Alice Springs, Northern Territory 作者： 来源： 发布时间：2021-03-24
I. Population and Area
Total Area: 149 km²
Population: 30, 000
https://www.australias.guide/nt/location/alice-springs/
II. Natural Geography
-Climate
Alice Springs is situated in the middle of the central Australian arid zone.
As in other desert regions around the world, temperatures in Alice can soar to over 40o Celsius during the summer months, peaking mid to late January with an average of 36.4°C, and dropping to single digits during winter months (average minimum of 4°C in July).
Monsoon season in the far north brings some rainfall to Alice Springs during the late summer months, with a peak average of 42.2mm in February, which evaporates to a negligible 1.1mm average by August. Spectacular thunderstorms in summer can send a sudden torrent along the ordinarily dry Todd River bed – a fantastic and rare opportunity for the keen photographer.
The most popular time for travellers to visit the red centre is from autumn to spring (April to November), when there is little chance of rain, but beautifully sunny days with few clouds and temperatures hovering around 25°C. Warm clothing for the evening is still recommended for this time of year. A hat and sunscreen is essential when outdoors at any time of the year in central Australia. Alice Springs is a very dry place, so visitors may find it necessary to drink water more frequently – it is always a good idea to carry a water bottle with you, wherever you go. Sugary drinks and alcohol do not have the same hydrating effects as plain water, which is best – tap water in Alice is entirely safe to drink.
Alice locals generally avoid being outside for prolonged periods when it’s very hot and will gather at shopping centres, the town pool or the public library to cool off. Visitors may find the CBD quite empty of people on a 40°C day.
https://alicesprings.nt.gov.au/about-alice-springs/more/climate
-Geography
Alice Springs is a town of 30,000 people located on the banks of the usually dry Todd River in Central Australia. This well appointed oasis in the desert is equipped with a wide range of facilities, attractions, tours and accommodation. Anzac Hill in the centre of Alice Springs provides a panoramic view of the town and surrounding mountain ranges.
Alice Springs is an Urban CBD Location area within the local government area of Alice Springs in Northern Territory, it is located approximately 1289kms from the capital Darwin and extends over an area of 1.394 square kilometres. Alice Springs has a recorded population of 300 residents and is within the Australian Central Standard Time zone Australia/Darwin.
https://www.australias.guide/nt/location/alice-springs/
-Transportation
The only public transportation in Alice Springs is a very limited bus system that serves the metropolitan area. It starts from the Yeperenye Shopping Centre on Hartley Street and the people who use it most are shoppers and students. While you can certainly use it if you really want, your best bet is probably to just get out and walk because all the major attractions are within walking distance. Plus, the bus schedule can be erratic and leave you waiting for the next bus for a long time.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g255063-c17363/Alice-Springs:Australia:Public.Transportation.html
By Bus
The public transport bus service, Asbus, leaves from outside the Yeperenye shopping centre on Hartley St. There are regular buses running every one and a half hours from here. Buses traverse on three routes, including cultural district, school of the Air, and several caravan parks and southern hotels. Public transport buses operate all weekdays, from Monday to Saturday, except on public holidays. You can get more information on public holidays on the Alice Springs government website.
Bus service routes in Alice Springs include 100/101, 200/201, 300/301, 400/401 and 500. For more information on public transport in Alice Springs, please visit this website.
The Alice Wanderer hop-on/hop-off bus tour
This service offers visitors a great opportunity to explore local attractions, such as old telegraph station, the Old Ghan Museum, and the school of the Air. The Wanderer also transfers visitors to Larapinta Trail and it runs within every 70 minutes from opposite the Gregory Tce, visitor information centre. For more information browse Experience Oz or simply call 1800 722 111 or +61 8 8952 2111.
By Taxi
For hassle-free traveling in the town of Alice Springs, you can hire taxis, which are available close to the Gregory Terrace, Visitors Centre.
