Our foundation date is 2 October 1985 when, after a few earlier starts and stops, a regular SCD class was started in Darwin in conjunction with a small Scottish "ethnic" group, and taught by the only experienced SCD teacher in Darwin. By unanimous agreement of its members the class was taught to RSCDS standards rather than just as a "Saturday Night Hop".

After a couple of years of financial problems, increasing interference, and then formal complaints (from some who were only wanting the dance class as a recruitment window) that learning one new dance every six weeks was too demanding while good and keen dancers were being driven away, it was agreed to have two weekly classes, one for those who wished to socialise with the occasional dance while the other would carry on with the original aims and standards for those who wanted to dance.

Support for the original dance class, including insurance, hall hire, equipment, etc was abruptly terminated without notice in January 1988 by the group, with only eight days to go before the start of the new year's dancing in a new venue. The class with its very few remaining members had to very quickly reorganise and establish itself as a legal entity in order to continue delivery of the original provision of SCD for Darwin, but by April 1988 the new Scottish Country Dancing Association of Darwin Inc had become an Affiliated Group of the RSCDS, as a pledge to maintain our support for the work of the Society.

After a very difficult first year the new organisation rapidly grew, establishing an excellent international reputation for its dancing, teaching, and sociability. Membership was increasing at over 20% per annum, reaching 76 by 1991 with full RSCDS Branch status by 1992; funds of almost $11 700 by 1996; four well-attended Assemblies per year; a demonstration team; several SCD teachers being thoroughly trained within the branch; regular subsidised beginners courses being run to train new dancers as previously there was no skilled SCD base in Darwin; and an enthusiastic and participating membership. All SCD dancing in Darwin was brought together within the Branch, offering all its members high standards of training, optional classes and access to visiting teachers and musicians; and good company. The teachers had established a fully functional Branch website by 1995, one of the earliest, if not the earliest, SCD sites ever, and organised the installation of a sprung wooden floor in the hall, funded equally by the NT Government and Darwin City Council.

Funding arrangements were fully established to adequately provide for such necessities as the subsidising of the beginners classes, insurance, looking after visiting teachers and or musicians, and the provision of audio hardware, etc; 3 sets were regularly dancing at two weekly classes, and 7-couple and 5-couple dances were frequently on the programs which were planned over the long term to introduce dancers to interesting new dances as well as working back through the RSCDS repertoire and other old dances not often encountered now.
The RSCDS were very supportive in return for our undertaking to maintain high RSCDS standards, providing 3 teaching scholarships and very complimentary reports on our standards during this development period.

In multicultural Darwin there was no strong Scottish community support for their own culture, what there was being limited to attendance at the odd doubtful Burns' Supper or St Andrews Day party, but the Branch prospered on the basis of providing splendid music, lively, interesting and challenging dances and excellent and careful teaching to the wide range of other nationalities who joined; there were never more than four Scots on the membership list at any one time.
The membership had also established happy and courteous standards of class behaviour, welcoming visitors and newcomers, and helping set up and clean the hall, avoiding cliques by mixing well with all others, and working well as a team.

In the early to mid 1990s a couple of new members, within a year or two of completing the Beginners Course, intruded evidently severe personal stresses from their private lives into the Branch, causing long-lasting social divisions and an ensuing rapid drop in morale and eventually membership -- from 76 to 21 in eighteen months. Underhand politics, manipulation and misrepresentation within the Branch, interstate and overseas ensured that soon classes and beginners courses were slowly losing money as membership and attendance dropped, and enthusiasm and the previous standards of friendly co-operation sank. A new social dance class was opened in response to members requests as soon as a newly certificated Branch teacher became available, but that class too was sabotaged by the same troubled members starting up an outside class a fortnight before, which though not enduring was sufficient to destroy the new teacher's class. The same "group(s)" under different names appeared several times over the ensuing years; no experienced and competent dancers were enticed from the Branch but unsure beginners, and also members of a new children's class and their parents, being offered "fun" on the cheap without having to pay any RSCDS Branch membership fees, coupled with the spreading of misinformation about the Branch (some of which reached Coates Crescent until H/Q advised the perpetrators to desist and the Branch to keep a record of their activities) and the manipulation of members and parents, was sufficient to break down the SCD community in Darwin into nonviable numbers and ensure that without a loyal and supportive community the growth and previous strength of the Branch could not be maintained.

By the early 2000s numbers were continuing to drop and funds built up in earlier years were being depleted, subsidising small classes and small beginners courses. New dancers were not being recruited by members, although formerly word of mouth was the most effective mode of recruitment. Apart from a continuing small core of dedicated dancers, other newer members without previous contact with or experience of SCD courtesies and procedures frequently came late, left early, or did not turn up at all, making lesson planning almost impossible in the long term and placing extra demands on the few regulars and their teachers. The number of members willing to take on Committee membership to run the Branch evaporated, and by 2006 it was obvious that unless the old co-operation and drive from all members was restored the Branch was not going to be able to last much longer. The destruction from within was almost complete by 2008, and hence the AGM decision in October 2009 to wind up the Branch.

It is noted with great regret that SCD and the group flourished and developed continuously during its formative years, but within months of becoming a Branch this process went into steady and irreversible decline due to the behaviour of a tiny minority of later members which had not contributed to the development of the original group.
In November 2009 the Teachers Group therefore reformed as the Scottish Country Dance Society Inc, to continue to provide RSCDS-standard dancing for as long as there remains sufficient interest in Darwin. By taking us back to the situation pertaining in the early 90s this will hopefully enable the original co-operation and community spirit to re-kindle among likeminded members wishing to continue as things could have, and should have, been.
Emphasis is once more to be placed on commitment and learning instead of merely using the facility as a casual drop-in centre; on friendly and courteous social mixing rather than the intrusion and maintenance of cliques; and on all co-operating for the benefit of all.

New members are assured of a warm welcome; come and help us grow again!

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