. The new "Half-Caste Home" was opened at Myilly Point in 1924, and most of the Kahlin children were moved there. The compound was damaged in the 1937 cyclone. All residents were moved to the new

Bagot Aboriginal Reserve Bagot Community is an Australian Aboriginal, Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory of Australia located in Ludmilla, Northern Territory, Ludmilla, a northern suburb of the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin. It was established ...

in 1938. The Kahlin Compound closed in 1939 and was revoked as an Aboriginal Reserve on 3 July 1940.

Re-use of site

The site was used as an emergency hospital during a

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...

outbreak in 1940, with patients housed in tents. It then became part of the permanent

Darwin Hospital The Darwin Hospital was a former hospital that was located at Myilly Point in Larrakeyah, an inner suburb of Darwin, Northern Territory in Australia. It was the second public hospital to be built in the city, replacing a facility that had origina ...

grounds from 1942 until the hospital was demolished in the 1990s. An attempt made in 2003 to have the site listed on the

Northern Territory Heritage Register The Northern Territory Heritage Register is a heritage register, being a statutory list of places in the Northern Territory of Australia that are protected by the Northern Territory statute, the ''Heritage Act 2011''. The register is maintained b ...

as recognition of its cultural history was unsuccessful. In February 2017, the

Northern Territory Government The Government of the Northern Territory of Australia, also referred to as the Northern Territory Government, is the Australian territorial democratic administrative authority of the Northern Territory. The Government of Northern Territory wa ...

announced that a new $50 million museum would be built on the site, recognising both the hospital and in particular, the significance of the Kahlin Compound as part of Territory's multicultural heritage. In October of that year, the site was found to be contaminated with

asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...

, requiring additional remediation works. The expensive museum proposal proved unpopular with the community, and the plans were abandoned in 2018. Removal of asbestos from the site was completed by 2021, with the area landscaped and opened as a public park including a large children's playground, skate park and basketball court.

Commentary

The rounding up and deporting of Aboriginal people to such compounds across Australia has been described as a

crime against humanity Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the c ...

References

{{reflist, 30em Buildings and structures in Darwin, Northern Territory Stolen Generations institutions