1/13 Whittaker Street Alice Springs NT 0871 Admin Phone: (08) 8952 1877 Direct Bookings: (08) 8952 1877
Taxi Cabs Operating in Alice Springs
Taxis Alice Springs
Address: Lot 9131, 13 Whittaker St Alice Springs
Alice Springs, NT, 0870
Central Australian Bus Services Pty Ltd
Address: Alice Springs
Alice Springs, NT, 0871
Blue Top Mini Buses
Address: Alice Springs
Alice Springs, NT, 0871
Hire a Bike
You can hire a bike from many hostels and hotels in town. Minimum rent for a bike is approximately $30 per day. Longhorn Bikes is a local company, which provides bikes on rent and they operate from most hotels. They also hire out urban bikes, mountain bikes, and even tandem bikes.
Bike riding is one of the best way to explore or getting around Alice Springs. Get more information at hire@longhorn.net.au or call +61 439 860 735. Address: 15 Forrest Crescent, Gillen, Alice Springs, NT 0870
Hire a Car
Getting off the beaten track for a bit of independent exploration around Alice Springs is easier with care hire. Available places to hire a car in town include:
Avis Rent-A-Car Alice Springs
Address: Coles Shopping Centre, Cnr Bath St & Gregory Tce, Alice Springs, NT 0870 Telephone: +61 8 8953 5533
Advance Car Rentals
Address: 9 Railway Terrace, Alice Springs, NT
By Train
Explore wildlife and beautiful natural scenery through The Ghan, which offers transportation between Adelaide, Alice Springs, and Darwin. Address: Adelaide, SA
In addition, if you're looking for all the best things to do in Alice Springs including tours, attractions, activities and more, be sure to check out our main Alice Springs region section to browse and book online.
https://www.experienceoz.com.au/en/alice-springs-getting-around
III. GDP
https://business.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/260149/alice-springs-economic-profile.pdf
IV. Industrial Characteristics
Alice Springs is the major economic, business and service hub for the region, and also services parts of South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. The economy is sustained by mining, tourism and primary industries and is underpinned by government funding for regional service delivery and defence.
On behalf of the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $2.17 million to support the Alice Springs Future Grid Project.
The two year project will focus on addressing barriers to further renewable energy penetration in the local electricity network.
Currently, Alice Springs has approximately 10 per cent renewable energy generation and faces a unique challenge in overcoming system strength issues to serve approximately 30,000 people, with communities stretching as far as 130km from the town.
The $9.3 million project will address technical, regulatory, social and economic challenges with energy transition in the town’s isolated grid through a series of sub projects including:
A large scale battery system
A residential battery trial for up to 50 customers, with batteries aggregated and controlled to provide voltage support to the network
Tariff reforms to investigate the commercial and other incentives required to encourage a change in consumer behaviour to facilitate higher uptake of household batteries with rooftop solar
A roadmap for how the Alice Springs electricity grid could operate with 50 per cent renewables by 2030.
Alice Springs Future Grid is led by the Intyalheme Centre for Future Energy, a flagship project of Desert Knowledge Australia (DKA), supported by the Northern Territory Government. ARENA’s funding is provided through theDesert Knowledge Research Institute.
Alice Springs Future Grid is governed by a steering committee including CSIRO, Ekistica, Power and Water Corporation and Territory Generation, along with representatives from ARENA and the Northern Territory Government.
The ARENA funding will complement the $3.19 million in funding DKA received as part of the Australian Government’s $50 million Regional and Remote Communities Microgrid Fund.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said this project would provide much needed support to help the town overcome challenges, and transition towards renewable energy solutions.
“This project will lead to the development of a tangible roadmap for increased renewable energy adoption in Alice Springs. The lessons learned will also contribute to the broader Northern Territory and other remote Australian microgrid communities,” he said.
General Manager of the Intyalheme Centre for Future Energy, Tristan Simons said, “Alice Springs Future Grid takes a unique approach to a multi-faceted challenge, in a rapidly-changing environment.
