Retta Dixon Home

The Retta Dixon Home was established by the Australian Indigenous Ministries (AIM) at Bagot Aboriginal Reserve, north of Darwin in 1946. The Australian Indigenous Ministries is an interdenominational Christian organisation that provides ministries to indigenous people in Australia. The organisation was started in 1905 as the Aborigines Inland Mission of Australia (AIM), changing its name in 1998 to its current name. The Home operated until 1980 as a residence/institution for the maintenance, custody and care of Aboriginal and half-caste children and mothers, and a hostel for young Aboriginal women.

Commonwealth Government Involvement and Responsibility

While the Home was run by a non-government organisation and the home was under the direction of a superintendent who was not a Commonwealth employee, the Commonwealth Government was however, quite involved during its existence in the management of the Home through the following:

  • in the placement of many residents at the Home who are now considered to be part of the Stolen Generation;

  • in the appointment of the superintendent and the training of staff at the Home;

  • in the development of corporal punishment policies at the Home; and

  • in the monitoring and reporting on the activities of AIM at the Home.

Royal Commission Findings

In 2015, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found that child sexual abuse had been prevalent during the operation of the Home by AIM. The sexual abuse included allegations of rape, sexual touching and brutal physical assaults. Witnesses who gave evidence at the Royal Commission named the perpetrators as former house parents Mr Desmond Walter, Mr George Pounder, Miss Judy Fergusson and Mr Donald Henderson. Another perpetrator included Mr Reginald Powell, another former house parent, who in 1966 pleaded guilty to sexual offences against children at the home.

Subsequently, the Royal Commission published its findings in Case Study No. 17 – “The response of the Australian Indigenous Ministries, the Australian and Northern Territory governments and the Northern Territory police force and prosecuting authorities to allegations of child sexual abuse which occurred at the Retta Dixon Home.” In short, the Royal Commission reported the following:

  • that before 2013, AIM accepted that it did not have any guidelines or procedures for persons working with children on how to respond to allegations of child sexual abuse;

  • that during the operation of the Home between from 1947 until 1980, AIM did not provide training to persons who worked at the home on how to detect or respond to child sexual abuse;

  • AIM did not meet the obligations that it had to children in its care, including protection from sexual abuse; and

  • However, there were doubts as to whether or not the Commonwealth failed in its duty of care to the children of the Home. It remained as to whether in the circumstances the Commonwealth should have taken remedial action to protect the residents of the home from sexual abuse.

We invite former victims at the Retta Dixon Home to tell us confidentially what information they may have, and we will explain what options are available to help with these cases.

Call us or complete the confidential enquiry form below.