Retta Dixon & Amelia ShankletonPrint Page 
The plaque was erected in memory of two missionaries, Retta Dixon and Amelia Shankleton who worked at the Retta Dixon Home which was an institution for Aboriginal girls.
Miss Retta Dixon took up the ministry in 1896. By 1899 work had spread to four other centres and the New South Wales Aborigines Mission was formed. In 1905 Retta Dixon moved to the Singleton district in the Hunter Valley, where a local committee formed the Aborigines Inland Mission (A. I. M.) of Australia. Opportunities for ministry and numbers of workers expanded rapidly and AIM was soon reaching out to many parts of New South Wales. By 1909 Retta Dixon had married Leonard Long and, following a survey of the needs, the Australian Inland Mission had commenced work in Queensland, with a centre established at Herberton in the far north. During the 1930s AIM began work in the "Top End" of the Northern Territory.
The Retta Dixon Home was established at Karu Park by Retta Dixon and her husband Leonard Long after World War Two.
Location
| Address: | Bagot & Totem Roads, Karu Park, Coconut Grove, 0810 |
|---|---|
| State: | NT |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -12.402778 Long: 130.855556 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Religion |
Dedication
In memory of
RETTA DIXON
who in 1905 established the Aboriginal Inland Mission in N.S.W.
and of the children who lived on this site in the
children`s home named after her 1961 - 1980. The home was
devastated by Cyclone Tracy in 1974 and closed in 1980.
And in memory of
AMELIA SHANKLETON
who as a missionary joined the A. I. M. in N.S.W. and worked at
Chernbourg, Kahlin, Balaklava S. A.., and at Bagot.
She assisted in the supervision of the Retta Dixon Home on
this site from its opening in December 1961 until its
closure in 1980. She died in 1990 and is buried at the
Darwin General Cemetery.
