Tennant Creek, Northern Territory
Encyclopedia
Tennant Creek is a town located in the Northern Territory
of Australia
. It is the fifth largest town in the Northern Territory and it is located on the Stuart Highway
, just south of the intersection with the western terminus of the Barkly Highway
.
Tennant Creek is approximately 1000 kilometres south of the territory capital, Darwin
, and 500 kilometres north of Alice Springs. The town is named after a nearby watercourse of the same name. At the 2001 census
, Tennant Creek had a population of 3,185, of which 1,176 identified themselves as Aboriginal
.
Tennant Creek is near well-known attractions including the Devils Marbles, Mary Ann Dam, Battery Hill Mining Centre and the Nyinkka Nyunyu Culture Centre and is the hub of the sprawling Barkly Tableland, vast elevated plains of black soil with golden Mitchell grass, that cover more than 240,000 square kilometres.
The Barkly Tableland runs east from Tennant Creek towards the Queensland
border and is among the most important cattle grazing areas in the Northern Territory
. Roughly the same size as the United Kingdom
or New Zealand
, the region consists largely of open grass plains and some of the world’s largest cattle stations. It runs as far south as Barrow Creek, north above Elliott and west into the Tanami Desert
.
The region encompasses the junction of two great highways, the Barkly and the Stuart, also known as the Overlander and Explorer’s Ways. The Overlander's Way (Barkly Highway) retraces the original route of early stockmen who drove their cattle from Queensland through the grazing lands in the Northern Territory.
Tennant Creek is located in the middle of the Northern Territory
, 376.5 metres above sea level. Average maximum temperatures
range from 24 degrees to 38 degrees, with an average of 22 days per year exceeding 40 degrees. Minimum
temperatures range from 12 degrees in winter to 25 degrees in the hotter months.
Most of the rain falls during the summer months, but occasional storms occur at other times of the year. Average
annual rainfall is 426mm. The dry season (May to October) in Tennant Creek is relatively sunny with cool nights and mornings. The wet season (November to April) is hot and humid with occasional rainfall.
(Köppen Classification BWh), it still receives a sizeable 452 mm (17.8 in) of annual precipitation. It also has distinct wet and dry seasons. Most rain falls during the period from December to March, when temperatures are also at their highest. Temperatures fall during the dry months with sunny days and mild nights. There is 9.1 to 10.4 hours of sunshine per day with an average of 155 clear days per year. Prevailing winds are from the east to south-east.
Mary Ann Dam is a popular recreation spot, easily accessible from town by road or bicycle track and popular for swimming, barbecues, picnics or bush walks. The area’s best known attraction, the Devil's Marbles Conservation Reserve
is 100 kilometres south of Tennant Creek and is one of the Territory's most photographed features. These huge granite
boulders are scattered through a wide, shallow valley. The formations provide shelter to a variety of flora and fauna of the area and glow a rich red in the light of the early evening. Local Aboriginal mythology holds that the boulders are the eggs of the Rainbow Serpent. (Note: This is an old not necessarily true depiction of the story. Since joint management of the parks, and with consultation with the 4 main groups of Aboriginals in the area, the CLC has come to a joint story for the site, however permission to use it must come from CLC first. That story is in the latest Barkly visitor guide) Visitors can take a self-guided walk from the car park. This is a great place to camp and experience a real outback sunset.
Another popular spot close to Tennant Creek is the Davenport Ranges National Park
, best explored by four-wheel-drive vehicle.
European history of this area began in 1860 when explorer John McDouall Stuart
passed this way on his unsuccessful first attempt to cross the continent from South to North. He named a creek to the north of town after John Tennant, a financier of his expedition and a pastoralist from Port Lincoln
, South Australia
, in gratitude for the financial help Tennant had provided for Stuart's expeditions across Australia
.
The Overland Telegraph that once linked Melbourne
to London
was constructed in the 1870s and forged a corridor through the middle of the continent that the Explorer’s Way and Ghan train now travel. A temporary building for a telegraph repeater station was erected near the watercourse of Tennant Creek in 1872. Two years later, the solid stone buildings of the Tennant Creek Overland Telegraph Station that remain on the site today, were completed by the occupants of the station. This is one of the four remaining original telegraph stations in Australia. Tennant Creek was the site of Australia’s last gold rush during the 1930s and at that time was the third-largest gold producer in Australia.
