St Mary’s, south of The Gap, is where many locals spent part of their youth. They have fond memories of the Children’s Village. When it became known in 2022 that the Anglican Church is going to sell the land, with the deal’s details withheld from the public (see story links at the bottom of this page), former residents made impassioned pleas for their former home’s history to be preserved in a dignified way. When historian and writer ALEX NELSON last weekend visited the site, now reportedly owned by the NT Government, he found it in a derelict and vandalised state and at risk of destruction in a major fire.
Tall, dry buffel grass inside the boundary fence is dominating the property, growing hard up against the walls of buildings.
Well over a year ago, St Mary’s was vacated and put up for sale by the Anglican Diocese.
The real estate “for sale” signs have long vanished, the property (apparently) purchased by the Northern Territory Government.
Both parties, as the Alice Springs News has reported, remain studiously silent on how much St Mary’s was sold for and what exactly the government’s intentions are for the property.
Whatever, St Mary’s is now effectively abandoned and increasingly derelict – it’s a ghost town.
Last weekend I decided to take a closer look. My immediate concern was the extent of the completely unmanaged grass cover smothering much of the property and posing a major fire hazard.
My worst fears were realised – St Mary’s is a time bomb.
Internal road and tracks may serve as fire breaks but will be insufficient if a wildfire ignites in the dense metre-high dry grass, especially on a windy day.
Augmenting the hazard are numerous pepper trees (pictured), their green leafy canopies full of volatile oils that can erupt like napalm. (By the same token, pepper tree timber is excellent firewood!).
There are no fire breaks inside the boundary fences facing the Stuart Highway, Mt Blatherskite, and the Todd River.
There is no active management of St Mary’s at all.
Despite all the buildings’ doors and windows either padlocked and/or boarded over with plywood panels, nearly all have been broken into and vandalised.
This includes a building nearest the highway with asbestos contamination signage.
Windows are smashed and fixtures have been ripped from the walls.
There is no-one and nothing to prevent trespassers at St Mary’s.
The low front fence facing the highway, although repaired and gated, is no impediment.
Equally so, the high fence facing Mt Blatherskite boasts a large hole torn through the wire netting at one spot and an entire panel flattened by vehicles a bit further along.
Judging by the deteriorated chairs and furniture dumped by the major fence line breach, it’s obvious the boundary hasn’t been inspected for years.
Significantly, St Mary’s Chapel is unaffected, with intruders appearing to show some respect to leave it alone. There is, of course, no guarantee this will continue.
St Mary’s Chapel is home to the renowned heritage-listed Robert Czako mural, long championed by centenarian Jose Petrick and painstakingly restored with the aid of volunteers (including myself) in 2021.
Reportedly, the Minister for Art, Culture and Heritage, Chansey Paech, has nominated the chapel itself for heritage listing.
I’ve no idea where that’s at but it’s a moot point if St Mary’s continues to remain effectively abandoned.
I know from recent first-hand experience what I’m describing.
It’s just over seven months ago a wildfire swept over much of near-by Pitchi Richi, where I live, narrowly averting destruction of major assets and directly threatened neighbouring properties.
Luck was on my side – it wasn’t windy and there were no other fires that day, but it took virtually every available fire-fighting appliance (including a water bomber) to bring the blaze under control over a 3.6 hectare property.
Importantly, as the resident caretaker, I was on hand when the fire erupted and raised the alarm in sufficient time to prevent a major catastrophe.
St Mary’s has no-one looking after it and is an eight hectare property at extreme risk of destruction.
Given St Mary’s is acquired by the Territory government, it is now a publicly owned property and all its buildings and infrastructure are public assets.
As the property owner, the government is obliged under the NT Heritage Act to ensure the protection of the Robert Czako mural.
As the property owner, the government is obliged to ensure reasonable management is taken to mitigate the fire hazard posed by the tall rank grass dominating the site, including provision of fire breaks.
As things stand at present, St Mary’s is suffering from “demolition by neglect” a concept well understood in the building and property sectors.
St Mary’s is a place of immense local historical and cultural significance but is now in an appalling state.
The degradation of St Mary’s is in full view of the south Stuart Highway where thousands of people pass by every day.
Now that the election campaign is in full swing, the NT Government is in caretaker mode.
There needs to be urgent caretaking of the long cherished institution before inevitably it becomes too late to do so.
EARLIER REPORTS
St Mary’s sale: Anglican Church asked to give guarantees
St Mary’s sale: Time for the church to comment, says former Anglicare NT manager
Aboriginal organisations must cough up: St Mary’s supporters
Anglican Diocese: Silent night on St Mary’s sale – Alice Springs News
St Mary’s just a piece of real estate for Anglican Church?
Chansey Paech silent on what he told the ALP about St Mary’s
My heart breaks, this is an absolute disgrace. St Mary’s was a shining beacon of Care and Love.
Parties responsible should hang their head in shame.
A shocking situation for this historical public asset. It should never have reached this level of neglect.
I assume this matter has been reported to the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service?
There were so many constructive uses that could have been done there. As a former chair, I tried on many occasions to talk to Darwin, and was only looking a day or so ago at the recent response from the Bishop. It had a $ sign in both eyes.
In the 80s the board in Darwin was dominated by members with real estate only interests and thoughts. It was sad that with a little thought the site could have sustained the whole diocese.
There was a proposition put up for a church based youth camp for Christian students to do their cultural/outdoor ED training along the lines of Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop.
The market survey that I did interstate was very positive but the Darwin people saw only real estate $. Paul Everingham, Milton Blanch and I discussed possibilities and we all thought it possible but again nothing happened. Another possibility was a care village along the lines of where my mother lived in SA.
It was a brilliant concept through the Masonic movement where aged people purchased a 2 BR unit and when they no longer had a need, the unit was re valued, the original purchase price was repaid to the occupant/estate and the excess was put into trust to build more aged care units.
That is still running very successfully after 60 years. That did not sit well with the real estate industry of course – no commissions on sales. It could have been the aged care facility that we so badly need and a financial boon for the church.
But as is so much of the thinking here, bound in by Darwin interests. Maybe the incoming government of either thinking could look at that concept again as the need is urgent.
I wrote to the three Candidates for Namatjira – Blair McFarland, Bill Yan and Sherlaee Taylor to share my concern this report on the condition of the St Mary’s site, which poses many risks to the heritage Chapel and other important locations which are so important to the former residents.
Blair was the only person to respond. He said:
Hi Mark,
Your grandfather and family have made a substantial contribution to the Alice. Restoring those historic premises make more sense than the $24 million Art Centre, which seems to be happening despite the priorities of local people.
If I am elected, let’s talk about how to make it happen.
Best wishes
Blair McFarland