111-980: The Araluen Cultural Precinct , formerly the Araluen Centre for Arts & Entertainment , in Alice Springs (Mparntwe) in the Northern Territory of Australia , is a cultural precinct which includes the Araluen Arts Centre , the Museum of Central Australia (incorporating the Strehlow Research Centre ), Central Australian Aviation Museum , Kookaburra Memorial, the Yeperenye Sculpture, Central Craft, Yaye's Cafe and Aboriginal sacred sites . The Araluen Arts Centre features four art galleries (including
222-575: A concrete slab foundation , lined with Gyprock , and with an outer skin of brickwork, to cope with Adelaide's reactive soils , particularly Keswick Clay, black earth and some red-brown earth soils. The use of precast concrete panels for floor and wall construction has also increased. In addition to this, a significant factor in Adelaide's suburban history is the role of the South Australian Housing Trust . Adelaide has
333-462: A desert climate . Annual precipitation is erratic. In 2001, 741 millimetres (29.2 in) fell and in 2002 only 198 millimetres (7.8 in) fell. The highest daily rainfall is 204.8 millimetres (8.06 in), recorded on 31 March 1988. Temperatures in Alice Springs vary widely, and rainfall can vary quite dramatically from year to year. In summer, the average maximum temperature is in
444-564: A 20th-century motor city. The Mannum–Adelaide pipeline brought River Murray water to Adelaide in 1955 and an airport opened at West Beach in 1955. Flinders University and the Flinders Medical Centre were established in the 1960s at Bedford Park, south of the city. Today, Flinders Medical Centre is one of the largest teaching hospitals in South Australia. In the post-war years around the early 1960s, Adelaide
555-456: A European population of fewer than 20 people. Many of the gaol's first prisoners were first-contact Aboriginal men incarcerated for killing cattle. The first aircraft, piloted by Francis Stewart Briggs , landed in 1921. Central Australia's first hospital, Adelaide House, was built in 1926 when the European population of the town was about 40. It was not until 1929, when the train line to Alice
666-637: A base in Alice Springs, as well as numerous local operators offering tours to sites in the region, including Uluru and the MacDonnell Ranges. A dispatch centre for the Royal Flying Doctor Service operates here. Education is overseen territory-wide by the Department of Education and Training (DET). It works to continually improve education outcomes for all students, with a focus on Indigenous students. Alice Springs
777-499: A complex social structure including a class of sorcerers separated from regular society. Within a few decades of European settlement of South Australia , Kaurna culture was almost completely destroyed. The last speaker of Kaurna language died in 1929. Extensive documentation by early missionaries and other researchers has enabled a modern revival of both, which has included a commitment by local and state governments to rename or include Kaurna names for many local places. Based on
888-538: A frequent attraction and celebrations, such as the annual Beanie Festival , are also held there. 23°42′06″S 133°51′45″E / 23.701550°S 133.862571°E / -23.701550; 133.862571 This article about an Australian building or structure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Northern Territory , Australia article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Alice Springs, Northern Territory Alice Springs ( Eastern Arrernte : Mparntwe )
999-655: A hectic era of land booms and tumultuous expansionism. Financial institutions in Melbourne and banks in Sydney closed. The national fertility rate fell and immigration was reduced to a trickle. The value of South Australia's exports nearly halved. Drought and poor harvests from 1884 compounded the problems, with some families leaving for Western Australia. Adelaide was not as badly hit as the larger gold-rush cities of Sydney and Melbourne, and silver and lead discoveries at Broken Hill provided some relief. Only one year of deficit
1110-625: A home in Alice Springs, including Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Sudanese and Indian ethnic groups . The most obvious impact of their presence in such a small and isolated town has been the opening of various restaurants serving their traditional cuisines. Alice Springs has a large itinerant population. This population is generally composed of foreign and Australian tourists, Aboriginal Australians visiting from nearby Central Australian communities, and Australian or international workers on short-term contracts (colloquially referred to as "blow-ins"). The major sources of work that recruit workers into town are
1221-491: A hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ) under the Köppen climate classification . The city has hot, dry summers and cool winters with moderate rainfall. Most precipitation falls in the winter months, leading to the suggestion that the climate be classified as a "cold monsoon". Rainfall is unreliable, light and infrequent throughout summer, although heavy falls can occur. The winter has fairly reliable rainfall with June being
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#17328009509871332-611: A marked increase in Alice Springs' population. During World War II, Alice Springs was the location of RAAF No. 24 Inland Aircraft Fuel Depot (IAFD), completed on 20 May 1942 and closed in November 1944. Each IAFD usually consisted of four tanks; 31 fuel depots were built across Australia for the storage and supply of aircraft fuel for the RAAF and the US Army Air Forces , at a total cost of £900,000 ($ 1,800,000). During
1443-762: A result, the CLP was completely shut out of Alice Springs for the first time ever. The CLP regained Braitling and Namatjira in 2020, while Lambley retained Araluen for her party at the time, the Territory Alliance . In the Australian House of Representatives , Alice Springs is part of the Division of Lingiari , which includes all of the Territory outside the Darwin/Palmerston area. Lingiari
1554-509: A route from the south of the continent to the north. A settlement named after Stuart was necessitated ten years later with the construction of a repeater station on the Australian Overland Telegraph Line (OTL), which linked Adelaide to Darwin and Great Britain . The OTL was completed in 1872. It traced Stuart's route and opened up the interior for permanent settlement. The Alice Springs Telegraph Station
