Ida Standley

After thirty years of teaching, often in one teacher schools, Ida Standley came to Stuart (later known as Alice Springs) in 1914 to open and run its first school. The only space available for the school was an empty police cell. In the same year, an Aboriginal woman called Topsy Smith came to Alice Springs from Arltunga and with her came a number of half-caste children. Initially accommodation for these children was limited to a tent but then a stone and iron hut was built to house the children. It became known as the ?Bungalow'. Due to Government policy of separating half-caste children from their families, many more children came to live at the Bungalow. Ida Standley accepted the position of matron and along with Topsy Smith, they cared for and protected many children. For many years Ida taught the white children from 8.30 am to 1pm and the part Aboriginal children from 3pm to 4.30pm. After 15 years of teaching in Alice Springs, Ida Standley retired due to ill health in 1929. She was 60 years old. Source: Northern Territory dictionary of biography. Darwin : Charles Darwin University Press, 2008.Teache