“Alice Springs is ‘small enough to manage but big enough to matter’ and we are confident the project will not only help secure a clean and reliable energy future for the town, but the knowledge generated will have a positive flow-on effect, well beyond the other isolated electricity networks in the Northern Territory.”
https://arena.gov.au/news/a-clean-energy-future-for-alice-springs/
Key Projects
1. Alice Springs
Alice Springs Seniors' Lifestyle Accommodation Project
The Northern Territory (NT) Government has commenced a competitive market process to engage a proponent to develop and operate a seniors’ lifestyle accommodation (SLA) village in Alice Springs.
The NT Government is undertaking a two-stage competitive market process:
stage 1 - expression of interest: raise awareness of the opportunity and invite submissions from suitably qualified / experienced entities
stage 2 - request for detailed proposals: invite shortlisted proponents to submit binding detailed proposals.
The competitive process provides a flexible framework to deliver a high quality and commercially sustainable project.
The NT Government has identified a site that it is available for the project. Lot 10019 Town of Alice Springs (15 Irrampenye Street) is a 5.58 hectare Crown land site that provides significant development potential for a SLA village.
Expressions of Interest opened on 22 April 2020 and closed on 29 May 2020.
General enquiries in relation to the project should be emailed to seniorsaccomm@nt.gov.au.
Alice Springs tourism commercial development
On 30 April 2017 the Chief Minister indicated a preparedness to provide land in Alice Springs through an expression of interest process for a potential tourism or commercial venture. The project was one of five major private sector projects supported by the Northern Territory (NT) Government, designed to unlock investment in the Territory and create hundreds of jobs.
The Department of Trade, Business and Innovation engaged AEC Group Pty Ltd (AEC) to investigate market conditions and options for the development and operation of a new mixed use tourism / commercial project in Alice Springs. The AEC work which has been finalised included:
a market analysis to confirm the demand for and timing of a new tourism / commercial development
an analysis of appropriate site(s) for the project
a scoping study to investigate the potential scope, scale, size and configuration of a new tourism / commercial development
advice on commercial and financial considerations for the proposed development.
The NT Government is currently working through site options and undertaking stakeholder engagement with a view to nominating a site as part of a future competitive market process.
The competitive market process will likely involve an initial expression of interest process to identify suitably qualified parties who may then be invited to prepare detailed proposals.
All enquiries should be directed to the project team at SIP@nt.gov.au
Last updated: 23 April 2019
Batteries, batteries, and more batteries: Alice Springs future grid plan gets ARENA boost
A new big battery, incentives to encourage more home battery storage installations, and a battery-based virtual power plant are to be fast tracked for Alice Springs after a nearly $2.1 million funding boost from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
The ARENA funding, announced on Friday, will go towards the $9.3 million Alice Springs Future Grid project, which is being led by Intyalheme Centre for Future Energy to bolster the reliability of the sometimes problematic local grid and pave the way for a much larger share of renewable energy.
The funds add to $3.19 million from the federal government’s Regional and Remote Communities Microgrid Fund, that went to Desert Knowledge Australia – a statutory authority of the Northern Territory that oversees the Intyalheme Centre for Future Energy.
The Future Grid project will focus heavily on battery storage to address the technical, regulatory, social and economic challenges to the Alice’s isolated grid, which has experienced blackouts in recent times, including – outrageously – in the middle of last year’s AFL final.
Included in the plan is a large-scale grid-connected battery system (further to a 5MW battery already installed); a residential battery virtual power plant trial for up to 50 customers, to provide voltage support to the network, and; tariff reforms to incentivise greater uptake of home batteries with solar.
Intyalheme, which led an ARENA A-Lab workshop to help nut out a 50 per cent renewables roadmap for Alice Springs back in December 2018, said on Friday that the Future Grid plan would take a unique approach to a multi-faceted challenge, in a rapidly-changing environment.
“Alice Springs is ‘small enough to manage but big enough to matter’ and we are confident the project will not only help secure a clean and reliable energy future for the town, but the knowledge generated will have a positive flow-on effect, well beyond the other isolated electricity networks in the Northern Territory,” said the Centre’s general manager, Tristan Simons.
Currently, Alice Springs’ grid sits at around 10 per cent renewables generation and – like the rest of the NT – faces the challenge set by the Territory government to take that number to 50 per cent by 2030.