1665-539: A significant increase in the state government's spending on Adelaide's infrastructure occurred. The Rann government invested A$ 535 million in a major upgrade of the Adelaide Oval to enable Australian Football League to be played in the city centre and more than A$ 2 billion to build a new Royal Adelaide Hospital on land adjacent to the Adelaide Railway Station. The Glenelg tramline
1776-619: A substantial majority of the South Australian House of Assembly. Of the 47 seats in the chamber, 34 seats (three-quarters of the legislature) are based in Adelaide, and two rural seats include Adelaide suburbs. The Adelaide metropolitan area is divided between nineteen local government areas . At its centre, the City of Adelaide administers the Adelaide city centre , North Adelaide , and the surrounding Adelaide Parklands . It
1887-644: A team of men to set out Adelaide, using various templates for city plans going back to Ancient Greece , including Italian Renaissance designs and the similar layouts of the American cities Philadelphia and Savannah –which, like Adelaide, follow the same layout of a central city square, four complementing city squares surrounding it and a parklands area that surrounds the city centre. The benefits of Light's design are numerous: Adelaide has had wide multi-lane roads from its beginning, an easily navigable cardinal direction grid layout and an expansive green ring around
1998-569: A total land area of 870 km (340 sq mi), while a more expansive definition by the Australian Bureau of Statistics defines a "Greater Adelaide" statistical area totalling 3,259.8 km (1,258.6 sq mi). The city sits at an average elevation of 50 metres (160 ft) above sea level. Mount Lofty , east of the Adelaide metropolitan region in the Adelaide Hills at an elevation of 727 metres (2,385 ft),
2109-475: Is a town in the Northern Territory , Australia ; it is the third-largest settlement after Darwin and Palmerston . The name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd ( née Alice Gillam Bell ), wife of the telegraph pioneer Sir Charles Todd . Known colloquially as The Alice or simply Alice , the town is situated roughly in Australia's geographic centre . It
2220-681: Is a well-appointed town for its size, with several large hotels, a convention centre, and a good range of visitor attractions, restaurants, and other services. The region around Alice Springs is part of the Central Ranges xeric scrub area of dry scrubby grassland and includes the MacDonnell Ranges , which run east and west of the town and contain a number of hiking trails and swimming holes, such as Ormiston Gorge , Ormiston Gorge Creek, Red Bank Gorge and Glen Helen Gorge . The 223-kilometre-long (139 mi) Larapinta Trail follows
2331-710: Is also home to the local ham radio group. The Yeprenye Sculpture celebrates the Yeprenye (Ayepe-arenye) Caterpillar Dreaming which is a major Tjukurpa for the Arrernte people of Mparntwe. It was constructed by metal sculptor Dan Murphy who was assisted in its construction by students from the Centre for Appropriate Technology (Australia) . Central Craft is a crafts centre with a contemporary crafts shop and gallery, complete with ceramics , stained glass , painting and fabric-working workshops on site. Travelling art displays are
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#17328009509872442-639: Is currently held by Labor member Marion Scrymgour . Alice Springs began as a service town to the pastoral industry that first came to the region. The introduction of the rail line increased its economy. Today the town services a region of 546,046 square kilometres (210,830 sq mi) and a regional population of 38,749. The region includes a number of mining and pastoral communities, the Joint Defence Space Research Facility at Pine Gap and tourist attractions at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park , Watarrka National Park and
2553-500: Is governed by the newly created MacDonnell Region local government area , for which Alice Springs serves as council seat. Alice Springs and the surrounding region have four elected members to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly . Araluen and Braitling are entirely within Alice Springs, while the mostly rural seats of Gwoja (known as Stuart before 2020) and Namatjira spill into
2664-662: Is left to be found in reserves such as the Cleland National Park and Belair National Park . A number of creeks and rivers flow through the Adelaide region. The largest are the Torrens and Onkaparinga catchments. Adelaide relies on its many reservoirs for water supply with the Happy Valley Reservoir supplying around 40% and the much larger Mount Bold Reservoir 10% of Adelaide's domestic requirements respectively. Adelaide and its surrounding area
2775-535: Is nearly equidistant from Adelaide and Darwin . The area is also known locally as Mparntwe to its original inhabitants , the Arrernte , who have lived in the Central Australian desert in and around what is now Alice Springs for tens of thousands of years. Alice Springs had a population of 33,180 in August 2023. The town's population accounts for approximately 10 per cent of the population of
2886-717: Is north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, on the Adelaide Plains between the Gulf St Vincent and the low-lying Mount Lofty Ranges. The city stretches 20 km (12 mi) from the coast to the foothills, and 90 km (56 mi) from Gawler at its northern extent to Sellicks Beach in the south. According to the Regional Development Australia, an Australian government planning initiative, the "Adelaide Metropolitan Region" has
2997-493: Is now the suburb of Glenelg North . The event is commemorated in South Australia as Proclamation Day . The site of the colony's capital was surveyed and laid out by Colonel William Light , the first surveyor-general of South Australia, with his own original, unique, topographically sensitive design. The city was named after Queen Adelaide . Adelaide was established as a planned colony of free immigrants, promising civil liberties and freedom from religious persecution, based upon
