94-460: Oodnadatta is a small, remote outback town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia , located 1043 kilometres (648 miles) north-north-west of the state capital of Adelaide by road or 873 km (542 mi) direct, at an altitude of 112 metres (367 feet). The unsealed Oodnadatta Track , an outback road popular with tourists, runs through the town. Town facilities include
188-462: 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
282-634: A line in South Australia , north of which he considered rainfall to be too unreliable to support agriculture. Exploration of the Outback continued in the 1950s when Len Beadell explored, surveyed and built many roads in support of the nuclear weapons tests at Emu Field and Maralinga and rocket testing on the Woomera Prohibited Area . Mineral exploration continues as new mineral deposits are identified and developed. 2002
376-456: 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
470-637: 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
564-404: A crater on the planet Mars . Outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia . The Outback is more remote than the bush . While often envisaged as being arid , the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a number of climatic zones, including tropical and monsoonal climates in northern areas, arid areas in
658-465: A government service centre and supply depot for surrounding pastoral properties to a residential freehold town for Aboriginal families who, moving from cattle work, bought empty houses as their railway employee occupants left. Two meanings of the name are recorded. One derives from the Aboriginal word utnadata , meaning "yellow blossom of the mulga ". However, mulga trees do not grow anywhere near
752-625: 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
846-443: A hotel, caravan park, post office, general stores, police station, hospital, fuel and minor mechanical repairs. The old railway station now serves as a museum. From the 1880s to the 1930s, Oodnadatta was a base for camel drivers and their animals, which provided cartage when the railway was under construction and along outback tracks before roads were established. After the railway line was lifted, Oodnadatta's role changed from that of
940-470: A long way from anywhere, or a long way away. The well-watered north of the continent is often called the " Top End " and the arid interior "The Red Centre", owing to its vast amounts of red soil and sparse greenery amongst its landscape. The outback is criss-crossed by historic tracks. Most of the major highways have an excellent bitumen surface and other major roads are usually well-maintained dirt roads. The Stuart Highway runs from north to south through
1034-611: 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
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#17327935938321128-489: A more northerly direction. It is near the Peake cattle station, also known as " The Peake ", or Freeling Springs. The ruins of Peake telegraph station exist on the station today. Alfred Giles refers to his only meeting with the explorer Ernest Giles (no relation) at "the Peake" in the 1870s. By the 1880s the telegraph route was being used by camel trains , many led by "Afghan" cameleers (actually from many different places in
1222-762: 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
1316-509: 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
1410-684: A slow and unreliable service. The railway through Oodnadatta was closed and a new standard gauge line was built to the west, bypassing Oodnadatta, and opening in October 1980. Oodnadatta's busiest era was World War II when the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force set up local facilities to service troop trains and aircraft en route to Darwin . Tourist traffic along the Oodnadatta Track and
1504-611: A teaching staff of three. Oodnadatta has a hot desert climate ( Köppen: BWh), with very hot summers and mild winters. The town's position in the Outback causes large seasonal variation. Average maxima vary from 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) in January to 19.8 °C (67.6 °F) in July while average minima fluctuate between 23.2 °C (73.8 °F) in January and 5.9 °C (42.6 °F) in July. Mean average annual precipitation
1598-543: 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
1692-681: 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
1786-452: Is claimed that the saloon, named after the nearby Black Stump Run and Black Stump Creek, was an important staging post for traffic to north-west New South Wales and it became a marker by which people gauged their journeys. "The Never-Never " is a term referring to remoter parts of the Outback. The Outback can also be referred to as "back of beyond" or "back o' Bourke ", although these terms are more frequently used when referring to something
1880-639: 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
1974-500: 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
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#17327935938322068-628: Is located within the federal Division of Grey , the state electoral district of Stuart , the Pastoral Unincorporated Area of South Australia and the state's Far North region. In the absence of a local government authority, the community in Oodnadatta receives municipal services from a state government agency, the Outback Communities Authority . The name Oodnadatta has been used as a name for
2162-515: Is mining. Owing to the almost complete absence of mountain building and glaciation since the Permian (in many areas since the Cambrian ) ages, the outback is extremely rich in iron, aluminium, manganese and uranium ores, and also contains major deposits of gold, nickel, copper, lead and zinc ores. Because of its size, the value of grazing and mining is considerable. Major mines and mining areas in
2256-590: 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
