Tennant Barkly Patrol

Tennant Creek, Northern Territory

The base for the patrol is Tennant Creek which is situated in the middle of the Northern Territory . The patrol extends from 100 kms south of Tennant Creek, north to Mataranka, west to Wave Hill on the edge of the Tanami Desert and east to the Gulf of Carpentaria on the coast. This patrol is approximately 600,000 square kilometres, the equivalent to three times the size of Victoria or ten times the size of Tasmania .

There are about 120 pastoral homesteads, most stations producing beef cattle for the Asian markets. There are also a number of Aboriginal communities who own and manage their stations. It is estimated that Pastoral Companies own a majority of the pastoral stations and have appointed managers to run them.

The patrol started in 1915 with the first patrol padre to be appointed being the Revd K Beckett. There are stations within the patrol bounds that are extremely remote and difficult to reach.

Many pastoral stations are struggling with financial difficulties as a result of the downturn in commodity prices. As people in these remote stations deal with a range of issues affecting them, the Patrol Minister seeks to bring pastoral support, encouragement and the hope of the gospel. He attempts to visit everyone in the area on a regular basis regardless of cultural background or creed.

There is a small, faithful congregation in Tennant Creek and the Pilgrim Presbytery has recently appointed a ½ time minister. Reverend Elizabeth Warschauer is the congregational minister and her husband, Reverend John Flaherty is the full-time patrol minister, but they will undertake some work together.