3108-487: Is one of the most seismically active regions in Australia. On 1 March 1954 at 3:40 am Adelaide experienced its largest recorded earthquake to date, with the epicentre 12 km from the city centre at Darlington , and a reported magnitude of 5.6. There have been smaller earthquakes in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2022. The uplands of the Adelaide Hills , part of the southern Mount Lofty Ranges to
3219-884: Is served by a number of public and private schools that cater to local and overseas students. Alice Springs School of the Air delivers education to students in remote areas. There are 10 private schools. Yirara College is a co-educational secondary boarding school catering for around 200 Aboriginal students run by the Finke River Mission . It has another campus in Kintore (Walungurru), which has four rooms and caters for around 30 students. The Alice Springs Campus of Charles Darwin University offers courses in TAFE and higher education. The Centre for Appropriate Technology
3330-452: Is the capital and most populous city of South Australia , and the fifth-most populous city in Australia . The name "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills ) or the Adelaide city centre . The demonym Adelaidean is used to denote the city and the residents of Adelaide. The traditional owners of the Adelaide region are the Kaurna . The area of
3441-475: Is the site of many governmental and financial institutions. Most of these are concentrated in the city centre along the cultural boulevards of North Terrace and King William Street . The area around modern-day Adelaide was originally inhabited by the Indigenous Kaurna people, one of many Aboriginal tribes in South Australia. The city and parklands area was known as Tarntanya, Tandanya, now
Araluen Cultural Precinct - Misplaced Pages Continue
3552-484: Is the tallest point of the city and in the state south of Burra . The city borders the Temperate Grassland of South Australia in the east, an endangered vegetation community. Much of Adelaide was bushland before British settlement, with some variation – sandhills, swamps and marshlands were prevalent around the coast. The loss of the sandhills to urban development had a particularly destructive effect on
3663-562: Is −7.5 °C (18.5 °F), recorded on 17 July 1976. This is also the lowest temperature recorded in the Northern Territory. According to the 2021 census of population, there were 24,855 people in the Alice Springs Urban Area. As Alice Springs is the regional hub of Central Australia, it attracts Aboriginal people from all over that region and well beyond. Many Aboriginal people visit regularly to use
3774-589: The Adelaide city centre and a ring of parks, known as the Adelaide Parklands , surrounding it. Light's selection of the location for the city was initially unpopular with the early settlers, as well as South Australia's first governor, John Hindmarsh, due to its distance from the harbour at Port Adelaide, and the lack of fresh water there. Light successfully persisted with his choice of location against this initial opposition. Recent evidence suggests that Light worked closely with George Kingston as well as
3885-525: The Albert Namatjira Gallery ) and a significant collection of art from across the region. Each year it holds Central Australia's largest First Nations art event, Desert Mob . Live performances of drama, dance and music as well as international and independent movies are shown in the theatre, which seats about five hundred people. The front window to the arts portion of the centre is a massive, locally-made, stained glass work of art which
3996-527: The Australian Space Agency being headquartered here. Adelaide's quality of life has ranked consistently highly in various measures through the 21st century, at one stage being named Australia's most liveable city, third in the world. Its aesthetic appeal has also been recognised by Architectural Digest , which ranked Adelaide as the most beautiful city in the world in 2024. As South Australia's government and commercial centre, Adelaide
4107-571: The MacDonnell Ranges . The largest employer in Alice Springs is the Northern Territory Government, with 8% of employed people working in government administration, 7% in school education, and 4% in the Alice Springs Hospital. The economy of Alice Springs is somewhat reliant on domestic and international tourism, with 4% of its workforce employed providing accommodation. Several major tour companies have
4218-564: The North-West Frontier of then- British India (present-day Pakistan), known locally as Afghan cameleers based at Hergott Springs, or Marree as it is now known. Many cameleers moved to Alice Springs in 1929 when the railway finally reached the town. They lived on the block where the town council is now, transporting goods from the rail head to stations and settlements to the north. A gold rush in Tennant Creek in 1932 kept
4329-561: The SA Government announced plans for a network of transport-oriented developments across the Adelaide metropolitan area and purchased a 10 hectare industrial site at Bowden for $ 52.5 million as the first of these developments. Historically, Adelaide's suburban residential areas have been characterised by single-storey detached houses built on 1,000-square-metre ( 1 ⁄ 4 -acre) blocks. A relative lack of suitable, locally-available timber for construction purposes led to
4440-1172: The Torrens Building in Victoria Square as the Adelaide campus for Carnegie Mellon University, University College London, and Torrens University; the Stock Exchange building as the Science Exchange of the Royal Institution Australia; and the Glenside Psychiatric Hospital as the Adelaide Studios of the SA Film Corporation . The government invested more than A$ 2 billion to build a desalination plant , powered by renewable energy, as an "insurance policy" against droughts affecting Adelaide's water supply . The Adelaide Festival , Fringe , and Womadelaide became annual events. Adelaide
4551-631: The Tropic of Capricorn , the town of Alice Springs straddles the usually dry Todd River on the northern side of the MacDonnell Ranges . Alice Springs is located in Central Australia, also called the Red Centre, an arid environment consisting of several different deserts. The annual average rainfall is 285.9 millimetres (11.3 in), which would make it a semi-arid climate , except that its high evapotranspiration , or its aridity, makes it
Araluen Cultural Precinct - Misplaced Pages Continue
