Somerville Homes came into existence in 1965. The homes were named in honour of Margaret Somerville MBE who helped evacuate 95 children from Croker Island to Sydney in 1942 and who returned to Croker Island with the children after the war and continued as a house mother and care giver until 1965. A book entitled "They Crossed A Continent", the story of Margaret Somerville's epic journey, will tell you how it all began. As government and social philosophies changed, these houses became homes for the profoundly disabled. In 1980, with expanded community services, Somerville Homes became Somerville Community Services Incorporated Somerville Community Services Inc is a non-government, not for profit, youth, family and community welfare organisation indigenous to the Northern Territory. We maintain strong constitutional links with the Uniting Church in Australia but we are governed by an independent and professional Board of Directors, ensuring that the organisation has the capacity to respond to the needs of people whatever their circumstances. Somerville recognises that being disadvantaged in a modern Western society is a condition relative to general living standards. We give priority to advocacy and improving the resources of people who are uninformed or ill-informed about community services and opportunities which may improve their circumstances. Somerville supports actions aimed at creating increased opportunities for people to become personally involved in a sharing and caring society. We promote opportunities for church and other local voluntary organisations to play a more effective part in meeting the needs of the community. Somerville monitors and evaluates its own service programs, adapting them to changing community needs and circumstances. We also monitor Federal and Territory programs affecting community and the way services and funding affect the position of individuals, couples and families in community. The organisation is financed by public donations, church and service club grants, business support, government grants, sponsorship and the organisation fundraising activities. Rev. Gordon J Symons, upper body photo of middle-aged man in white shirt and tie.Rev. Gordon Symons; Somerville Homes, Darwin. New Spectator (12 September 1972) p1rev. gordon symons; somerville christian homes