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Introduction
A L
I C E S P R I N G S
This is the town that Nevil Shute
immortalised in his book ‘A Town Like Alice’. Before you wonder 'a town called
Alice?' here is the story. Alice Springs has a unique story and an unusual location. It
lies in the middle of nowhere.
It started off as a
repeater station in 1871 on the Overland Telegraph Line between Adelaide and Darwin. The
station was built on a usually dry riverbed of the River Todd, named after Charles Todd,
Superintendent of Telegraphs in Adelaide, and the spring near the water hole was named
after his wife, Alice. It was only in 1933 when the population had hit 200, that the town
was renamed Alice Springs. Its uniqueness is enhanced by its proximity to the outback, its
rustic charm, and its biggest draw is that its bang in the middle of some of the most
stunning natural wonders in the world. WWII necessitated a sealed road from Adelaide and
was soon replaced by a highway. Today the little station of 200 has a population of 25,520
and is a pleasant modern town.
