History
History is not a remote notion in the Centre. With less than 150 years since the first white man passed through, it’s a cross-cultural cauldron where the recipe is always evolving.
Baldwin and Spencer
If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the dynamic duo of Baldwin Spencer and Frank Gillen, whose collaboration began at the Alice Springs Telegraph station 114 years ago, here’s your chance to get a good introduction to these two blokes with big droopy moustaches who “shaped the Australian conscience” - but were also its captives. Dean Ashenden’s essay in the on-line magazine Inside Story traces the relationship between the Irish postmaster Gillen and the Engli...Read more
Where’s Mr Stuart?
By Stuart Traynor Week 16 (15-21 June 1860): An attempt to go north-east to the Gulf Stuart, Kekwick and Head stayed six days at Bishop Creek, resting the horses and getting their equipment in order. There was quite a lot of native cucumber growing near the creek which relieved the pains associated with Stuart’s scurvy. On the morning of 18 June they were on their way northwards again. They had to force the horses through a difficult stretch of tall, sharp spinifex but then came to a grassy pl...Read more
What’s in a name? Part 2
This is the second part of a film made at the Hartley Street School in Alice Springs last Sunday and presented by the National Trust. The piece, performed by Iain Campbell and Dave Evans, was written by Iain in 1983 when it was (eventually) entombed in a time capsule. Which just goes to show, you can’t keep a good story down....Read more
What’s in a name? (Part One)
The story of how Alice Springs was officially named makes a droll tale, as an audience invited by the National Trust to talk at Alice’s old Hartley Street School discovered to its delight last Sunday . There’s even a story about the story itself, as Iain Campbell revealed after he and Dave Evans had donned numerous hats to portray a variety of protagonists in the story of the battle for Alice’s final monicker - a battle which might have remained buried in the archives had n...Read more
Where’s Mr Stuart
Stuart Traynor on the trail of John McDouall Stuart as he journeyed through the centre 150 years ago. Week 15 (8-14 June 1860): An attempt to go north-west to the Victoria Stuart had decided to once more head north-west after crossing the Bishop Creek on 7 June and they continued on this course when they broke camp at 8 o’clock on the 8th. From the Short Range they gradually descended onto an extensive plain covered with grass and gums but no watercourses. After a second night with no water fo...Read more
Where’s Mr Stuart?
Taken from John McDouall Stuart’s journals on his journey through the Centre 150 years ago On the first day of June Stuart and his men encountered a pleasant surprise in the form of “splendid large gum creek or river” on their course through the Davenport Range. The creek was more than 200 metres or “ten chains” wide, with “long and deep reaches of water with fish four or five inches in length.” Stuart (according to the journals) named the river Bonney C...Read more
Where’s Mr Stuart?
Stuart Traynor reports on the whereabouts and whatabouts of John McDouall Stuart and his brave companions, exactly 150 years after they made their way into Central Australia. Week 13 (25-31 May 1860): from Barrow Creek to the Davenport Range Stuart was feeling better on the morning of 25 May when they headed north through some thick mulga to Mount Strzelecki in the Crawford Range. On the way they came across a small creek where there was enough water for the horses. They ascended Mount Strzeleck...Read more
Where’s Mr Stuart?
Stuart Traynor continues his pursuit of John McDouall Stuart through time and space, precisely 150 years after Stuart, Kekwick and Head made their historic journey through Central Australia. Week 12 (18-24 May 1860): from Central Mt Stuart to Barrow Creek Stuart, Kekwick and Head stayed at Central Mount Stuart until the morning of 19 May when they moved north to the waterhole Kekwick had found in the bed of the Hanson River. Stuart was in a lot of pain and riding was a terrible ordeal for him. T...Read more
Where’s Mr Stuart?
Stuart Traynor follows the track of John McDouall Stuart and his men as they explored Central Australia exactly 150 years ago. Week 11 (11-17 May 1860): from Mt Denison back to Central Mt Stuart Ben Head was ill during the night of 10 May and so Stuart was obliged to stay a fourth day near Mount Denison. On 12 May they headed north-east, rather than heading due east back to Central Mount Stuart. They hoped there might be better country in that direction but it wasn’t to be. They ended up trave...Read more
Where’s Mr Stuart?
By Stuart Traynor Following the tracks of John McDouall Stuart’s expedition to the Centre, exactly 150 years ago Week 10 (4-10 May 1860): from the Tanami Desert back to Mt Denison Unable to cross the Tanami Desert to the Victoria River, the three men reluctantly retreated towards Mount Denison. The horses had gone a couple of days without water but fortunately Stuart, Kekwick and Head found another native well after travelling nearly 50 kilometres on 4 May. There was no water in it but the...Read more
Where’s Mr Stuart?
Stuart Traynor continues his weekly series following the trail of John McDouall Stuart into Central Australia – exactly 150 years ago. Week 9 (27April-3 May 1860): from the Centre into the Tanami Desert Stuart, Kekwick and Head managed to find some water on 27 April in the vicinity of a mountain, west of Central Mount Stuart, which was named in honour of the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt. Stuart named two other mountains in the area Denison and Barkly, after the governors of NSW and Victoria....Read more
Where’s Mr Stuart?
By Stuart Traynor In Week 8 of the expedition, 20-26 April 1860, Stuart is making his way from Anna’s Reservoir to the geographical centre of the continent From the Reynolds Range Stuart, Kekwick and Head head north-east for two days to a high hill which Stuart had seen from Mount Freeling on 18 April. They cross some open country that is well-grassed but much of their time is spent in thick mulga. They are lucky to be travelling in a year with wetter than average rainfall and are able to find...Read more
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