4662-698: The lower house known as the House of Assembly and the upper house known as the Legislative Council . General elections are held every four years, the last being the 2022 South Australian state election . As Adelaide is South Australia's capital and most populous city, the State Government co-operates extensively with the City of Adelaide . In 2006, the Ministry for the City of Adelaide
4773-524: The traditional owners of the Alice Springs area and surrounding MacDonnell Ranges . They have lived in the area for at least 30,000 years. The traditional name for the township area is Mparntwe . Mparntwe is Arrernte for "watering place", referencing Atherreyurre, a waterhole in the Todd River at Old Telegraph Station (known as Alice Springs). Mparntwe refers to the majority of the Alice Springs township, with two additional names - Irlpme covering
4884-613: The " City of Churches " due to its diversity of faiths. The city has also been renowned for its automotive industry , as well as being the original host of the Australian Grand Prix in the FIA Formula One World Championship from 1985 to 1995. Today, Adelaide is known by its many festivals and sporting events, its food and wine , its coastline and hills, its large defence and manufacturing sectors, and its emerging space sector, including
4995-504: The 109th Australian General Hospital at Alice Springs. Seven Mile Aerodrome was constructed by the Royal Australian Air Force . War-related operations necessitated the first sealing of the road between Alice Springs and Larrimah, expansion and improvement of Alice Springs' water supply, and improving the rail head. The war-related operations left behind thousands of pieces of excess military equipment and vehicles and
5106-496: The 1960s, Alice Springs became an important defence location with the development of the US/Australian Pine Gap joint defence satellite monitoring base, home to about 700 workers from both countries. By far the major industry in recent times is tourism. Almost in the exact centre of the continent, Alice Springs is some 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from the nearest ocean and 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) from
5217-570: The 1970s, deep red and brown bricks became popular. Until the 1970s, roofs tended to be clad with (painted) corrugated iron or cement or clay tiles, usually red "terracotta". Since then, Colorbond corrugated steel has dominated. Most roofs are pitched. Flat roofs are not common. Up to the 1970s, most houses were of "double brick" construction on concrete footings, with timber floors laid on joists supported by "dwarf walls". Later houses have mainly been of " brick veneer " construction – structural timber or, more recently, lightweight steel frame on
5328-407: The 1970s. World War II brought significant changes to Alice Springs. Prior to the war, Alice Springs was an isolated settlement of fewer than 500 people. During the war, however, the town was an extremely active staging base, known as No. 9 Australian Staging Camp, and a depot base for the long four-day trip to Darwin. The railway hub in Alice Springs was taken over by military operations, and
5439-420: The Alice Springs area, which takes in the town centre, its suburbs and some rural area. The Alice Springs Town Council has governed Alice Springs since 1971. The Alice Springs council consists of nine members: the mayor and eight aldermen . The town is not divided up into wards. The current mayor of Alice Springs is Matt Paterson. Council Meetings are held on the last Monday of each month. The Alice Springs Region
5550-424: The Alice Springs district hold American citizenship. Many of these, joined by some Australians, celebrate major American public holidays, including the 4th of July and Thanksgiving . Americans in Alice Springs are also known to participate in a variety of associations and sporting teams, including baseball, basketball and soccer competitions. Several small immigrant communities of other foreign cultures have found
5661-573: The Australian states were established after the Murray River was successfully navigated in 1853 by Francis Cadell , an Adelaide resident. South Australia became a self-governing colony in 1856 with the ratification of a new constitution by the British parliament. Secret ballots were introduced, and a bicameral parliament was elected on 9 March 1857, by which time 109,917 people lived in
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#17328009509875772-940: The Camel Cup, the Henley-on-Todd Regatta , Beanie Festival and the Tatts Finke Desert Race . Alice Springs has many historic buildings, including the Overland Telegraph Station , the Old Courthouse and Residency and the Hartley Street School . Adelaide House , a beautiful stone building in the middle of the Mall, Central Australia's first hospital, was designed and built by the Rev. John Flynn, founder of
5883-401: The Charles River, which meet near the telegraph station, were named after Sir Charles. It was not until alluvial gold was discovered at Arltunga, 100 kilometres (62 mi) east of the present Alice Springs, in 1887 that any significant European settlement occurred. The town's first substantial building was the Stuart Town Gaol in Parson's Street; this was built in 1909, when the town had
5994-447: The Northern Territory. The town straddles the usually dry Todd River on the northern side of the MacDonnell Ranges . The surrounding region is known as Central Australia, or the Red Centre , an arid environment consisting of several deserts. Temperatures in Alice Springs can vary, with an average maximum in summer of 35.6 °C (96.1 °F) and an average minimum in winter of 5.1 °C (41.2 °F). The Arrernte people are
6105-471: The Resident Commissioner, James Hurtle Fisher . The rural area surrounding Adelaide was surveyed by Light in preparation to sell a total of over 405 km (156 sq mi) of land. Adelaide's early economy started to get on its feet in 1838 with the arrival of livestock from Victoria , New South Wales and Tasmania . Wool production provided an early basis for the South Australian economy. By 1860, wheat farms had been established from Encounter Bay in
