Place Names Register Extract

Ivinson Street

Extract date: 20/04/2024

Name Ivinson
Type Designation Street
Place Id 24286
Place Type Road
Status Registered
Date Registered 6 December 2011
Locality / Suburb  
  Muirhead
Local Government Area  
  Darwin City Council
History/Origin Named in commemoration of William (Bill) Ellis Ivinson and Lorna Ivinson (nee Hunter).

Bill wanted to become a rear gunner in the RAAF but was told the RAAF in Katherine was in a mess. He was told he would be better off joining the Army and the civilians working on the Northern Australian Railway (which was under Army control during WWII). He became a railway worker and worked on repairing the 500km stretch of track between Birdum to Darwin. He was elected Union Executive and then Treasurer of the Northern Australia Workers Union. He was also involved in St Mary's Football Club in a number of positions, including President, and was the first life member of the club. In 1991, Bill and other railway workers formed a working group to gain recognition for civilians who worked the railways during WWII. In 1994, the Australian Government recognised and thanked the efforts of the railway workers during the war.

Lorna Ivinson (nee Hunter) was born in Darwin in 1924. She was granddaughter of Charles and Emily Dargie (commemorated in Dargie Road, Humpty Doo) and lived on Woolner Station with her family. When she was school aged, she moved to Stuart Park to live with her grandmother to attend school. When her parents divorced, Lorna and her siblings were placed in the care of the nuns at St Joseph's Convent in Darwin and later sent to an orphanage in Brisbane. Lorna returned to Darwin and met Bill. They married in 1946 and had 14 children. Lorna was involved in the Church whilst also maintaining the household. Over the years they lived in Stuart Park, Berrimah and Jingili.

Register & Gazettal information

Date Gazettal Comment
06/12/2011 Date added to the Register.
14/12/2011 NTG50

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Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics.
GPO Box 1680, Darwin NT 0801. Ph 08 8995 5333.
place.names@nt.gov.au

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