For the Alice Springs grid, this challenge includes serving approximately 30,000 people in communities spread as far as 130km from the town.
On top of that, there have been some local energy industry issues to overcome, too, after the NT’s Labor government sacked the Territory’s two most senior energy chiefs last December following a damning report from the market regulator into a “system black” that hit Alice Springs in October.
As RenewEconomy reported at the time, investigations into the outage found it was not a problem of technology – despite some trying to sheet the blame on the amount of rooftop solar in the local grid and the impact of passing clouds – but of corporate and energy culture. And of incompetence.
“Alice Springs has long battled the energy challenges that come with being a remote Australian town and the government is committed to ensuring our regional communities have access to an affordable energy supply they can rely on,” federal energy minister Angus Taylor said in a statement on Friday.
“Despite having a wealth of solar resources, Alice Springs has not been able to take advantage of this. Through this project and with the government’s support, we hope to see that change.
“Geography shouldn’t be a barrier to keeping the lights on and access to affordable power in remote areas of our country which is why we are investing in the energy future of Alice Springs,” Taylor said.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the Agency expected the lessons learned from the Alice Springs roadmap to contribute to the broader Northern Territory and other remote Australian microgrid communities.
ARENA’s Phil Cohn, an investment director in the Agency’s Business Development and Transactions team and A-Lab’s project lead for the Alice Springs Future Grid project, has described the Alice system as having a lot of the characteristics of many places in the broader NEM, but at a scale where innovations could be meaningfully tested without being too cost-prohibitive.
“Really importantly you’ve got government and community buy-in for progressively driving on renewable energy as well,” Cohn said, back in 2018. That mix of the scale and the physical characteristics alongside the community buy-in make it a great place to trial new ways of working the grid.
“Alice Springs has this history of being a bit of a leading light nationally. They were a solar city a decade ago and they’re wanting to retake that initiative … to show how you can run a grid with high penetration renewables.”
The Chandler Facility, located approximately 120km south of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, is Australia's first proposed underground salt mine and deep geologically-stable waste repository. Salt extracted from the salt bed will predominately be exported for industrial purposes. The resulting underground voids will then be utilised for storing equipment, archives, and the permanent isolation of difficult to manage waste materials (known as Controlled Wastes in the NT).
The project has a projected capital expenditure of $445 million and would create approximately 1,299 construction jobs and 150 ongoing jobs.
The Nolans Project, located 135km north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, is one of the world’s largest deposits of the rare earths Neodymium and Praseodymium (NdPr), which are essential ingredients in ultra-strong permanent magnets. Arafura plans to mine, concentrate and chemically process NdPr for use in the automotive, clean energy technology and electronic sectors. The operation also plans to produce phosphoric acid for the fertiliser industry
The project has a projected capital expenditure of $1.2 billion and would create approximately 500 construction jobs and 300 ongoing jobs.
https://www.business.gov.au/Grants-and-Programs/Major-Project-Status/Current-Major-Projects
Construction to Commence at Territory’s Youth Justice Centres
A total of 419 local jobs will be created through the construction of a new purpose-built Darwin Youth Justice Centre and the redevelopment of the Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre.
These are major construction projects that will create local jobs, support local business and boost the economy.
Rebuilding the youth detention centres is part of the Territory Labor Government’s overhaul of the youth justice system, which will cut crime, support young people to turn their lives around and stop reoffending.
New Purpose-Built Darwin Youth Justice Centre
Local company Halikos Pty Ltd has been awarded the $55.1 million (GST inclusive) construction tender for the development of the new Youth Justice Centre in Darwin, creating 350 local jobs, including 50 Aboriginal employment opportunities and 22 apprentices.
Halikos Pty Ltd is a well-known Darwin based construction company that has significant experience in delivering major infrastructure projects.
Construction is expected to commence in late July 2020 and finish in mid-2022.
The purpose-built facility will be constructed on a greenfield site at 498 Taylor Road, Holtze. The site is located close to police, emergency services and health services.