6216-494: The West MacDonnell Ranges and is considered among the world's great walking experiences. The Simpson Desert , southeast of Alice Springs, is one of Australia's great wilderness areas, containing giant, red sand dunes and rock formations, such as Chambers Pillar and Rainbow Valley. Under the Köppen climate classification , Alice Springs has a subtropical hot desert climate ( BWh ), featuring very hot, fairly moist summers and short, very dry, mild winters. Located just south of
6327-415: The arts, building upon the biennial " Adelaide Festival of Arts " that commenced in 1960. The State Bank collapsed in 1991 during an economic recession. The effects lasted until 2004, when Standard & Poor's reinstated South Australia's AAA credit rating. Adelaide's tallest building, completed in 2020, is called the Adelaidean and is located at 11 Frome Street. In the early years of the 21st century,
6438-449: The care of the Welfare Branch were also placed there, and the building had to be expanded. During World War II, the hostel served as a recreation centre for troops. The new two-storey building was designed to accommodate up to 50 children, with separate dormitories for boys and girls, each with separate study area and library. Several of the children were transferred to St Francis House over time, and St John's Hostel continued to operate until
6549-435: The city centre and surrounding Park Lands is called Tarndanya in the Kaurna language . Adelaide is situated on the Adelaide Plains north of the Fleurieu Peninsula , between the Gulf St Vincent in the west and the Mount Lofty Ranges in the east. Its metropolitan area extends 20 km (12 mi) from the coast to the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges, and stretches 96 km (60 mi) from Gawler in
6660-499: The city centre in a grid layout known as " Light's Vision ", interspaced by wide boulevards and large public squares, and entirely surrounded by park lands. Early colonial Adelaide was shaped by the diversity and wealth of its free settlers, in contrast to the convict history of other Australian cities. It was Australia's third most populated city until the post-war era. It has been noted for its leading examples of religious freedom and progressive political reforms, and became known as
6771-507: The city centre. There are two sets of ring roads in Adelaide that have resulted from the original design. The inner ring route ( A21 ) borders the parklands, and the outer route ( A3 / A13 / A16 / A17 ) completely bypasses the inner city via (in clockwise order) Grand Junction Road , Hampstead Road, Ascot Avenue, Portrush Road , Cross Road and South Road . Suburban expansion has to some extent outgrown Light's original plan. Numerous former outlying villages and "country towns", as well as
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#17328009509876882-399: The city. The plan involved the construction of freeways, expressways and the upgrade of certain aspects of the public transport system. The then premier Steele Hall approved many parts of the plan and the government went as far as purchasing land for the project. The later Labor government elected under Don Dunstan shelved the plan, but allowed the purchased land to remain vacant, should
6993-432: The coastline due to erosion. Where practical, the government has implemented programs to rebuild and vegetate sandhills at several of Adelaide's beachside suburbs. Tennyson Dunes is the largest contiguous, tertiary dune system contained entirely within Metropolitan Adelaide, providing refuge for a variety of remnant species formerly found along the entire coastline. Much of the original vegetation has been cleared with what
7104-458: The downthrown St Vincent Basin and its embayments, including the Adelaide Plains Sub-basin, and the Golden Grove, Noarlunga and Willunga Embayments. These basins contain deposits of Tertiary marine and non-marine sands and limestones, which form important aquifers. These deposits are overlain by Quaternary alluvial fans and piedmont slope deposits, derived from erosion of the uplands, consisting of sands, clays and gravels, interfingering to
7215-536: The early development of a brick-making industry, as well as the use of stone, for houses and other buildings. By 1891, 68% of houses were built of stone, 15% of timber, and 10% of brick, with brick also being widely used in stone houses for quoins, door and window surrounds, and chimneys and fireplaces. There is a wide variety in the styles of these houses. Until the 1960s, most of the more substantial houses were built of red brick, though many front walls were of ornamental stone. Then cream bricks became fashionable, and in
7326-399: The east of Adelaide, are defined on their western side by a number of arcuate faults (the Para, Eden, Clarendon and Willunga Faults), and consist of rocks such as siltstone , dolomite and quartzite , dating from the Neoproterozoic to the middle Cambrian , laid down in the Adelaide Rift Complex, the oldest part of the Adelaide Superbasin . Most of the Adelaide metropolitan area lies in
7437-412: The establishment of the United States Air Force Detachment 421, in 1954. Currently located on Schwarz Crescent, it is part of a joint American–Australian project called the Joint Geological and Geographical Research Station (JGGRS). The unit is locally known as "Det 421" or "The Det" and has sponsored as many as 25 American families to live as temporary residents of the Alice Springs district. To mark
7548-671: The festival aims "to celebrate the oldest continuous cultures in the world through the latest technology". It includes light shows, artworks, storytelling, and other manifestations of Aboriginal Australian culture , and both Alice Springs Desert Park and at the Araluen Arts Centre are also venues for interactive workshops, Indigenous music and dance, films by Aboriginal filmmakers, and talks. The festival, which has free admission, has run annually since 2016. Adelaide Adelaide ( / ˈ æ d ɪ l eɪ d / AD -il-ayd , locally [ˈædəlæɪd] ; Kaurna : Tardanya , pronounced [ˈd̪̥aɳɖaɲa] )
7659-473: The future need for freeways arise. In 1980, the Liberal party won government and premier David Tonkin committed his government to selling off the land acquired for the MATS plan, ensuring that even when needs changed, the construction of most MATS-proposed freeways would be impractical. Some parts of this land have been used for transport, (e.g. the O-Bahn Busway and Southern Expressway), while most has been progressively subdivided for residential use. In 2008,