2350-502: Is one of Australia's most renowned fossil sites and was recorded as a World Heritage site in 1994. The 100 km (39 sq mi) area contains fossil remains of ancient mammals, birds and reptiles of Oligocene and Miocene age. The largest industry across the Outback, in terms of the area occupied, is pastoralism , in which cattle, sheep, and sometimes goats are grazed in mostly intact, natural ecosystems. Widespread use of bore water, obtained from underground aquifers, including
2444-542: Is relied on for mail delivery in some areas, owing to sparse settlement and wet-season road closures. Most outback mines have an airstrip and many have a fly-in fly-out workforce. Most outback sheep stations and cattle stations have an airstrip and quite a few have their own light plane. Medical and ambulance services are provided by the Royal Flying Doctor Service . In 2024 two Regional, Rural and Remote air lines collapsed, namely Bonza and REX . Alice Springs Alice Springs ( Eastern Arrernte : Mparntwe )
2538-884: 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
2632-421: Is very low: 171.8 mm (6.76 in), spread between 34.4 precipitation days. The town is very sunny, with 182.5 clear days and only 59.1 cloudy days per annum. There is a large sign in Oodnadatta claiming the town is "The driest town, the driest state of the driest Continent". Extreme temperatures have ranged from −4.0 °C (24.8 °F) on 16 July 1979 to 50.7 °C (123.3 °F) on 20 February 1983;
2726-562: 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
2820-602: The Great Artesian Basin , has enabled livestock to be grazed across vast areas in which no permanent surface water exists naturally. Capitalising on the lack of pasture improvement and absence of fertiliser and pesticide use, many Outback pastoral properties are certified as organic livestock producers. In 2014, 17,000,000 hectares (42,000,000 acres), most of which is in Outback Australia, was fully certified as organic farm production, making Australia
2914-571: 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
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3008-502: The Murray River and Darling River , which turn south. From 1858 onwards, the so-called "Afghan" cameleers and their beasts played an instrumental role in opening up the Outback and helping to build infrastructure. Over the period 1858 to 1861, John McDouall Stuart led six expeditions north from Adelaide, South Australia into the Outback, culminating in successfully reaching the north coast of Australia and returning without
3102-564: 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
3196-631: 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
3290-524: 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
3384-411: The "red centre" and semi-arid and temperate climates in southerly regions. The total population is estimated at 607,000 people. Geographically, the Outback is unified by a combination of factors, most notably a low human population density, a largely intact natural environment and, in many places, low-intensity land uses, such as pastoralism (livestock grazing) in which production is reliant on
3478-425: 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
3572-496: 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
3666-407: 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
3760-440: The 2015–2016 financial year, 815,000 visitors spent $ 988 million while on holidays in the Northern Territory alone. There are many popular tourist attractions in the Outback. Some of the well known destinations include Devils Marbles , Kakadu National Park , Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), MacDonnell Ranges and Uluru (Ayers Rock) . Other than agriculture and tourism, the main economic activity in this vast and sparsely settled area
3854-420: 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
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3948-424: 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
4042-940: 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
4136-583: 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
4230-541: The Indian subcontinent), or ' Ghans , as they became known, who were brought to Australia for the task of hauling goods into Central Australia for pioneer settlers. Many of the cameleers settled in Oodnadatta and Marree , some with families and some marrying, mainly Aboriginal women. In the 1880s, Angle Pole was identified as the proposed terminus for the extension of the Great Northern Railway . When
4324-505: 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
4418-510: The Outback for at least 50,000 years and occupied all Outback regions, including the driest deserts, when Europeans first entered central Australia in the 1800s. Many Aboriginal Australians retain strong physical and cultural links to their traditional country and are legally recognised as the Traditional Owners of large parts of the Outback under Commonwealth Native Title legislation. Early European exploration of inland Australia
4512-573: The Outback include opals at Coober Pedy , Lightning Ridge and White Cliffs , metals at Broken Hill , Tennant Creek , Olympic Dam and the remote Challenger Mine . Oil and gas are extracted in the Cooper Basin around Moomba . In Western Australia the Argyle diamond mine in the Kimberley was once the world's biggest producer of natural diamonds and contributed approximately one-third of
4606-621: 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
4700-416: The adverbial phrase referring to the back yard of a house , and came to be used meiotically in the late 1800s to describe the vast sparsely settled regions of Australia behind the cities and towns. The earliest known use of the term in this context in print was in 1869, when the writer clearly meant the area west of Wagga Wagga , New South Wales . Over time, the adverbial use of the phrase was replaced with
4794-513: 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
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#17327935938324888-583: The centre of the continent, roughly paralleled by the Adelaide–Darwin railway . There is a proposal to develop some of the roads running from the south-west to the north-east to create an all-weather road named the Outback Highway , crossing the continent diagonally from Laverton, Western Australia (north of Kalgoorlie , through the Northern Territory to Winton , in Queensland. Air transport
