Arltunga Historical Reserve
| Arltunga Historical Reserve Hart[1], Northern Territory | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Arltunga Gaol at the Arltunga Historical Reserve | |
  Arltunga Historical Reserve | |
| Coordinates | 23°26′51″S 134°43′02″E / 23.4475°S 134.7172°E[1] |
| Managing authorities | Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory |
Arltunga Historical Reserve, known also as Arnerre-ntyenge is a deserted gold rush town located in the Northern Territory of Australia in the locality of Hart[1] about 110 kilometres (68 mi) east of Alice Springs. It is on the lands of the Eastern Arrernte people who are the Traditional Owners.[2]
The name Arltunga comes from the Eastern Arrernte name for the nearby waterhole Arnerre-ntyenge (a-na-ra n-tunga-a) which translates roughly as 'stinking water' as animals were known to get stuck in there and die.[3][4] Alternatively there is speculation that the name comes from a corruption of the Kukatja dialect (Luritja language) word aldolanga which means 'easterners'. The European name for this waterhole is Paddy's Rockhole.[3]
It is of major historical significance as the first major European settlement in Central Australia.[5]
It is nearby to the Winnecke Goldfield which followed a similar history.[6]
The Eastern Arrernte owners[edit]
The Eastern Arrernte people are the Traditional Owners of what is now known as the Arltunga Historical Reserve; their name for this place is Arnerre-ntyenge. This site sits within the estate known as Inerentye and this has been their Country for thousands of years.[2]
Once European settlers arrived the Eastern Arrernte people were important to their success and survival and many Aboriginal people believed that, in helping the prospectors, they would retain some form of independence. The Eastern Arrernte people acted at guides, trackers, labourers, miners, messengers and as domestic help within the community.[7] The Eastern Arrernte also taught the new arrivals knowledge of their Country, particularly in regard to water and bush food resources.[2]
Many Eastern Arrernte people also took work on nearby pastoral stations including Atnarpa, Loves Creek, Ambalindum and The Gardens.[2]
Mining[edit]
Gold was first observed here by South Australian explorer, David Lindsay in 1887 as he trekked from Port Darwin to the coast of South Australia and it was found in the creek sands below Paddy's Rockhole (Arnerre-ntyenge). The discovery of gold came after his 1886 discoveries of 'rubies' at Ruby Gap (now Ruby Gap Nature Reserve); these were later discovered to be high quality garnets.[8][9]
Subsequently, miners flocked to the area and Arltunga became the first substantial European settlement in Central Australia and, in order to support Arltunga, Lindsay was commissioned to survey the town of Stuart (now Alice Springs) in so that it could supply it with the required goods.[10][8]
In 1898 the South Australian Government built the Government Battery and Cyanide Works and construction of these was supervised by James Gilbert Woolcock, who had to overcome significant logistical problems.[11] The following year, in 1899, the police station and associated outbuildings were built by contractors William Hurle Liddle and Gerhardt Johannsen.[12]
Despite high investment the growth of Arltunga was slowed by a significant period of drought in the 1890s where wells dried up and the horses were too starving to cart ore. There was also a period of several months in 1901 when the battery burst and no ore could be crushed for several months. Conditions, however, improved in 1903 when a rush at the nearby Winnecke Goldfield renewed interest in the region and in 1905 a new well, store and hotel were built there.[8] At the turn of the century the population on the field was between 350 and 400 people.[2]
Discoveries of gold in The Granites and Tennant Creek in the late 1920s and early 1930s meant that many of the miners left Arltunga, who still faced regular issues accessing water.[2] The population had declined to 25 by 1933.[13]
Mission[edit]
The Little Flower Mission, run by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart order, moved to Arltunga (by then largely abandoned)[2] in 1944 and was renamed Arltunga Mission.[14] The mission, which had previously been operating in Alice Springs, was moved due to the growing Army presence in the region.[15] Much of the work to complete this move was done by lay missionary Francis McGarry who had also chosen the site; soon after the move was completed McGarry resigned or was asked to leave.[16][17]
