Vicki Darken
{{Short description|Australian landscape painter (1923–2014)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
Vicki Darken, née Victoria Ormond (10 March 1923{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48009509 |title=Notes, News and Comments |newspaper=Northern Standard |issue=7 |location=Northern Territory, Australia |date=13 March 1923 |accessdate=4 August 2019 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} Several biographies give 1929 as her year of birth, thus marrying around age 13. – 3 May 2014), was an Australian landscape painter, based in the Northern Territory.
History
Darken was born in Darwin, Northern Territory, a daughter of Charles Ormond. She attended Parap Primary School{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48040115 |title=Parap School Breaking Up |newspaper=Northern Standard |issue=88 |location=Northern Territory, Australia |date=18 December 1928 |accessdate=4 August 2019 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} and later studied Commercial subjects in Darwin, perhaps at St. Joseph's School.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49453629 |title=Commercial Examination |newspaper=Northern Standard |issue=15 |location=Northern Territory, Australia |date=21 February 1939 |accessdate=4 August 2019 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}
As Vicki Ormond she was elected the first Miss Northern Territory.{{cite web|url=https://kiosk.pioneerwomen.com.au/collection/herstory-archive/darken-vicki|title=Pioneer Women Hall of Fame: Vicki Darken|access-date=4 August 2019}}
On 25 June 1942 she married policeman Constable Bob Darken (died 17 February 2000), and their tent honeymoon is said to have given Honeymoon Gap in the Western MacDonnell Ranges, its name; subsequently they were posted to outback stations including Tennant Creek and Harts Range. Bob resigned from the force in 1950 and they settled on a station at Simpsons Gap, then moved to Alice Springs when that station was acquired by the Government as a reserve.
Darken was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1968, which enabled her to study painting in Europe.{{cite web|url=https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellows/detail/1938/vicki+darken|title=Churchill Fellowship: Vicki Darken}}
She established her own gallery in 1977.
She died at Alice Springs, Northern Territory aged 91, survived by daughters Sondra and Joanne.{{cite news|url=http://tributes.ntnews.com.au/notice/42292031|newspaper=NT News|title=Obituary |date=9 May 2014|access-date=4 August 2019}}