The structures and landscaping of the Darwin Youth Justice Centre site will occupy four hectares of a densely vegetated 14.5-hectare site.
Replacing the existing Don Dale Youth Detention Centre with a new purpose-built Youth Justice Centre is a key recommendation from the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the NT.
Refurbishment of Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre
Local Alice Springs company Asbuild NT has been awarded the $13.1 million (GST inclusive) construction contract for the redevelopment of the Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre. Asbuild NT was established in Alice Springs in 2007 and has quickly risen to become one of Central Australia’s most respected building firms.
This project will create 69 local jobs, including 19 Aboriginal employment opportunities and 22 apprentices. Construction is expected to commence in late July 2020.
Scope of works will include new program delivery spaces for service providers to deliver crucial programs, new medical and health area, advanced security including perimeter monitoring through CCTV, new recreation field to engage young people in sports, and redeveloped accommodation areas.
As noted by Minister for Territory Families, Dale Wakefield
“The Territory Labor Government is doing everything it can to save jobs and support Territory business, especially through these difficult times.
“Our tradies now have a massive pipeline of work through our various stimulus programs, and these additional construction projects will further boost the economy.
“Construction commencing on both the Darwin and Alice Springs centres will create 419 jobs through local construction companies.
“Once completed, the centres will be places that give young offenders the best chance to turn their lives around and stop offending.”
/Public Release. The material in this public release comes from the originating organization and may be of a point-in-time nature, edited for clarity, style and length. View in full here.
Tags:Aboriginal, Alice Springs, AusPol, Australia, building, business, CCTV, children, Commission, detention, Emergency, employment, Government, health services, infrastructure, Northern Territory, purpose-built, royal commission
https://www.miragenews.com/construction-to-commence-at-territory-s-youth-justice-centres/
V. Attractions
Alice Springs is the perfect base from which to explore the heart of Central Australia. Whether you are looking for a simple road trip or a some more hardcore 4WD exploration, there are so many attractions within an easy day's drive.
Just a short trip are Simpsons Gap and Standley Chasm, the first highlights of the dramatic West MacDonnell Range. As you head further west you'll find even more spectacular gorges and intriguing sites like the Ochre Pits.
Continue exploring beyond the West MacDonnell Ranges to the astounding Kings Canyon. Even a short walk here gives amazing views over the sheer sandstone cliffs, but a helicopter tour gives the best views of these astounding rock formations.
Although not as well known as their western counterpart, the East MacDonnell Range is another destination jam-packed with amazing formations, like Emily and Jesse gaps, and significant Aboriginal sites. If you have more time, you can venture off the seal and explore the historic buildings at Arltunga.
It's a bit of a drive up the Stuart Highway to reach Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles but well worth the effort to see these dramatic boulders. The red glow of sunset really brings these granite formations to life. On the drive north you'll pass the giant sculptures at Aileron and the unique UFO Centre at Wycliffe Well.
An easy drive south along the highway is Henbury Meteorite Craters. There's an easy walk around the 12 craters to discover the impact of the meteorite crash about 4900 years ago. While you're in the area, book in to enjoy a camel ride through the arid landscape at Stuarts Well.
Only an hour's drive south of Alice Springs, Rainbow Valley is certainly worth the minor discomfort of the rough dirt access road off the Stuart Highway. As with a lot of the Red Centre's geological attractions, the magnificent red and ochre-coloured sandstone here really looks its best in the golden rays of a remarkable outback sunset.
The truly adventurous can tackle the unsealed road to Chambers Pillar, past the rock carvings at Ewaninga and relics of the Old Ghan Railway. The track in to this striking sandstone pillar is definitely 4WD-only.
https://www.alicesprings.com/attractions
Things to Do in Alice Springs
In the heart of Australia is Alice Springs, a spectacular town that opens the Red Centre for you.
Nestled in the heart of the Red Centre, Alice Springs is a bustling town that provides a stark contrast to the rolling red scenery that surrounds it. Throughout its historic streets, you can tuck into delicious local food, learn about the towns Indigenous past and the area’s fantastic taste in art.