It was moved to again to Phillipson's Block in 1953 where it was renamed Santa Teresa Mission (this is now known the community of Ltyentye Apurte).[18][15]
Recent history[edit]
Arltunga Historical Reserve was established in 1975 and comprises 5,000 ha.[10] Owing to the harshness of the climate and the fact that local stone was used in the construction of buildings, the town is well preserved.[13]
The reserve was nominated for heritage listing in 2008. While the Government Battery and Cyanide Works site at Arltunga was successfully listed in 1995, the nomination for the rest of the reserve was unresolved due to a native title claim in the area until 2014, when a second nomination was successful.[19][20][21]
The reserve was listed on the former Register of the National Estate.[22]
Gallery[edit]
-
Camel Teams, Arltunga, c. 1898 -
A tent dwelling, Arltunga, c. 1898 -
Cyanide Works, Arltunga, c. 1890 -
The Government Battery, Arltunga, 1900 -
Winnecke Hotel, Arltunga, 1905 -
Police Station, Arltunga, 1920
Further images are available within the Arltunga Collection at the State Library of South Australia.[23]
Notable people[edit]
- Chinese market gardener Ah Hong made many trips to Arltunga with vegetables and fresh food for the miners.[24]
- Bushman, Ben Nicker, was born just north of the Arltunga goldfields.[25]
- Gwoya Tjungurrayi and his family escaped to the Arltunga region following the Coniston massacre and he later worked as a gold miner there.[26][27]
- Hetty Perkins, who worked at The Bungalow for many years, was born at Arltunga.[3]
- Topsy Smith, alongside her husband William "Bill" Smith, spent many years at the Arltunga Goldfields; her son Walter Smith also spent much of his early life there.[3][24]
- Policeman William George Murray was transferred to Arltunga in 1931 following the events of the Coniston massacre. Here he was appointed as the Mining Warden and later, in 1936, the health inspector.[28][29] In 1937 he was investigated for the illegal selling of government property and was later acquitted in court; following this incident he was transferred to Roper River in 1938.[30][28]
Cemeteries[edit]
There are two cemeteries that sit within the Arltunga Historical Reserve:[31][8]
- Crossroads Cemetery
- White Range Cemetery
Climate[edit]
| Climate data for Arltunga, elevation 661 m (2,169 ft), (2000–2020 normals, extremes 2000–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 43.9 (111.0) |
43.7 (110.7) |
41.6 (106.9) |
39.0 (102.2) |
33.4 (92.1) |
30.2 (86.4) |
30.4 (86.7) |
35.0 (95.0) |
39.0 (102.2) |
41.0 (105.8) |
42.5 (108.5) |
44.5 (112.1) |
44.5 (112.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 36.2 (97.2) |
34.7 (94.5) |
32.4 (90.3) |
29.1 (84.4) |
23.2 (73.8) |
19.5 (67.1) |
20.2 (68.4) |
23.0 (73.4) |
27.8 (82.0) |
31.3 (88.3) |
33.8 (92.8) |
34.7 (94.5) |
28.8 (83.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22.3 (72.1) |
21.1 (70.0) |
18.6 (65.5) |
13.4 (56.1) |
8.1 (46.6) |
4.3 (39.7) |
3.1 (37.6) |
4.7 (40.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
14.3 (57.7) |
18.1 (64.6) |
20.4 (68.7) |
13.2 (55.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 10.0 (50.0) |
8.6 (47.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
1.5 (34.7) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
0.0 (32.0) |
6.6 (43.9) |
7.5 (45.5) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 65.0 (2.56) |
57.8 (2.28) |
33.6 (1.32) |
18.6 (0.73) |
18.5 (0.73) |
14.0 (0.55) |
9.2 (0.36) |
4.4 (0.17) |
10.5 (0.41) |
23.4 (0.92) |
32.9 (1.30) |
52.6 (2.07) |
340.5 (13.4) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 4.3 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 30.3 |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology[32] | |||||||||||||
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Place Names Register Extract for "Arltunga Historical Reserve"". NT Place Names Register. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission (1 January 2021). "Arltunga Historical Reserve (Arnerre-ntyenge): joint management plan" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Traynor, Stuart (2016), Alice Springs : from singing wire to iconic outback town, Wakefield Press, p. 129, ISBN 978-1-74305-449-9
