Posts Tagged ‘alice springs
The secret life of white-plumed honeyeaters
White-plumed honeyeaters are very partial to rivergums, a fact that explains why they are so perpetually present in our back yard. I have always assumed there are large numbers of them, but I wonder if perhaps they create that illusion by moving fast and chirping a lot. The huge gum in our back yard appears to be the jealously guarded centre of their universe, to which only short visits by other birds are tolerated. Recent events suggest that our particular honeyeaters may be permanent residents...Read more
Crime levels not new: police commissioner
The Minister for Central Australia says he’s “disappointed” by Northern Territory Police Commissioner John McRoberts’ announcement that he won’t dispatch any more police to Alice Springs. Mr McRoberts has told media that current levels of crime and social dysfunction in Alice Springs are “not new” and have “been around for 30 years.” ABC News reported that Mr McRoberts has asked Alice Springs residents to “have faith” in a mult...Read more
Six years for stabbing
A 23-year-old man, Nathaniel Sims, has been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for the stabbing death of a Yuendumu man in Alice Springs in 2010, reports ABC radio news. Kwementyaye Watson died after a fight involving several men at Warlpiri Camp, during which he was stabbed in the leg. His death sparked calls for tribal punishment and riots in Yuendumu, which led to many residents evacuating the town. According to the report, Sims, who was charged with manslaughter, will be eligible ...Read more
Town camp housing: “We don’t want disasters”
Territory Opposition Housing spokesman Adam Giles says he’s “not surprised” to hear that 65 of the new houses built in Alice Springs two camps during the past two years need repairs, although Territory Alliance says the faults are “cosmetic” and not structural. It may be too soon for alarm bells, but it’s a reminder of the historically proven need for vigilence when it comes to building on Aboriginal communities. Last week Alice Online ran the first part o...Read more
Attack on film crew
A film crew was attacked and chased out of the Todd River by two drunken women into a nearby hotel where a hotel staff member was also attacked. Crew members, including Sydney-based journalist Joe Hilderbrand were getting footage at about 6.30pm (CST) on Wednesday for a documentary to be titled Dumb, Drunk and Racist, which had been commissioned by ABC2. Production company Cordell Jigsaw managing director Nick Murray told AAP there were five on-screen staff and five camera operators working when...Read more
House-fixing and myth-busting with Paul Pholeros
I and many others were enlightened and inspired by two talks at this week’s Connecting the Dots conference in Alice Springs: one by Nobel Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus and the other by Healthabitat’s Paul Pholeros. For two days delegates at the conference, organised by Infrastructure Australia, explored the vexed issues of how to improve the poor state of houses, amenities, roads, communications and just about everything else on Aboriginal communities, especially in remote areas. A...Read more
Bush food’s new life in garden
An Aboriginal-owned enterprise near Alice Springs is pioneering the cultivation of one of the world’s most ancient wild foods with help from an unlikely source : a Chinese university. Desert Garden Produce’s Max Emery is anticipating a record harvest of as much as one a half tonnes of kutjera, which will be exported to Melbourne and end as part of the recipe of a mass-produced gourmet sausage. After interviewing Max in 2010 about the Rainbow Valley farm, which is owned and operated by local ...Read more
Lone wolf finds new pack
Sometimes you have to go hunting on your own and that’s exactly what I did. If you hunt in a pack and the pack’s not working, you have to go on your own. I will hunt with the pack. If I don’t feel the pack’s hunting properly, then I will go and hunt on my own. – Alison Anderson. Labor Government minister-turned-independent Alison Anderson has been accepted as a member of the Country Liberals and will stand for the party at the next election. Ms Anderson declared her sup...Read more
What a Lulu!
Thanks to Alice Springs historian Josie Petrick for forwarding this story exploring the fascinating link between singers Siobahn Stagg, soon to visit Alice Springs, and one of Alice Springs’ first talent exports, Lulu Benstead. Lulu is believed to be the first white child to be born in in Alice Springs, on 5 February 1891. With a voice of ʻangelic purity and beauty’ (The Age, 2010), Siobhan Stagg is one of Australia’s brightest vocal talents. This month, history comes full circle whe...Read more
Victory for the liquid lunch
Live in Alice Springs? Then you should be feeling triumphant today. According to the Centralian Advocate: “The people of Alice Springs have won a battle in the fight against further alcohol restrictions in the town.” Reporter Erin Jones was referring to a decision by the NT Liquor Commission to reject a proposal to ban the sale of full-strength alcohol unless accompanied by a meal. As Erin reported , this was a controversial proposal, and four thousand signatures on a petition does...Read more
In case you missed something …
Happy New Year to all who find themselves reading this — and all who don’t, for that matter – and a big thank-you to all who have supported Alice Online thoughout 2010. The year for me has had a very distinct energy in the way that not all years have. A few days before Christmas last year, the Bureau had been forecasting big rains. It had been the driest year on the record, and the hope for the rains was as thick as the gathering humidity I was sitting on the river talking to...Read more
The garbology of Christmas
Two weeks ago yesterday, I was about to ring the Council. It was lunchtime, and still no garbage truck. As usual I’d raced out of the house, wheeling the garbage bin on to the footpath at around eight. For reassurance, I quickly lifted the lid of the neighbours’ bin, which we always put ours next to, and is always there well ahead of time. It was full. The truck was clearly still on its way. It wouldn’t have mattered that much to miss the truck. It takes us a while to fill the bin these da...Read more
Recent Features
- The hospital they didn't want
- The secret life of white-plumed honeyeaters
- Crime levels not new: police commissioner
- Mandatory treatment plan would cost hundreds of millions
- Misbehavers "not welcome": police commissioner
- That famous Whitegate mob again
- CASA and the zen of tourism
- Return of the man from Oodnadatta
- The memories are always there
- More truancy officers
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