Alice Springs is the perfect base for people looking to explore the Red Centre. Set yourself up in this lovely town before venturing to Uluru, Kings Canyon, or even travel as far as to Darwin.
Art in Alice Springs
Aboriginal art is the oldest art tradition in the world. Early artworks were created on the ground and as body painting, however in 1971 a schoolteacher introduced paints and canvas to the community, allowing these impermanent artworks to become permanent. Today artworks are displayed across the town in Aboriginal owned and directed galleries. There are several art collectives across the town that display different types of traditional arts, and help to support local Aboriginal communities.
Take a stroll through the Araluen Cultural Precinct and learn more about Central Australian history, art and culture. Pop by the Albert Namatjira Gallery and see the work of one of Australia’s most famous artists. His paintings express his relationship with the Western Arrernte lands, for which he was a traditional custodian. The Museum of Central Australia can also be found in Alice Springs. The museum follows the geological history of this area and the unique evolution of this landscape.
Visiting Uluru and Kata Tjuta
Alice Springs is influenced heavily by the remote and wild scenery that surrounds it, as well as the myths and legends that have pervaded the region for centuries. It forms a popular base for exploring Australia’s outback, where Uluru and the Kata Tjuta National Park lie within easy driving distance.
They are some of Australia’s most recognised landmarks and are a must see for anyone coming to Australia. Learn about the oldest living culture that thrives here and understand the deep and powerful history of the Aboriginal peoples in this region.
Nearby attractions
And, outside of Alice Springs, you can marvel at the mesmerising landscapes, hidden communities, and its surrounding attractions. Hotspots including the Larapinta Trail and the MacDonnell Ranges draw in hikers and nature-lovers from all over the world who are on the hunt for jaw-dropping views and an intimate encounter with Australia’s surreal beauty.
While you’re here be sure to get to know a bit about the local outback culture. Head to the Telegraph Station Historical Reserve, Australia’s best-preserved station along the Overland Telegraph Line. Visit the School of the Air visitor centre, epicentre of Australia’s largest distance education school. Learn how they connect isolated students from across the state to ensure they receive quality education no matter where they are.
Alice Springs is your doorway to Australia’s incredible Red Centre. There’s so much life and so many stories here that you simply must visit on your next trip Down Under.
https://sightseeingtoursaustralia.com.au/attractions/alice-springs/
VI. History and Culture
Alice Springs is a fascinating town that's rich in culture, heritage, and history. From the early settlers to the European explorers, Alice has been built up from just a few Aboriginal camps into one of Australia’s top tourist destinations. Take a step back in time and learn how Alice Springs became what it is today.
The traditional owners of Alice Springs and the surrounding area are the Aboriginal Arrernte people, who first settled here thousands of years ago. Their Dreamtime story of Yeperenye (caterpillar) tells of how the region was created by giant caterpillars that lost a battle with their enemies, the stink bugs. As a result, the caterpillars became the stunning ridges of the East and West MacDonnell Ranges, and the gaps in the ridges were created when the caterpillars’ heads were bitten off by the stink bugs. The Arrernte people lived simply in camps, and remain in the area today, passing down their ancient stories, beliefs, values, language, laws, and culture to younger generations as well as visitors.
In 1862, the first European arrived in the area – a Scottish man named John MacDouall Stuart, who was assessing inland Australia for a potential settlement. Following his path, the Overland Telegraph was constructed, with the goal of making it possible for farmers to take up leases in the outback. It was completed in 1872. The Overland Telegraph is considered by many to be the greatest engineering achievement of 19th Century Australia, as it allowed communications between Australia and Europe. Aboriginal camps remained in the area, and many Arrernte people were employed by the station.
During construction, a surveyor noticed a dry riverbed and followed it to discover pools of clear water. He named the waterhole Alice Springs, after the wife of Sir Charles Todd, Superintendent of Telegraphs, who was overseeing the project. The town which we now know as Alice Springs was originally named Stuart.