- ^ "Arltunga Bore". NT Place names register. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ "Arltunga Historical Reserve" (PDF). Parks and Wildlife Commission NT. Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ^ McGowan, Barry (1991). "The Arltunga and Winnecke goldfields". Territory Stories. hdl:10070/87589. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Aboriginal involvement in mining at Arltunga" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
{{cite web}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ a b c d Parks & Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory (1 January 2023). "Information sheet: exploring Arltunga" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ Government, Northern Territory (23 May 2024). "Ruby Gap Nature Park". nt.gov.au. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Arltunga". Sydney Morning Herald. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ^ Fairweather, D. F. "Woolcock, James Gilbert (1874–1957)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
- ^ Petrick, Jose; Petrick, Jose. Street names tell history of Alice Springs (1996), The history of Alice Springs through landmarks and street names (3rd ed.), J. Petrick, ISBN 978-0-646-30256-0
- ^ a b "Arltunga, NT". Aussie Towns. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ^ ""One of the Most Remarkable Events in the History of the Church in Australia Has Been the Way The Blacks of the Centre Have Accepted the Faith and Let It Sink Deep Into Their Hearts"—(ft. T.) Father Moloney's "hunch" Has Paid Off". The Southern Cross. Vol. LXIV, no. 3247. South Australia. 12 December 1952. p. 11. Retrieved 17 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b Find & Connect Web Resource Project, The University of Melbourne and Australian Catholic University. "Arltunga Mission - Organisation - Find & Connect - Northern Territory". www.findandconnect.gov.au. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ O'Grady, Frank (1 January 2006). "Francis James McGarry (1897–1955)". Australian dictionary of biography. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ Robson, Charmaine (2018), "Francis McGarry and the 'little flower black mission': Encounters of a Catholic lay missionary with indigenous people of central Australia 1935-1944", Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 39: 107–118, ISSN 0084-7259
- ^ "Native Mission Moves to Better Site". Advocate. Vol. LXXXV, no. 5064. Victoria, Australia. 14 August 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 17 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Arltunga Historical Reserve". Heritage Register. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ "Government Battery and Cyanide Works, Arltunga". Heritage Register. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ "Arltunga Historical Reserve - renominated 2014". Heritage Register. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ "Arltunga Historical Reserve, Arltunga Rd, Alice Springs, NT, Australia (Place ID 167 )". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government.
- ^ "Arltunga Collection • Collection • State Library of South Australia". collections.slsa.sa.gov.au. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ a b Kimber, Richard (Richard G.) (1986), Man from Arltunga : Walter Smith, Australian bushman, Hesperian Press, ISBN 978-0-85905-084-5
- ^ Judy Robinson (2012). "Sam and Liz Nicker, Outback Pioneers: The Garden Settlement". Bushman of the Red Heart. Boolarong Press. pp. 15–17. ISBN 9781922109262. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ "Northern Territory Dictionary of Biography". Casuarina: Charles Darwin University Press. hdl:10070/492231. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "The remarkable life of the Warlpiri-Anmatyerre man on the $2 coin". NITV. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ a b Bradley, Michael; ProQuest (Firm) (2019), Coniston, UWA Publishing, ISBN 978-1-76080-103-8
- ^ "G N. 82/36. HEALTH ORDINANCE 1915-1928". Northern Standard. No. 17. Northern Territory, Australia. 28 February 1936. p. 10. Retrieved 24 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Criminal sessions at Alice Springs". Northern Standard. No. 70. Northern Territory, Australia. 6 September 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 24 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Cemeteries of the Northern Territory: reconciliation of AusCem and original listing by the late Vernon T. O'Brien OBE" (PDF). Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory Inc. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "Climate statistics for Australian locations- ARLTUNGA". 7 April 2024.