Hartley Street School Museum shuts due to volunteers feeling unsafe in Alice Springs CBD

A museum right in the heart of Alice Springs that shut its doors for four days – citing volunteer safety concerns as the primary reason – is set to reopen.

The Hartley Street School Museum in Alice Springs has been shut for the last four days due to concerns about volunteer safety. Picture: Gera Kazakov

The co-ordinator of a volunteer-run museum located right in the heart of the Red Centre capital says it is a “real let-down” that violence in the town’s CBD forced him to close the museum doors in order to keep volunteers in the centre safe.

The Hartley Street School Museum, located right in the heart of Alice Springs, was shut on Friday July 12, by museum co-ordinator Joel Crawford, who cited museum volunteers feeling unsafe as the reasoning behind his decision.

“It was not safe for many of my volunteers who are in their 60s, 70s and 80s to open by themselves,” he said.

“Hartley Street started to become very unsettling with many altercations becoming very unpleasant.

“I have called the police in the past when such outbreaks get very serious and sometimes weapons are in hands.”

Mr Crawford said while they were accustomed to violence in the CBD and around the school, the events of last week were different.

“I had on the weekend, last week – same day Woolies and Coles had to close due to such bad dangerous violent behaviour – three women coming into the building demanding hand sanitiser and another couple in which one very scared woman ran into the school looking for shelter and safety from her well and truly angry and intoxicated boyfriend or husband who followed in with her,” he said.

A sign at the The Hartley Street School Museum in Alice Springs. Picture: Gera Kazakov

“Though I am the Hartley Street School museum co-ordinator, I also do a heap of volunteer shifts myself as I cover around five to eight shifts a week due to extreme volunteer shortages.”

However, after a four-day hiatus, the museum will reopen on 10.30am on Tuesday, July 16, but with a caveat: any violence near the building will see it shut again.

“I believe in the future, better assistance, planning and effort need to be put in place to ensure the safety of the people of the community when large groups of people come into town,” he said.

“Safety of those who volunteer their time must come first though, and that is what we have done.

“Having to shut our wonderful heritage school museum down for days is a real let down for the entire community of Alice Springs, especially during the middle of tourist season.”

The Hartley Street School Museum is the site of the first official school buildings in Alice Springs.

The oldest buildings on the site date back to 1929, with an additional kindergarten constructed on the site in 1945.

A Northern Territory Police spokesperson said: “NT Police members proactively patrol Alice Springs throughout the day and night. We urge anyone who witnesses crime or antisocial behaviour to contact 131 444, or 000 in an emergency.”

Originally published as Hartley Street School Museum shuts due to volunteers feeling unsafe in Alice Springs CBD