Place Names Register Extract
Hannah Court
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View in NT Atlas | Print Extract | Search Again| Name | Hannah |
|---|---|
| Type Designation | Court |
| Place Id | 6384 |
| Place Type | Road |
| Status | Registered |
| Date Registered | 31 August 1994 |
| Locality / Suburb | |
| Driver | |
| Local Government Area | |
| Palmerston City Council | |
| History/Origin | Hannah Court is named after Hannah Wood (née Inch, 1827-1903), a pioneering nurse and social reformer in the Northern Territory. Hannah Wood was born in England in 1827 to Thomas Inch and Jane Mattin. She began her nursing career in England, serving as assistant matron at Millbank Prison from 1859 to 1861. Following this, she took charge of several voyages transporting single immigrant women to Australia throughout the 1860s, receiving praise for her care and leadership on these journeys. Between trips, she worked at the Emigrants Department in Adelaide and Sunbury Industrial School near Melbourne. In December 1874, Hannah married James Wood in Melbourne. The couple soon moved north, with James arriving in the Northern Territory in September 1875 and Hannah following shortly after, just as Palmerston (now Darwin) was declared a free port. James and Hannah managed the Standard Hotel in Pine Creek for two years before moving to Palmerston. James died of dysentery in 1880, after which Hannah resumed her nursing career and became a respected figure in the community. She served as acting matron of Palmerston Hospital and was an outspoken advocate on local issues, including public health and municipal governance. Hannah was one of 82 Northern Territory women to register to vote in 1895, shortly after women gained the franchise. She survived the devastating 1897 cyclone that destroyed her home, successfully appealing to the community for help to rebuild. An accident in 1902 led to a petition by townspeople for a pension in her aid, which was ultimately denied, but demonstrated the high regard in which she was held. Despite hardships, Hannah chose to live independently in her own cottage until her death in 1903. The Northern Territory Times remembered her as "a woman of great natural intelligence" with a "strong, independent spirit", who maintained a keen interest in the welfare of the settlement throughout her life. Sources: Wood, Hannah and Inch, Hannah. Hannah Wood. Retrieved 2025, October 16, from https://hdl.handle.net/10070/243175 Carment, D. (2014, September 30). Northern Territory Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 2025, October 16, from https://dcarment.com/2014/09/30/northern-territory-dictionary-of-biography/ |
Register & Gazettal information
| Date | Gazettal | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 31/08/1994 | NTG35 |