Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Lockhart River Mission (Qld.)
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Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1924-1970
History
The Lockhart River Mission was established by the Church of England in 1924 on Cape York Peninsula. It operated as a dormitory-based system to house and educate Aboriginal children. It was originally situated at Orchid Point near the Lockhart River but in 1925 was relocated to Bare Hill, Lockhart River estuary South of Cape Direction. It remained in this location until its final closure.
A girls' dormitory was created in 1930 but was temporarily closed in 1938 due to concerns about inadequate care. Additional sleeping accommodation was added to the girls' dormitory later that year. The Mission was closed for six months in 1942 during the Second World War, with residents encouraged to leave the area temporarily until threat levels subsided. Infrastructure developments continued post-war, including the opening of a boys' quarters in 1947 and a children's community centre in 1955, which marked the gradual decline of the dormitory system.
In 1967, control of the Mission was transferred to the Queensland Government, with the three remaining children discharged into the care of their families. The Mission technically continued to to exist but was in decline under government management. Efforts to relocate the Mission to other far north Queensland locations were unsuccessful. Ultimately, in 1970, residents moved to a new site slightly north of the original Mission and became known as the Lockhart River community, no longer under a mission structure. The Mission as an institution ceased to exist. In 1987, the Lockhart River community received a Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT), giving them formal land tenure administered by locally elected councillors.
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Status
Level of detail
Minimal
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Created, Kymberley Doyle, 07-Jul-2025.
Language(s)
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Sources
'Lockhart River Mission', Find and Connect website, accessed online 07-Jul-2025.