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Old photos of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
 

Countries of World | Cities of Australia

History of city Alice Springs, Northern Territory in photos

A small historical reference

Geography: Alice Springs - is the third largest town in the Northern Territory, Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated roughly in the geographic centre of Australia. The name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Lady Alice Todd (née Alice Gillam Bell), wife of the telegraph pioneer Sir Charles Todd.Alice Springs is nearly equidistant from Adelaide and Darwin.

The town straddles the usually dry Todd River on the northern side of the MacDonnell Ranges. (Wiki)

Date of foundation: 1872

History: A white settlement was started with the construction of a repeater station on the 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 was sited near what was thought to be a permanent waterhole in the normally dry Todd River.

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 which was built in 1909 when the town had 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 was built, that the town's European population began to grow. Until 31 August 1933, the town was officially known as Stuart.

Population: 27 972

Alice Springs. Camel's wagon
Camel's wagon
Alice Springs. Children in front of dwellings
Children in front of dwellings, The Bungalow, 1920
Alice Springs. Steam Rail Car
Steam Rail Car
Alice Springs. Todd Street
Todd Street

Photos posted on the website in accordance with Article 7, paragraph 1 of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works of 9 September 1886, the term of protection which is fifty years after the author's death.

After this period photos it becomes public domain. The participants of the Berne Convention are 167 States.


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