59-733: Larapinta is the Arrernte (Aboriginal language) name for the Finke River in Australia Larapinta may also refer to:: Finke River The Finke River , or Larapinta in the Indigenous Arrernte language , is a river in central Australia , whose bed courses through the Northern Territory and the state of South Australia . It is one of the four main rivers of Lake Eyre Basin and
118-462: 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
177-456: 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
236-637: 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
295-512: A different derivation.) The Finke River is frequently cited as the oldest river in the world . Its age has been deduced from observation and analysis of various factors in the geology of the area. In places such as the James Range, the Finke flows through deeply incised meanders . Because meanders only form on flat plains, the river must be an antecedent stream , and have formed before
354-625: 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
413-611: 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
472-762: 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
531-509: 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
590-475: 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
649-681: 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
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#1732781160338708-639: 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
767-500: 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
826-586: Is named "Salt Hole" in English). The legend of its derivation from the serpent is nonetheless held by the local people. The original spelling was a deliberate choice used for the main exit road west from Alice Springs , Larapinta Drive, as it leads to the Finke River at Hermannsburg ; the name was also used for an Alice Springs suburb and the Larapinta Trail . ( Larapinta, Queensland may have
885-535: 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
944-884: 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
1003-646: Is thought to be the oldest riverbed in the world. It flows for only a few days a year. When this happens, its water usually disappears into the sands of the Simpson Desert , rarely if ever reaching Lake Eyre . The source of the Finke River is in the Northern Territory's MacDonnell Ranges , which flows through central Australia. The name is first applied at the confluence of the Davenport and Ormiston Creeks, just north of Mount Zeil . From here,
1062-493: 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
1121-571: 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
1180-523: The Macumba River , which empties into Lake Eyre – a total distance from headwater streams of about 750 km (470 mi). Major tributaries include Ellery Creek, and the Palmer and Hugh Rivers. Wangkangurru is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Wangkangurru country. It is closely related to Arabana language of South Australia. The Wangkangurru language region was traditionally in
1239-564: 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
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#17327811603381298-631: 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
1357-524: 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
1416-504: 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
1475-496: 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
1534-407: 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
1593-420: 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
1652-424: 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
1711-940: 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
1770-583: 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
1829-505: 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
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1888-751: The South Australian- Queensland border region, taking in Birdsville and extending south towards Innamincka and Lake Eyre, including the local government areas of the Shire of Diamantina and the Outback Communities Authority of South Australia. After several bridges on the now-closed Central Australia Railway were washed away by floods, rails were laid permanently on the bed of the river. In February 1953, after two days waiting at Finke township nearby,
1947-621: 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
2006-631: The areas where the Finke now flows near the southern edge of the Northern Territory, and further south, were under the sea during the Mesozoic Era, part of the Great Artesian Basin . The antiquity of the Finke River is not unique, but applies equally to other large mountain-sourced river systems in central Australia, such as the Todd and Hale Rivers and many others, because most of the central Australian mountain belts formed at around
2065-513: 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
2124-576: 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
2183-555: The explorer Ernest Giles . In August 1872, while camped at Charlotte Waters Telegraph Station, Giles was the first "outsider" to record the Arrernte name for the Finke River. He incorrectly deduced from his conversations with Southern Arrernte that the name was derived from the gigantic mythological snake (known as the Rainbow Serpent ) which was believed to have created the river, and thought that larapinta meant snake in
2242-508: 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
2301-679: The local language. However in July 1876, Rev. Georg A. Heidenreich, the Superintendent of the Finke River Mission Station (Hermannsburg), appears to have been the first to have confirmed the Western Arrernte name of the river, which was actually "Lara Beinta", which means "Salt River". This translation is now widely accepted because the Finke contains certain waterholes that are constantly salty (one of which
2360-631: 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
2419-409: 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
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2478-850: 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
2537-401: 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
2596-591: The ranges were pushed up; this happened in a mountain building event referred to as the Alice Springs Orogeny which peaked between 400 and 300 million years ago ( Devonian to Carboniferous Periods, both within the Paleozoic Era). It is not possible to say with absolute confidence that it is the very oldest river, but it is certainly one of the oldest rivers in the world. However, southern parts of its course must be much younger, because
2655-417: The river level was low enough for a steam-hauled train – The Ghan – to proceed slowly across. The Finke River was named by John McDouall Stuart in 1860 after an Adelaide man, William Finke , who was one of the promoters of his expedition. The Aboriginal name for the river in parts of the Northern Territory, usually taken as Larapinta , may have been incorrectly translated by its first transcriber,
2714-466: The river meanders for about 600 km (370 mi) to the western edge of the Simpson Desert in northern South Australia. It flows through the West MacDonnell and Finke Gorge National Parks . Usually the river is a string of waterholes, but it can become a raging torrent during rare flood events, fed by tropical rains upstream. In extreme instances, water from the Finke River flows into
2773-436: The same time. There are other eroded mountain ranges of equal or greater age to the MacDonnell Ranges, both in Australia and on other continents, so present rivers in those areas may have evolved from ancestral streams of equal or greater antiquity than the Finke. The 2023 six-part documentary series Larapinta looks at the people, stories, and science of the Finke River. Created by Arrernte and Luritja woman Talia Liddle,
2832-603: The series features historians, scientists, and traditional owners , who share their stories and knowledge. Songlines and stories from The Dreaming add to academic data about the river and surrounds. Cinematography is by Torstein Dyrting. The series aired on NITV from 19 August 2023, as well as being available on SBS On Demand . 24°08′39.55″S 132°52′20.76″E / 24.1443194°S 132.8724333°E / -24.1443194; 132.8724333 Alice Springs Alice Springs ( Eastern Arrernte : Mparntwe )
2891-435: 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,
2950-547: 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
3009-416: 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
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#17327811603383068-723: 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
3127-584: 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
3186-519: 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
3245-608: 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
3304-400: 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
3363-459: 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
3422-413: 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
3481-407: 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
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