A small social class which started in Darwin, Australia, in 1985, became an SCD Association in 1988 and reached full Branch status in 1992. It was founded in order to establish good SCD in Darwin by Angus and Puka Henry, together with Anna Harris who remained a member until 2003.
Branch teachers are Angus and Puka Henry.
Our founding date is 9 October 1985 when, after a few earlier starts and stops, regular SCD started in Darwin with Angus volunteering to teach a weekly class for a local Scottish Association.
It soon became apparent that development of a good SCD class was incompatible with the internal politics and machinations of the organisation, and good dancers were continually lost to the class.
At the end of 1987 Anna Harris, together with Angus and Puka, reorganised the class as the independent Scottish Country Dance Society in Darwin with the sole aim of teaching and promoting good SCD in NT. The reformed group became affiliated to the RSCDS by mid 1988 and it flourished, reaching a membership of 76 by the end of 1991.
RSCDS Branch status was achieved early in 1992. Membership dropped to 25 with the resultant increase in membership fees, but steadily rose again to 46 in 1995-96. By this time the good dancing standards of the Branch were being recognised world-wide. The Branch web site was also up and running by 1995, one of the earliest SCD sites ever.
For some years from the mid 90s the Branch suffered (as most branches do from time to time!) from a very small minority who put more effort into bringing their personal animosities into class to the detriment of all rather than participating in happy SCD, but as the new millenium progressed almost all of those involved had either left or recovered and the classes had regained their former happy co-operative spirit which the great majority of members have long recognised is an integral part of good SCD - and which again is now frequently commented on by visiting dancers to the Branch, to our delight.
From early days a demonstration team was established and has performed at Government House, Mindil Market (commemorated by John Drewry in his "Australian Book"), and a wide variety of other venues and functions, including a display put on to entertain the traumatised East Timorese refugees housed in Darwin's emergency "tent city" at the height of the September 1999 refugee crisis; one of the most polite and appreciative audiences we have ever had.
By March 1996 the NT Branch website had been established, one of the first SCD pages on the Internet and which was to provide a model for others which were to follow.
During the first decade much effort went into teacher training to build up the strength and viability of the Branch, which effort was eventually rewarded in 2000-2001 by a newly qualified teacher joining the "Branch staff" and taking on 2 more regular weekly classes.
As the years pass more and more members are widening their experience by attending St Andrews Summer School, the New Zealand and Canadian (TAC) Summer Schools and the Australian Winter Schools; they get pleasure from participating in Miss Milligan's big "International Family" and the experience deepens their understanding and appreciation of what is taught to them in their isolated Branch here in Darwin.
Darwin does have disadvantages - we are VERY remote from all other SCD groups (ie. 3 000 km from the nearest). With a very mobile population, most of our members have less than 5 years experience of both SCD and of RSCDS standards, ethos and commitment. In addition, competing outdoor activities of all kinds make regular recruiting an ongoing problem - we have, however, introduced over 500 beginners to SCD in our first 15 years, mostly for the eventual benefit of distant groups or branches! And from October to March Darwin weather is hot and humid.
But the advantages! To counter the remoteness we do manage to arrange workshops by Johan MacLean, George Lawson, Robert Mackay, John Drewry, Alice Murphy, Elma See, Elma McCausland, Avis Harrison, Lesley Martin etc. when they happen to be in this quarter of the globe, as well as running 4 weekly classes for about 48 weeks a year, together with a weekly Ladies Step class run by the Teachers Group. A young population is reflected in the membership. The standard of dancing is generally very good and our beginners courses ensure that no-one is thrown in at the deep end; they also give any ex-ceilidh dancers a chance to develop sound technique. Darwin is an excellent holiday destination; AND from April to September the weather in Darwin is PERFECT!
It soon became apparent that development of a good SCD class was incompatible with the internal politics and machinations of the organisation, and good dancers were continually lost to the class.
At the end of 1987 Anna Harris, together with Angus and Puka, reorganised the class as the independent Scottish Country Dance Society in Darwin with the sole aim of teaching and promoting good SCD in NT. The reformed group became affiliated to the RSCDS by mid 1988 and it flourished, reaching a membership of 76 by the end of 1991.
RSCDS Branch status was achieved early in 1992. Membership dropped to 25 with the resultant increase in membership fees, but steadily rose again to 46 in 1995-96. By this time the good dancing standards of the Branch were being recognised world-wide. The Branch web site was also up and running by 1995, one of the earliest SCD sites ever.
For some years from the mid 90s the Branch suffered (as most branches do from time to time!) from a very small minority who put more effort into bringing their personal animosities into class to the detriment of all rather than participating in happy SCD, but as the new millenium progressed almost all of those involved had either left or recovered and the classes had regained their former happy co-operative spirit which the great majority of members have long recognised is an integral part of good SCD - and which again is now frequently commented on by visiting dancers to the Branch, to our delight.
From early days a demonstration team was established and has performed at Government House, Mindil Market (commemorated by John Drewry in his "Australian Book"), and a wide variety of other venues and functions, including a display put on to entertain the traumatised East Timorese refugees housed in Darwin's emergency "tent city" at the height of the September 1999 refugee crisis; one of the most polite and appreciative audiences we have ever had.
By March 1996 the NT Branch website had been established, one of the first SCD pages on the Internet and which was to provide a model for others which were to follow.
During the first decade much effort went into teacher training to build up the strength and viability of the Branch, which effort was eventually rewarded in 2000-2001 by a newly qualified teacher joining the "Branch staff" and taking on 2 more regular weekly classes.
As the years pass more and more members are widening their experience by attending St Andrews Summer School, the New Zealand and Canadian (TAC) Summer Schools and the Australian Winter Schools; they get pleasure from participating in Miss Milligan's big "International Family" and the experience deepens their understanding and appreciation of what is taught to them in their isolated Branch here in Darwin.
Darwin does have disadvantages - we are VERY remote from all other SCD groups (ie. 3 000 km from the nearest). With a very mobile population, most of our members have less than 5 years experience of both SCD and of RSCDS standards, ethos and commitment. In addition, competing outdoor activities of all kinds make regular recruiting an ongoing problem - we have, however, introduced over 500 beginners to SCD in our first 15 years, mostly for the eventual benefit of distant groups or branches! And from October to March Darwin weather is hot and humid.
But the advantages! To counter the remoteness we do manage to arrange workshops by Johan MacLean, George Lawson, Robert Mackay, John Drewry, Alice Murphy, Elma See, Elma McCausland, Avis Harrison, Lesley Martin etc. when they happen to be in this quarter of the globe, as well as running 4 weekly classes for about 48 weeks a year, together with a weekly Ladies Step class run by the Teachers Group. A young population is reflected in the membership. The standard of dancing is generally very good and our beginners courses ensure that no-one is thrown in at the deep end; they also give any ex-ceilidh dancers a chance to develop sound technique. Darwin is an excellent holiday destination; AND from April to September the weather in Darwin is PERFECT!