In 1878 a post office was opened, followed in 1879 by a police station. However, the major turning point wasn’t until 1887, when alluvial gold was discovered at Arltunga, located 110km east. Camel trains began to carry water and supplies from Alice Springs to Arltunga, and many present-day residents of Alice are direct descendants of those cameleers.
In 1888, the town of Stuart was officially proclaimed, after the South Australian government began to build a town on the west banks of the Todd River. It was just 3km from the telegraph station. In 1889, some of Stuart's earliest businesses were opened, including a store and a hotel. However, Alice Springs and the telegraph station remained a separate community.
The population grew over the next three decades, and by the time that the first plane landed in Stuart, it was home to around 30 whites and 300 Aboriginals. In 1927, the town was declared the administrative capital of Central Australia. In the 1920s railway lines were extended, and by 1929 Stuart and Adelaide were linked by rail. At this point the town was known informally as Alice Springs, however, it caused some confusion, so finally, in 1933, Stuart was officially renamed Alice Springs by the government. At this point, the population was a little over 500 people.
Over the course of World War Two, the town obtained a much cleaner and more extensive water supply, as well as a power station, a new airport, and its own newspaper. The population grew, and by the time the war ended, Alice Springs was home to over 2,000 residents.
Since the end of World War Two, Alice Springs has seen rapid population growth and is estimated to have over 29,000 residents in 2019. Around 18% of the multicultural population are Aboriginal Australians, however people from all over the world call Alice home. Today it is a bustling town that occupies a high spot on the bucket lists of many visitors and tourists in Australia. The Arrernte residents still observe their original culture and laws from all those years ago.
When visiting Alice Springs, there are plenty of ways to observe the history of the town. Head to the Ewaninga Rock Carvings Conservation Reserve to see ancient petroglyphs. Make your way to the Araluen Cultural Precinct for museums, galleries, and a theatre where you can gain a real understanding of the history and culture. Learn all about the overland telegraph line that plays such a critical role in the town’s history, on a tour of the Telegraph Station Historical Reserve, and visit the original Alice Springs waterhole whilst you’re there.
https://www.alicesprings.com/information/history
Hear the Yeperenye (Caterpillar) story of the Western Arrernte people and discover the fascinating spiritual origins of the MacDonnell Ranges.
If you’re looking for Australia’s spiritual home, thn you’ve come to the right place. In the Arrernte Aboriginal people’s Dreamtime story, this region was created by giant caterpillars. These creatures became the stunning ridges of the East and West Macdonnell Ranges that shelter the town of Alice Springs.
Art and history
The Yeperenye (Caterpillar) story and many more ancient myths, symbols and images can be found in the rich diversity of local Aboriginal art. Alice Springs’ outstanding art galleries and cultural museums are the perfect way to interact with and learn more about the area’s incredible visual heritage.
To set yourself up with an introduction to Aboriginal art, culture and history, a visit to the Araluen Cultural Precinct is a must. It’s home to a number of galleries and museums, and rich with important stories of the land and its people.
At one with the land
The best way to understand the Aboriginal connection to the land is to head outdoors on a DIY tour of local sites. Take a moment to contemplate the 300-year-old Corkwood tree in the Araluen sculpture garden, one of seven sacred sites in the precinct, or head out to Ewaninga Conservation Reserve. Rock carvings and petroglyphs marked into sandstone thousands of years ago survive today. You’ll witness an enduring record of sacred local beliefs.
Visit an art centre outside of Alice Springs or take a guided tour to an Aboriginal community, a rare and special experience. Share stories around the camp fire, discover bush tucker, watch local artists at work, and be led on walks to sacred and historical sites.
Local respect
It’s good to keep in mind that access to some sites with spiritual significance may be restricted, and some Aboriginal people have beliefs that mean they won’t want their photo taken.
VII. Contact Information
Robert Jennings — Chief Executive Officer
astc@astc.nt.gov.au
(08) 8950 0500
(08) 8950 0558
PO Box 1071
Alice Springs NT 0871
93 Todd Street
Alice Springs NT 0870
https://alicesprings.nt.gov.au/council/about/ceo-directors