7770-463: The ideas of Edward Gibbon Wakefield about colonial reform, Robert Gouger petitioned the British government to create a new colony in Australia, resulting in the passage of the South Australia Act 1834 . Physical establishment of the colony began with the arrival of the first British colonisers in February 1836. The first governor proclaimed the commencement of colonial government in South Australia on 28 December 1836, near The Old Gum Tree in what
7881-487: The ideas of Edward Gibbon Wakefield . Wakefield had read accounts of Australian settlement while in prison in London for attempting to abduct an heiress, and realised that the eastern colonies suffered from a lack of available labour, due to the practice of giving land grants to all arrivals. Wakefield's idea was for the Government to survey and sell the land at a rate that would maintain land values high enough to be unaffordable for labourers and journeymen. Funds raised from
7992-508: The landscape was shaped by the Yeperenye, Ntyarlke, and Utnerrengatye caterpillars and Akngwelye or wild dogs. Sites of traditional importance include Anthwerrke (Emily Gap), Akeyulerre (Billy Goat Hill), Ntaripe ( Heavitree Gap ), Atnelkentyarliweke ( ANZAC Hill ) and Alhekulyele (Mt Gillen). In 1861–62, John McDouall Stuart led an expedition through Central Australia to the west of what later became Alice Springs, thereby establishing
8103-575: The longstanding friendship with the community, on 1 July 1995, the Alice Springs Town Council granted Detachment 421 honorary Freedom of Entry to Alice Springs. Since the early 1970s, the majority of the American population in Alice Springs has been associated with proximity to Pine Gap , a joint Australian-US satellite tracking station, located 19 kilometres (12 mi) south-west of Alice Springs, that employs about 700 Americans and Australians. Currently, 2,000 residents of
8214-409: The mid-30s, whereas in winter the average minimum temperature can be 5.5 °C (41.9 °F), with an average of 12.4 nights below freezing every year, providing frost . The elevation of the town is about 545 metres (1,788 feet), which contributes to the cool nights in winter. The highest temperature on record is 47.5 °C (117.5 °F), first recorded on 24 December 1891, whilst the record low
8325-850: The nearest major cities, Darwin and Adelaide . Alice Springs is at the midpoint of the Adelaide–Darwin Railway . Alice Springs was connected to Darwin by rail on 4 February 2004, when the first passenger train arrived in Darwin from Adelaide. The modern town of Alice Springs has both European and Aboriginal influences. The town's focal point, the Todd Mall , hosts a number of Aboriginal art galleries and community events. In February 2024, AIATSIS Central Australia information and exhibition centre opened in Todd Mall. Alice Springs' desert lifestyle has inspired several unique events, such as
8436-501: The north to Sellicks Beach in the south. Named in honour of Queen Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen , wife of King William IV , the city was founded in 1836 as the planned capital for the only freely-settled British province in Australia. Colonel William Light , one of Adelaide's founding fathers, designed the city centre and chose its location close to the River Torrens . Light's design, now listed as national heritage , set out
8547-401: The number of soldiers posted in Alice Springs grew rapidly, as did the number of personnel passing through on their way to and from Darwin. When Darwin was threatened by Japanese forces, the sea routes—the Northern Territory capital's primary means of transportation and resupply—were cut off. The evacuation of Darwin first brought a large number of civilians including elected officials and many of
8658-409: The only transport infrastructure developed to cope with the urban growth. The O-Bahn Busway is an example of a unique solution to Tea Tree Gully's transport woes in the 1980s. The development of the nearby suburb of Golden Grove in the late 1980s followed a planned approach to urban growth. In the 1960s, a Metropolitan Adelaide Transport Study Plan was proposed to cater for the future growth of
8769-651: The plains which stretched north and south of Tarntanya as well as the wooded foothills of the Mt Lofty Ranges . The River Torrens was known as the Karrawirra Pari (Red Gum forest river). About 300 Kaurna populated the Adelaide area, and were referred to by the settlers as the Cowandilla. There were more than 20 local clans across the plain who lived semi-nomadic lives, with extensive mound settlements where huts were built repeatedly over centuries and
8880-610: The province. In 1860, the Thorndon Park reservoir was opened, providing an alternative water source to the now turbid River Torrens. Gas street lighting was implemented in 1867, the University of Adelaide was founded in 1874, the South Australian Art Gallery opened in 1881 and the Happy Valley Reservoir opened in 1896. In the 1890s Australia was affected by a severe economic depression, ending
8991-409: The reports of visitors in the early 20th century, noting that "many visitors to Adelaide admired the foresighted planning of its founders", as well as pondering the riches of the young city. Adelaide enjoyed a postwar boom, entering a time of relative prosperity. Its population grew, and it became the third most populous metropolitan area in the country, after Sydney and Melbourne . Its prosperity
9102-403: The sale of land were to be used to bring out working-class emigrants, who would have to work hard for the monied settlers to ever afford their own land. As a result of this policy, Adelaide does not share the convict settlement history of other Australian cities like Sydney , Brisbane and Hobart . As it was believed that in a colony of free settlers there would be little crime, no provision
9213-581: The satellite city of Elizabeth , have been enveloped by its suburban sprawl . Expanding developments in the Adelaide Hills region led to the construction of the South Eastern Freeway to cope with growth, which has subsequently led to new developments and further improvements to that transport corridor. Similarly, the booming development in Adelaide's South led to the construction of the Southern Expressway . New roads are not