The town of Tennant Creek was located 12 km south of the watercourse because the Overland Telegraph Station had been allocated an 11 km reserve. Local legend offers a different explanation for the town's location. In 1934 Joe Kilgarriff from Alice Springs built the Tennant Creek hotel on the eastern side of the telegraph line . The pub still exists and is a historic monument to the early days.
Cecil Armstrong was one man who made a contribution to the early development of Tennant Creek. He arrived in April
1935 and began baking bread the next day. In 1937 he built Armstrong's bakery and cafe where he lived and worked for
over twenty years as baker and cafe proprietor. The building still stands today, albeit under a different guise.
Cecil's telephone number was simply the number 1 and his Post Office box was also number 1.
Gold
was discovered in the area in 1928 by telegraph linesman Charles Windley and the opening of the rich Tennant gold field marked the start of Australia's last great Gold Rush
. The Tennant Creek Telegraph Station remained an isolated outpost until that time. Gold mining
in the McDouall Ranges, named after John McDouall Stuart
, quickly caused the population to grow to 600. “Battery Hill” which overlooks the town of Tennant Creek is the site of one of the last two operating ten-head stamp batteries, a Government owned ore
crushing machine.
During World War II
, the Australian Army
set up 55th Australian Camp Hospital near Tennant Creek. The Royal Australian Air Force
utilised Tennant Creek Airfield
as an emergency landing ground.
The town today is situated on a stretch of the Stuart Highway
known as Paterson Street. As it is a regional
centre, it contains government services and local business and also has a developing tourist centre. There are a
number of restaurants and tourist activities to complement its friendly relaxed lifestyle. The people of Tennant Creek enjoy modern facilities including reserves, sporting venues, galleries, a civic hall and
library. It's also home to Australia's premier go-karting event, held on a street circuit through the town.
multicultural community, with residents from the UK, New Zealand, Philippines, India and Germany as well as Australia.
Tennant Creek became part of the Barkly Shire
Council on July 1, 2008.
The police district covers almost 22,000 square kilometres and has a strength of 25 officers. The force includes two Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) officers.
producer in Australia
and is still highly productive. Over 210 tonnes of gold have been mined in the area. The Bootu Mine to the north of town exports manganese
to China
. Major mining companies are continuing to explore for bauxite
, lead-zinc-silver and copper
around the area. Exploration has commenced to the southeast of town for unspecified minerals. Tennant Creek is also the centre of the rich pastoral industry of central Australia, with vast cattle properties stocked with herds of Santa Gertrudis and Brahman cattle.
Phosphate deposits exist at Wonarah, 250 km to the east.
to the urban and rural communities of the town.
Nyinkka Nyunyu Arts and Cultural Centre opened in July 2003, offering visitors and the community an opportunity to learn about aboriginal life, history and the land in the region. The centre promotes Arts and Cultural activities for
the whole Barkly Region.
Tennant Creek has been accessible by train since the completion of the Adelaide-Darwin railway
north from Alice Springs in 2004. The Ghan, run by Great Southern Railway
between Adelaide and Darwin
arrives twice weekly in each direction and can pick up and set down passengers on request.
Tennant Creek is serviced by Tennant Creek Airport
. Charter flights can be organised from Darwin or Alice Springs to Tennant Creek. Outback Airlines currently service Tennant Creek, providing mining charters between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek with seats available to the general public.
Tennant Creek has daily coach bus service from Darwin
, Alice Springs, and Queensland
. The Barkly Tablelands are best explored via Tennant Creek, which can be accessed on the fully sealed Explorer’s Way, 1,000 kilometres south of Darwin, 670 kilometres south of Katherine and 510 kilometres north of Alice Springs. The Overlander’s Way (Barkly Highway) is another tourism drive from Queensland that meets the Explorer’s Way at Threeways – 25 kilometres north of Tennant Creek.
In May 2005, Minemakers and ATEC signed an agreement to study a 250 km open access railway from Tennant Creek to Wonarah.
