Alice Springs History

The history of Alice Springs township began in 1871 when a telegraph repeater station was built there, one of several repeater stations between Adelaide and Darwin. The township that grew up was initially called Stuart, but this name never really caught on and was officially changed to Alice Springs in 1933. Development of the town was slow, however, and the original road to Adelaide wasn't replaced until as late as 1987. In the past, travellers including train travellers basically followed the route of Stuart and the Overland Teleraph north from Port Augusta to Alice Springs, travelling what is today called the Old South Road through Oodnadatta and Finke. Today, the Stuart Highway is a first class road that is accessible by any vehicle.

For a short period of time Alice Springs was the capital of a territory known as Central Australia, which was later reincorporated into the Northern Territory.

Development has accelerated greatly over the past 20 years and today the town is a modern, moderate sized municipality that has a wealth of resources and facilities compared to any town of similar size anywhere in Australia. A significant part of Alice Springs history is the Ghan railway, which first arrived in the town in 1929. The railway was recently extended to Darwin. You can discover more about the history of the Ghan and its role in the development of Alice Springs at the Old Ghan Museum and Transport Hall of Fame.