4982-426: The early Afghan drivers . Feral horses known as ' brumbies ' are station horses that have run wild. Feral pigs , foxes , cats , goats and rabbits and other imported animals are also degrading the environment, so time and money is spent eradicating them in an attempt to help protect fragile rangelands. The Outback is home to a diverse set of animal species, such as the kangaroo, emu and dingo. The Dingo Fence
5076-576: 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
5170-434: The first time. The town's drinking water supply was previously untreated groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin , which the state government warned residents to avoid as early as the 1980s due to the risk of the rare life-threatening brain infection primary amoebic meningoencephalitis . Oodnadatta can be reached by an unsealed road from Coober Pedy or via the unsealed Oodnadatta Track from Marree to Marla or from
5264-454: The heat of the day. Birdlife is prolific, most often seen at waterholes at dawn and dusk. Huge flocks of budgerigars , cockatoos , corellas and galahs are often sighted. On bare ground or roads during the winter, various species of snakes and lizards bask in the sun, but they are rarely seen during the summer months. Feral animals such as camels thrive in central Australia, brought to Australia by pastoralists and explorers, along with
5358-520: The highest reliably measured maximum temperature in Australia. This record stood unequalled until 13 January 2022, when a temperature of 50.7 °C (123.3 °F) was measured in Onslow, Western Australia , thus equalling Oodnadatta's record. A higher temperature was recorded at Cloncurry in 1889; however, this has since been shown to have been recorded in a non-standard enclosure and likely to have been considerably cooler than first believed. Oodnadatta
5452-791: The importance of Outback Australia as one of the world's large natural areas, along with the Boreal forests and Tundra regions in North America, the Sahara and Gobi deserts and the tropical forests of the Amazon and Congo Basins. The savanna (or grassy woodlands) of northern Australia are the largest, intact savanna regions in the world. In the south, the Great Western Woodlands , which occupy 16,000,000 hectares (40,000,000 acres), an area larger than all of England and Wales, are
5546-506: The lack of proper medical facilities and trained personnel. In many outback communities, the number of children is too small for a conventional school to operate. Children are educated at home by the School of the Air . Originally the teachers communicated with the children via radio, but now satellite telecommunication is used instead. Some children attend boarding school, mostly only those in secondary school. The term "outback" derives from
5640-508: 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
5734-505: The largest certified organic production area in the world. Tourism is a major industry across the Outback, and commonwealth and state tourism agencies explicitly target Outback Australia as a desirable destination for domestic and international travellers. There is no breakdown of tourism revenues for the "Outback" per se . However, regional tourism is a major component of national tourism incomes. Tourism Australia explicitly markets nature-based and Indigenous-led experiences to tourists. In
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#17327935938325828-453: The largest remaining temperate woodland left on Earth. Reflecting the wide climatic and geological variation, the Outback contains a wealth of distinctive and ecologically rich ecosystems. Major land types include: The Outback is full of very important well-adapted wildlife, although much of it may not be immediately visible to the casual observer. Many animals, such as red kangaroos and dingoes , hide in bushes to rest and keep cool during
5922-631: 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
6016-418: The loss of any of the party's members' lives. This contrasts with the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition in 1860–61 which was much better funded, but resulted in the deaths of three of the members of the transcontinental party. The Overland Telegraph line was constructed in the 1870s along the route identified by Stuart. In 1865, the surveyor George Goyder , using changes in vegetation patterns, mapped
6110-409: 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
6204-452: The mining industry keep the village alive. The Aboriginal school is the biggest employer. In 2018, the federal government announced a major upgrade to the Track, to better serve both the tourists and truck drivers on this major freight and cattle transport route. In 2023, a reverse osmosis water desalination plant was installed in the town, giving it access to treated drinking tap water for
6298-575: The natural environment. The Outback is deeply ingrained in Australian heritage, history and folklore . In Australian art the subject of the Outback has been vogue, particularly in the 1940s. In 2009, as part of the Q150 celebrations, the Queensland Outback was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "natural attraction". Aboriginal peoples have lived in
6392-619: 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
6486-554: The north via Finke/Aputula, NT (on the "Old Ghan Heritage Trail"). The Pink Roadhouse (so-called because it is painted bright pink) provides petrol, a general store, meals, a variety of accommodation, and post office facilities. The Transcontinental Hotel, built in the 1890s, is on the same side of the road, as is the caravan park. Oodnadatta is serviced twice weekly by the Coober Pedy Oodnadatta One Day Mail Run . The OKA mail truck also carries some general freight and passengers. The 1290 metres (1410 yards) air strip adjacent to
6580-401: 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