Historically, and in 2009 there has been suggestion of a rail link between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa. This link would allow resources companies to gain access to both the Adelaide-Darwin (The Ghan) and Townsville-Mount Isa (The Inlander) lines. The missing rail link would also provide rail passengers with direct rail access to Darwin from the East Coast of Australia. The Australian Defence Force
may also use the link to provide a rail access between 1 Brigade (Armoured) in Darwin, and 3 Brigade (Infantry) in Townsville.
Alice Springs, but today young people prefer to remain at schools in Tennant Creek.
Aboriginal people have lived in the Barkly region for over 40,000 years. The Barkly region is steeped in the ancient
traditions and beliefs of its traditional custodians and around nine Aboriginal groups call the area home, including
the Warumungu, Warlpiri, Kaytetye and Alyawarra people. Tennant Creek is an important social, cultural and business
centre for many Aboriginal people of various language groups.
numbers to the region. Events located within the Barkly Area during the year include the Barkly Campdraft and Rodeo,
Saint Patrick’s Day Races, Barkly May Day Muster and the Brunette Downs Races. The World Solar Car Challenge takes place every second year.
emerging singers, songwriters and musicians. In 2003 the award-winning Nyinkka Nyunyu Cultural Centre was opened, a purpose-built centre, planned and designed in close consultation with local Aboriginal people. The centre houses exhibitions on local history from an Aboriginal point of view, cultural displays and local artwork. It is considered one of the best of its kind in the Northern Territory, beautifully presented and maintained by the local people.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is the fifth largest town in the Northern Territory and it is located on the Stuart Highway
Stuart Highway
The Stuart Highway is one of Australia's major highways. It is a segment of Australia's Highway 1 extending from Darwin, Northern Territory, in the north, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta, South Australia, in the south—a distance of...
, just south of the intersection with the western terminus of the Barkly Highway
Barkly Highway
The Barkly Highway is a national highway of both Queensland and the Northern Territory.-Description:It runs westward from Cloncurry and the junctions of the Flinders and Landsborough highways to the junction with the Stuart Highway north of Tennant Creek...
.
Tennant Creek is approximately 1000 kilometres south of the territory capital, Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, and 500 kilometres north of Alice Springs. The town is named after a nearby watercourse of the same name. At the 2001 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Tennant Creek had a population of 3,185, of which 1,176 identified themselves as Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
.
Tennant Creek is near well-known attractions including the Devils Marbles, Mary Ann Dam, Battery Hill Mining Centre and the Nyinkka Nyunyu Culture Centre and is the hub of the sprawling Barkly Tableland, vast elevated plains of black soil with golden Mitchell grass, that cover more than 240,000 square kilometres.
The Barkly Tableland runs east from Tennant Creek towards the Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
border and is among the most important cattle grazing areas in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. Roughly the same size as the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
or New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the region consists largely of open grass plains and some of the world’s largest cattle stations. It runs as far south as Barrow Creek, north above Elliott and west into the Tanami Desert
Tanami Desert
The Tanami Desert is a desert in northern Australia situated in the Northern Territory. It has a rocky terrain with small hills. The Tanami was the Northern Territory's final frontier and was not fully explored until well into the twentieth century...
.
The region encompasses the junction of two great highways, the Barkly and the Stuart, also known as the Overlander and Explorer’s Ways. The Overlander's Way (Barkly Highway) retraces the original route of early stockmen who drove their cattle from Queensland through the grazing lands in the Northern Territory.
Geography and climate
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, 376.5 metres above sea level. Average maximum temperatures
range from 24 degrees to 38 degrees, with an average of 22 days per year exceeding 40 degrees. Minimum
temperatures range from 12 degrees in winter to 25 degrees in the hotter months.
Most of the rain falls during the summer months, but occasional storms occur at other times of the year. Average
annual rainfall is 426mm. The dry season (May to October) in Tennant Creek is relatively sunny with cool nights and mornings. The wet season (November to April) is hot and humid with occasional rainfall.
Topography and climate
Although Tennant Creek has a warm desert climateDesert climate
A desert climate , also known as an arid climate, is a climate that does not meet the criteria to be classified as a polar climate, and in which precipitation is too low to sustain any vegetation at all, or at most a very scanty scrub.An area that features this climate usually experiences less than...
