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Casa Services

Alice Springs’ trusted local disability pioneer

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Our Story

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The early days of Casa Services in Alice Springs

‘We help people flourish every day.‘

The story of Casa is a classic tale of ‘from little things, big things grow.’

Casa’s name has its origins as Central Australian Supported Accommodation.

Formed by a small group of Alice Springs citizens in the 1970s, Casa and its parent company, Bindi, were trailblazers in the creation of supported jobs and housing. It was the first in Northern Territory to set up a group home for adults with disability, 40+ years ago.

Community participation was key.

In this, they were way ahead of their time.

In 1970s/80s Australia, it was common for people with disability to be shunned and even removed from society.

Parents of children with disabilities were urged to send their children (who became adults) to live in institutions, far from their families and communities.

The Casa pioneers demanded a new way: equal human rights. People, regardless of ability, should have the same right to work, housing, happiness and social inclusion.

This was a radical concept. To make change, they had to fight unconscious bias, bureaucracy, and work for little or no pay to forge new services from the ground up.

Casa opened Northern Territory’s first group home for adults with disability at 84 Hartley St, Alice Springs in 1980. Its ethos was (and still is) for supported accommodation to be part of the community, not separate from it.

Casa won massive local support in its battle for these basic human rights. Its vision and action changed people’s everyday lives and people’s minds.

With the support of volunteers, Casa gave Central Australian adults with disability access for the first time to supported housing, employment and community activities. Cabinet-making, tourism souvenirs, music, singing, screen printing, a bicycle repair shop, a sheet-metal workshop, dining out, concerts, bush trips, dancing, bowling and baking were just some of the jobs and activities that Bindi and Casa created.

Hartley Street House Co-ordinator Virginia Quin and residents dining out in style, circa 1981. Photo from Bindi Archives
Hartley Street House Co-ordinator Virginia Quin and residents dining out in style, circa 1981. Photo from Bindi Archives.
Dressing up for a good night out. Christina Sarkenen, Vince Pedersen, Wendy Lamble & Vaughn Halsey. Photos from Bindi Archives.
Dressing up for a good night out. Christina Sarkenen, Vince Pedersen, Wendy Lamble & Vaughn Halsey. Photos from Bindi Archives.

From these grassroots beginnings, Casa has grown into a large professional provider of quality care for adults with disability, with 15 Supported Independent Living (SIL) houses and about 200 employees.

Supported housing remains Casa’s core business.

In recent years, Casa has expanded into day programs of art, cookery, sport and leisure activities; community access/social support; in-home care, and NDIS Plan Management.

70% of Casa’s clientele are First Nations people and culturally appropriate care is a cornerstone of our practice. Casa’s 24/7 workforce is multi-cultural, with staff from South Africa, India, Zimbabwe, Sudan, UK, US, the Philippines, and other countries.

40 years before the NDIS, Casa was championing the equal rights of people with disability:

  • The right to engage in meaningful work and activities
  • The right to housing
  • The right to actively participate in their communities
  • The right to reach for their dreams

We still are.

Early 1981: Residents and volunteers constructing the barbecue at the Hartley Street group home. Photos from Bindi Archives.
Early 1981: Residents and volunteers constructing the barbecue at the Hartley Street group home. Photos from Bindi Archives.
Richard Bowden, Leanne Wallis, Doug Thompson & support worker starting out on the Larapinta Trail, August 1998. Photo from Joyce Bowden Private Collection, photographer unknown.
Richard Bowden, Leanne Wallis, Doug Thompson & support worker starting out on the Larapinta Trail, August 1998. Photo from Joyce Bowden Private Collection, photographer unknown.

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Acknowledgement of Country

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Acknowledgement of Country

Casa Services recognises and respects the Arrente people as the Traditional Owners of Mparntwe (Alice Springs). In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners and Elders – both past and present – of all the lands on which Casa operates its business. We acknowledge their living culture and unique role in the life of these regions and offer our deep appreciation for their contribution and support.

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Casa Services Limited is registered in the Northern Territory. It is a Charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not For Profits Commission.

ABN: 63 898 668 260
ACN: 650 177 610

NDIS Registration Number: 4050005753

Contact Us

Suite 6/5 Hartley St,
PO Box 9190,
Alice Springs, NT 0870

Phone: (08) 8953 4311
Email: Email us here

Business hours:
Monday to Friday 8 am to 4.30 pm

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