9324-438: The short name of Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute , Tarndanya, or Tarndanyangga , now the dual name for Victoria Square, in the Kaurna language . The name means 'male red kangaroo rock', referring to a rock formation on the site that has now been destroyed. The surrounding area was an open grassy plain with patches of trees and shrubs which had been managed by hundreds of generations. Kaurna country encompassed
9435-435: The south and Antulye the east. Mparntwe is pronounced M'bun-twa . Arrernte has been spelt in various forms, including Aranda, Arrarnta, and Arunta. There are five dialects of the Arrernte language : South-eastern, Central, Northern, Eastern and North-eastern. Arrernte country is rich with mountain ranges, waterholes and gorges, which create a variety of natural habitats. According to Arrernte traditional histories,
9546-693: The south to Clare in the north. George Gawler took over from Hindmarsh in late 1838 and, despite being under orders from the Select Committee on South Australia in Britain not to undertake any public works, promptly oversaw construction of a governor's house, the Adelaide Gaol , police barracks, a hospital, a customs house and a wharf at Port Adelaide . Gawler was recalled and replaced by George Edward Grey in 1841. Grey slashed public expenditure against heavy opposition, although its impact
9657-547: The stations, mines, healthcare and law enforcement. Foreign tourists usually pass through on their way to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park , whilst Australian tourists usually come through as a part of an event such as the Masters Games and the Finke Desert Race . These events can cause the population of the town to fluctuate by several thousand within a matter of days. The Alice Springs Town Council governs
9768-612: The summer typically range from 8 to 10 °C (46 to 50 °F). There are usually several days in summer where the temperature reaches 40.0 °C (104.0 °F) or above; the frequency of these temperatures has been increasing in recent years . Temperature extremes range from −0.4 °C (31.4 °F), 8 June 1982 to 47.7 °C (117.9 °F), 24 January 2019. The city features 90.6 clear days annually. The average sea temperature ranges from 13.7 °C (56.7 °F) in August to 21.2 °C (70.2 °F) in February. Adelaide
9879-416: The territory government's records. Alice Springs became the war-time civilian capital of the Northern Territory. When Darwin was bombed by Japanese air forces, a large number of military personnel and their heavy equipment were rapidly moved south to Alice Springs. The number of soldiers posted in Alice Springs peaked at around 8,000, and the number of personnel passing through totalled close to 200,000. Once
9990-723: The town's services. Aboriginal residents usually live in the suburbs, on special purpose leases (or town camps ), or further out at Amoonguna to the south and on the small family outstation communities on Aboriginal lands in surrounding areas. The traditional owners of the Alice Springs area are the Central Arrernte people. As it is the largest town in central Australia, there are also speakers of Warlpiri , Warumungu , Kaytetye , Alyawarre , Luritja , Pintupi , Pitjantjatjara , Yankunytjatjara , Ngaanyatjarra , Pertame , Eastern , and Western Arrernte among others. Americans have lived in Alice Springs continuously since
10101-584: The town. Historically, Alice Springs has tilted conservative. It was a stronghold for the Country Liberal Party for many years; only the northeast (part of which is in Stuart) leans Labor . However, these trends were dramatically altered at the 2016 election . Former Chief Minister and Alice Springs resident Adam Giles lost Braitling to Labor, Araluen was retained by CLP-turned-independent Robyn Lambley , and Namatjira and Stuart fell to Labor. As
10212-519: The war ended, the military camps and the evacuees departed, and Alice Springs' population declined rapidly. After being visited by nearly 200,000 people, including the American General Douglas MacArthur , Alice Springs gained considerable fame. The war years also left behind many structures. The historically listed Totem Theatre , created for the entertainment of this camp, still exists today. The Australian Army set up
10323-407: The west with transgressive Pleistocene to Holocene marine sands and coastal sediments of the shoreline of Gulf St Vincent. Adelaide is a planned city, designed by the first Surveyor-General of South Australia, Colonel William Light . His plan, sometimes referred to as "Light's Vision" (also the name of a statue of him on Montefiore Hill ), arranged Adelaide in a grid , with five squares in
10434-455: The wettest month of the year, averaging around 80 mm. Frosts are occasional, with the most notable occurrences in 1908 and 1982. Hail is common in winter. Adelaide is a windy city with significant wind chill in winter, which makes the temperature seem colder than it actually is . Snowfall in the metropolitan area is extremely rare, although light and sporadic falls in the nearby hills and at Mount Lofty occur during winter. Dewpoints in
10545-668: The wheels of the Alice Springs economy turning until the outbreak of World War II . In 1941 Father Percy Smith , an Anglican minister, founded St John's Hostel in Bath Street. The hostel provided accommodation for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children from remote areas who were attending school in Alice Springs. He had been concerned at the lack of opportunities for children housed in the government facility for Aboriginal children in Alice Springs, called The Bungalow . Smith went on to found and run St Francis House in Adelaide in 1945, but St John's continued to operate. Children under
10656-400: The world's first flying doctor service, in 1926. It was also the site of the world's first successful portable wireless radio experiment conducted by Alf Traeger. Today it is a museum, one of several significant tourist attractions which form part of The Flynn Trail a self-guided urban heritage trail. Today, the town is an important tourist hub and service centre for the surrounding area. It
10767-589: The world's second National Park City, after the state government had lobbied for this title. It was ranked the most liveable city in Australia by the Property Council of Australia , based on surveys of residents' views of their own city, between 2010 and 2013, dropping to second place in 2014. Adelaide, as the capital of South Australia, is the seat of the Government of South Australia . The bicameral Parliament of South Australia consists of