(Köppen Classification BWh), it still receives a sizeable 452 mm (17.8 in) of annual precipitation. It also has distinct wet and dry seasons. Most rain falls during the period from December to March, when temperatures are also at their highest. Temperatures fall during the dry months with sunny days and mild nights. There is 9.1 to 10.4 hours of sunshine per day with an average of 155 clear days per year. Prevailing winds are from the east to south-east.
Built environment
Tennant Creek has developed from its rough, tough droving and gold mining days into a modern town with shops and a supermarket, accommodation, bars, clubs and restaurants, a major regional hospital, schools and banking facilities.Parks and gardens
Devil's Marbles Conservation Reserve
The Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve is located south of Tennant Creek area of Northern Territory in Australia.-Location:The area is located near Wauchope, approximately 114 km south of Tennant Creek, in the Northern Territory. The site is known as Karlu Karlu to the land's Aboriginal...
is 100 kilometres south of Tennant Creek and is one of the Territory's most photographed features. These huge granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
boulders are scattered through a wide, shallow valley. The formations provide shelter to a variety of flora and fauna of the area and glow a rich red in the light of the early evening. Local Aboriginal mythology holds that the boulders are the eggs of the Rainbow Serpent. (Note: This is an old not necessarily true depiction of the story. Since joint management of the parks, and with consultation with the 4 main groups of Aboriginals in the area, the CLC has come to a joint story for the site, however permission to use it must come from CLC first. That story is in the latest Barkly visitor guide) Visitors can take a self-guided walk from the car park. This is a great place to camp and experience a real outback sunset.
Another popular spot close to Tennant Creek is the Davenport Ranges National Park
Davenport Murchison National Park
Davenport Murchison is a national park in the Northern Territory , 1033 km southeast of Darwin. Amelia Creek crater, an ancient eroded impact crater lies within the Davenport Range in the area....
, best explored by four-wheel-drive vehicle.
History
John McDouall Stuart
John McDouall Stuart was one of the most accomplished and famous of all Australia's inland explorers. Stuart led the first successful expedition to traverse the Australian mainland from south to north and return, and the first to do so from a starting point in South Australia, achieving this...
passed this way on his unsuccessful first attempt to cross the continent from South to North. He named a creek to the north of town after John Tennant, a financier of his expedition and a pastoralist from Port Lincoln
Port Lincoln, South Australia
- Transport :Port Lincoln is the port for the isolated narrow gauge Eyre Peninsular Railway.There is also a subsidiary port at Proper Bay which may be restored to use for iron ore traffic. The export of iron ore through Port Lincoln has been approved by the South Australian Government. Port...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, in gratitude for the financial help Tennant had provided for Stuart's expeditions across Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The Overland Telegraph that once linked Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
was constructed in the 1870s and forged a corridor through the middle of the continent that the Explorer’s Way and Ghan train now travel. A temporary building for a telegraph repeater station was erected near the watercourse of Tennant Creek in 1872. Two years later, the solid stone buildings of the Tennant Creek Overland Telegraph Station that remain on the site today, were completed by the occupants of the station. This is one of the four remaining original telegraph stations in Australia. Tennant Creek was the site of Australia’s last gold rush during the 1930s and at that time was the third-largest gold producer in Australia.
The town of Tennant Creek was located 12 km south of the watercourse because the Overland Telegraph Station had been allocated an 11 km reserve. Local legend offers a different explanation for the town's location. In 1934 Joe Kilgarriff from Alice Springs built the Tennant Creek hotel on the eastern side of the telegraph line . The pub still exists and is a historic monument to the early days.
Cecil Armstrong was one man who made a contribution to the early development of Tennant Creek. He arrived in April
1935 and began baking bread the next day. In 1937 he built Armstrong's bakery and cafe where he lived and worked for
over twenty years as baker and cafe proprietor. The building still stands today, albeit under a different guise.
Cecil's telephone number was simply the number 1 and his Post Office box was also number 1.
Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was discovered in the area in 1928 by telegraph linesman Charles Windley and the opening of the rich Tennant gold field marked the start of Australia's last great Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
. The Tennant Creek Telegraph Station remained an isolated outpost until that time. Gold mining
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
in the McDouall Ranges, named after John McDouall Stuart
John McDouall Stuart
John McDouall Stuart was one of the most accomplished and famous of all Australia's inland explorers. Stuart led the first successful expedition to traverse the Australian mainland from south to north and return, and the first to do so from a starting point in South Australia, achieving this...
