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This week in 1912, a young woman in Darwin became a hero. Originally from Borroloola, Cissy McLeod was fostered as a child by Captain Frederick Mugg and his wife Mary. On a dark January evening, they were farewelling a friend on board the SS Guthrie when Mary fell off a jetty into the strong currents of Darwin Harbour. Aged just 13, Cissy jumped in the water, keeping Mary afloat until help came. Word of her bravery spread throughout Australia and a year later, in front of a crowd at Palmerston Town Hall (pictured), she was awarded a bronze medal from the Royal Humane Society. At the ceremony it was stated that "it was no light thing for this child without a moment's hesitation ... to leap down into a sea known to be alive with sharks and alligators, to help one she loved".


Image: Jean A. Austin Collection, Northern Territory Library


Published: 13 January 2019

Forgotten Territory was a weekly photo column of historic images in the Northern Territory News which I curated from 2016 until 2019 supported by the collections of the Northern Territory Library and other cultural institutions around Australia, as well as local history Facebook groups. 

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Click on the images to read the story behind the image.

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Warning: May contain images of people who have died.

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