10878-459: Was built, that the town's European population began to grow. Aboriginal Centralians outnumbered European Centralians until the mid-1930s. From 1926 to 1931, Alice Springs was the seat of government for the now-defunct Territory of Central Australia . Until 31 August 1933, the town was officially known as Stuart. The original mode of British-Australian transportation in the outback were camel trains, operated by immigrants from Pathan tribes in
10989-481: Was consistently ranked in the world's 10 most liveable cities through the 2010s by The Economist Intelligence Unit . In June 2021, The Economist ranked Adelaide the third most liveable city in the world, behind Auckland and Osaka . In June 2023, Adelaide was ranked the twelfth most liveable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit. In December 2021, Adelaide was named
11100-629: Was created to facilitate the State Government's collaboration with the Adelaide City Council and the Lord Mayor to improve Adelaide's image. The State Parliament's Capital City Committee is also involved in the governance of the City of Adelaide, being primarily concerned with the planning of Adelaide's urban development and growth. Reflecting South Australia's status as Australia's most centralised state, Adelaide elects
11211-631: Was designed by Wenten Rubuntja and based of his painting Arrernte Country (1987). Artists whose work has regularly been exhibited at the Araluen Centre include Daisy Jugadai Napaltjarri . The Museum of Central Australia incorporates the Strehlow Research Centre for Aboriginal Culture, and displays many locally found minerals, describes geologic formations of the area. Nearby is the Central Australian Aviation Museum , with planes and radio equipment, which
11322-465: Was established in 1980 and provides a range of services to encourage and help Aboriginal people enhance their quality of life in remote communities. Parrtjima − A Festival in Light (pronounced par-chee-ma ) subtitled − A Festival in Light, takes place over 10 days each April in the desert outside Alice Springs. The name means "shedding both light and understanding" in the local Arrernte language , and
11433-444: Was expanded at the nearby port of Whyalla . The South Australian Government in this period built on former wartime manufacturing industries but neglected cultural facilities which meant South Australia's economy lagged behind. International manufacturers like Holden and Chrysler made use of these factories around the Adelaide area in suburbs like Elizabeth , completing its transformation from an agricultural service centre to
11544-410: Was extended through the city to Hindmarsh down to East Terrace and the suburban railway line extended south to Seaford. Following a period of stagnation in the 1990s and 2000s, Adelaide began several major developments and redevelopments. The Adelaide Convention Centre was redeveloped and expanded at a cost of A$ 350 million beginning in 2012. Three historic buildings were adapted for modern use:
11655-816: Was made for a gaol in Colonel Light's 1837 plan. But by mid-1837 the South Australian Register was warning of escaped convicts from New South Wales and tenders for a temporary gaol were sought. Following a burglary, a murder, and two attempted murders in Adelaide during March 1838, Governor Hindmarsh created the South Australian Police Force (now the South Australia Police ) in April 1838 under 21-year-old Henry Inman . The first sheriff, Samuel Smart,
11766-458: Was negligible at this point: silver was discovered in Glen Osmond that year, agriculture was well underway, and other mines sprung up all over the state, aiding Adelaide's commercial development. The city exported meat, wool, wine, fruit and wheat by the time Grey left in 1845, contrasting with a low point in 1842 when one-third of Adelaide houses were abandoned. Trade links with the rest of
11877-469: Was recorded, but the price paid was retrenchments and lean public spending. Wine and copper were the only industries not to suffer a downturn. Adelaide was Australia's third largest city for most of the 20th century. Electric street lighting was introduced in 1900 and electric trams were transporting passengers in 1909. 28,000 men were sent to fight in World War I . Historian F. W. Crowley examined
11988-591: Was short-lived, with the return of droughts and the Great Depression of the 1930s. It later returned to fortune under strong government leadership. Secondary industries helped reduce the state's dependence on primary industries . World War II brought industrial stimulus and diversification to Adelaide under the Playford Government, which advocated Adelaide as a safe place for manufacturing due to its less vulnerable location. Shipbuilding
12099-520: Was sited near what was thought to be a permanent waterhole in the normally dry Todd River , named Alice Springs by W.W. Mills after the wife of the Superintendent of Telegraphs and Postmaster General of South Australia, Sir Charles Todd , who was the driving force for constructing the OTL. The nearby settlement of Stuart was renamed Alice Springs on 31 August 1933. The Todd River and its tributary
12210-411: Was surpassed by Brisbane as Australia's third largest city. The Dunstan Governments of the 1970s saw something of an Adelaide "cultural revival", establishing a wide array of social reforms. The city became noted for its progressivism as South Australia became the first Australian state or territory to decriminalise homosexuality between consenting adults in 1975. Adelaide became a centre for
12321-552: Was wounded during a robbery, and on 2 May 1838 one of the offenders, Michael Magee, became the first person to be hanged in South Australia. William Baker Ashton was appointed governor of the temporary gaol in 1839, and in 1840 George Strickland Kingston was commissioned to design Adelaide's new gaol. Construction of Adelaide Gaol commenced in 1841. Adelaide's early history was marked by economic uncertainty and questionable leadership. The first governor of South Australia, John Hindmarsh , clashed frequently with others, in particular
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