Page 288 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

286  THE NOR THERN TERRIT OR Y

1 Alice Springs

Alice Springs is named after the Alice Spring permanent
waterhole, near which a staging post for the overland
telegraph line was built in the 1870s. The waterhole was named
after Alice Todd, wife of the line’s construction manager. The
town developed nearby in the 1880s, but, with no rail link until
1929 and no surfaced road link until the 1940s, it grew slowly.
The huge increase in tourism since the 1970s, however, has
brought rapid growth and Alice Springs is now a lively city with
around 400,000 visitors a year, many of whom use it as a base
from which to tour the surrounding spectacular natural sights.
Out-of-service plane exhibited at the Royal
Flying Doctor Service Visitor Centre
Exploring Alice Springs Stuart Terrace. The gaol is now
Although many of its sights are open to the public, but call E Royal Flying Doctor
spread around the city, Alice ahead to be granted access. Service Visitor Centre
Springs is small enough to tour 8–10 Stuart Terrace. Tel (08) 8958
on foot. Its compact centre, just 8412. Open 9am–5pm Mon–Sat,
five streets across running from 1–5pm Sun & public hols. Closed 25
Wills Terrace in the north to Dec, 1 Jan. & 8 obligatory. - =
Stuart Terrace in the south, 7 ∑ rfdsalicesprings.com.au
contains many of the town’s The centre can only be visited
hotels and restaurants and the accompanied by a guide, and
pedestrianized Todd Mall. The visitors are taken on a 45-minute
city’s eastern side is bordered by tour of the base that includes the
Todd River, dry and sandy most Radio Communications centre,
of the time and scene of the where staff recount the history of
celebrated Henley-on-Todd the Service and explain the day-
Regatta (see p47). to-day operations. There is also a
museum, containing old medical
} Anzac Hill Old Stuart Town Gaol, the oldest building equipment, model aircraft and
Anzac Hill Rd. 7 in Alice Springs an original Traeger Pedal Radio.
At the northern end of Alice The Visitor Centre opened in
Springs, Anzac Hill overlooks the P The Residency the late 1970s but has been
city and affords fine views of the Cnr Parsons & Hartley sts. Tel (08) 8953 extended to include a café
MacDonnell Ranges (see p288). 6073. Open 10am–3pm Mon–Fri. and a souvenir shop.
Named after the 1934 Anzac Closed Dec–Mar, public hols.
memorial at the site, the hill is a & Donation. ∑ heritagealice E National Pioneer
perfect vantage point for visitors springs.com.au Women’s Hall of Fame
to familiarize themselves with the The Residency, built in 1927 for Old Alice Springs Gaol, 2 Stuart Tce.
city’s layout, as well as for viewing the regional administrator of Tel (08) 8952 9006. Open 10am–5pm
the area at sunrise or sunset. Central Australia, was the home daily. Closed late Dec–early Feb. &
of Alice Springs’ senior public 7 ∑ pioneerwomen.com.au
P Old Courthouse servant until 1973. It was opened The displays in this museum
Cnr Parsons & Hartley sts. Tel (08) 8953 to the public in 1996 and houses document the achievements of
6073. Open on request. & 7 a local history display. Australia’s pioneering women.
Built in 1928 by Emil Martin, also
responsible for The Residency, P Adelaide House Museum E Museum of Central
the Old Courthouse was in use Todd Mall. Tel (08) 8952 1856. Australia
until 1980, when new law Open 10am–4pm Alice Springs Cultural Precinct,
courts were opened nearby. Mon–Sat. Closed Memorial Ave. Tel (08) 8951
Good Fri. & 7 1121. Open 10am–
P Old Stuart Town Gaol Adelaide 4pm Mon–Fri,
8 Parsons St. Tel (08) 8953 6073. House 11am–4pm Sat &
Open Wed, Thu & Sat. Closed mid- Museum, Alice Sun. Closed Good
Dec–1 Feb, public hols. & 7 Springs’ first Meteorite fragment in the Fri, two weeks over
∑ heritagealicesprings.com.au hospital, opened in Museum of Central Australia Christmas. & 7
The oldest building in central 1926. Designed by ∑ magnt.net.
au/museum-
Alice Springs is the Old Stuart John Flynn, founder of the Royal of-central-australia
Town Gaol, which operated as a Flying Doctor Service (see p261),
jail between 1909 and 1938, it is preserved as a museum This museum, situated in the
when a new prison was built on dedicated to his memory. Cultural Precinct, focuses on
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp489–90 and pp518–19