6674-412: The present day noun form. It is colloquially said that "the outback" is located "beyond the Black Stump ". The location of the black stump may be some hypothetical location or may vary depending on local custom and folklore. It has been suggested that the term comes from the Black Stump Wine Saloon that once stood about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) out of Coolah, New South Wales on the Gunnedah Road. It
6768-524: The railway was built, a town was established here, and in October 1890 was proclaimed a government township and renamed Oodnadatta. In 1889, Angle Pole was also proposed as the south-eastern terminus of a land grant railway from Roebuck Bay in Western Australia . This railway was proposed by a London syndicate and would have been about 1000 miles (1600 km) long, with the wider 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in ) gauge. However this
6862-653: The region in 1859. His route was generally followed by the surveyors of the Overland Telegraph Line , completed in 1872. Alfred Giles referred to a place called the Yellow Waterhole, or Angle Pole, later known as Hookey's Waterhole and The Peake, near Oodnadatta. The course chosen for the Central Australian Railway likewise followed the route because a water supply was essential for steam locomotives. From 1891, Oodnadatta
6956-435: 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,
7050-547: 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
7144-416: 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
7238-723: 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
7332-655: The town, originally built during World War II , has a sealed surface. The historic Oodnadatta railway station, now a museum, is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register . The Oodnadatta Aboriginal School, located in Kutaya Terrace, is a school operated by the Government of South Australia offering education from Reception to Year 12. In 2018, the school had a total enrolment of 14 students, of whom 86% were indigenous, and
7426-584: 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
7520-425: The town. The alternative meaning is coodnadatta or kudnadatta , meaning "dead man's poo": the first two syllables encompass "rotten" or "excreta" and the second two refer to "there". For tens of thousands of years, Aboriginal tribes visited the place where Oodnadatta is located as a reliable source of water on their trade route; there was no settlement at Oodnadatta itself. John McDouall Stuart explored
7614-519: 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
7708-723: 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
7802-400: 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
7896-497: The world's major manganese mines. Aboriginal communities in outback regions, such as the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in northern South Australia, have not been displaced as they have been in areas of intensive agriculture and large cities, in coastal areas. The total population of the Outback in Australia declined from 700,000 in 1996 to 690,000 in 2006. The largest decline
7990-516: The world's natural supply, but was closed down in 2020 due to financial reasons. The Pilbara region's economy is dominated by mining and petroleum industries. The Pilbara's oil and gas industry is the region's largest export industry, earning $ 5.0 billion in 2004/05 and accounting for over 96% of the State's production. Most of Australia's iron ore is also mined in the Pilbara and it also has one of
8084-403: Was an important station on the railway until the line closed in 1981, to be replaced in 2004 by the Adelaide–Darwin rail corridor about 160 km (100 mi) to the west. Angle Pole ( 27°30′13″S 135°24′57″E / 27.50363071°S 135.41585261°E / -27.50363071; 135.41585261 ) is the point near Oodnadatta where the direction of the telegraph line changed to
8178-527: Was built to restrict movements of dingoes and wild dogs into agricultural areas towards the south east of the continent. The marginally fertile parts are primarily utilised as rangelands and have been traditionally used for sheep or cattle grazing, on cattle stations which are leased from the Federal Government. While small areas of the outback consist of clay soils the majority has exceedingly infertile palaeosols . Riversleigh , in Queensland,
8272-459: 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
8366-476: Was declared the Year of the Outback. While the early explorers used horses to cross the Outback, the first woman to make the journey riding a horse was Anna Hingley , who rode from Broome to Cairns in 2006. The paucity of industrial land use has led to the Outback being recognised globally as one of the largest remaining intact natural areas on Earth. Global " Human Footprint " and wilderness reviews highlight
8460-465: 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
8554-544: Was in the Outback Northern Territory , while the Kimberley and Pilbara showed population increases during the same period. The sex ratio is 1040 males for 1000 females and 17% of the total population is indigenous. The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) started service in 1928 and helps people who live in the outback of Australia. Previously, serious injuries or illnesses often meant death owing to
8648-555: Was never built. The town remained the terminus of the Great Northern Railway until the line was extended to Alice Springs in 1929 and the railway's name was changed to the Central Australia Railway . The railway was built with narrow gauge ( 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in )) tracks, and train traffic was frequently disrupted by washouts and other damage to the trackbed, leading to
8742-520: 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
8836-521: Was sporadic. More focus was on the more accessible and fertile coastal areas. The first party to successfully cross the Blue Mountains just outside Sydney was led by Gregory Blaxland in 1813, 25 years after the colony was established. People, starting with John Oxley in 1817, 1818 and 1821, followed by Charles Sturt from 1829 to 1830, attempted to follow the westward-flowing rivers to find an "inland sea", but these were found to all flow into
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