, quickly caused the population to grow to 600. “Battery Hill” which overlooks the town of Tennant Creek is the site of one of the last two operating ten-head stamp batteries, a Government owned ore
crushing machine.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
set up 55th Australian Camp Hospital near Tennant Creek. The Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
utilised Tennant Creek Airfield
Tennant Creek Airport
Tennant Creek Airport is a small regional airport located near Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia.Located one kilometre from the remote outback township of Tennant Creek, the airport caters to mining companies and small predominantly Aboriginal communities in the surrounding area,...
as an emergency landing ground.
The town today is situated on a stretch of the Stuart Highway
Stuart Highway
The Stuart Highway is one of Australia's major highways. It is a segment of Australia's Highway 1 extending from Darwin, Northern Territory, in the north, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta, South Australia, in the south—a distance of...
known as Paterson Street. As it is a regional
centre, it contains government services and local business and also has a developing tourist centre. There are a
number of restaurants and tourist activities to complement its friendly relaxed lifestyle. The people of Tennant Creek enjoy modern facilities including reserves, sporting venues, galleries, a civic hall and
library. It's also home to Australia's premier go-karting event, held on a street circuit through the town.
Demographics
The total population of Tennant Creek is approximately 3500, of which around 1500 are Aboriginal. Tennant Creek is amulticultural community, with residents from the UK, New Zealand, Philippines, India and Germany as well as Australia.
Government
Tennant Creek had a town council form of government headed by a mayor. The main Aboriginal body within the town is the Julalikari Council which plays a major role in providing training and employment services for the Aboriginal people in Tennant Creek. It has developed a construction capacity and provides contract services to the Town Council such as recycling. The Julalikari Council also provides community services within the township such as Homemakers, aged care, and the night patrol.Tennant Creek became part of the Barkly Shire
Barkly Shire
The Barkly Shire is a Local Government Area of the Northern Territory, Australia. The shire main town is Tennant Creek The shire covers an area of and has a estimated population of 8,077 people.-History:...
Council on July 1, 2008.
The police district covers almost 22,000 square kilometres and has a strength of 25 officers. The force includes two Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) officers.
Economy
Mining
Tennant Creek was once the third largest goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
producer in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and is still highly productive. Over 210 tonnes of gold have been mined in the area. The Bootu Mine to the north of town exports manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Major mining companies are continuing to explore for bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
, lead-zinc-silver and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
around the area. Exploration has commenced to the southeast of town for unspecified minerals. Tennant Creek is also the centre of the rich pastoral industry of central Australia, with vast cattle properties stocked with herds of Santa Gertrudis and Brahman cattle.
Phosphate deposits exist at Wonarah, 250 km to the east.
Tourism
Tourism is a growing industry emphasising its location, history, scenery and cultural attributes and provides tourists with an opportunity to experience the outback. The mineral collection at Battery Hill is a must see, although the stamp battery ceased working in 2005. Aboriginal enterprise and organisations generate economic activity for Tennant Creek by providing a range of servicesto the urban and rural communities of the town.
Nyinkka Nyunyu Arts and Cultural Centre opened in July 2003, offering visitors and the community an opportunity to learn about aboriginal life, history and the land in the region. The centre promotes Arts and Cultural activities for
the whole Barkly Region.
Transport
Adelaide-Darwin railway
The Adelaide–Darwin railway is a north-south transcontinental railway in Australia, between the cities of Adelaide, South Australia and Darwin, Northern Territory...
north from Alice Springs in 2004. The Ghan, run by Great Southern Railway
Great Southern Railway (Australia)
Great Southern Railway , owned by Serco Asia Pacific, is a tourism business and rail transport operator in Australia.GSR operates interstate passenger trains aimed at the tourist market:* The Indian Pacific...
between Adelaide and Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
arrives twice weekly in each direction and can pick up and set down passengers on request.
| The Ghan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katherine Katherine, Northern Territory Katherine is a town situated southeast of Darwin in the "Top End" of Australia in the Northern Territory. It is the fourth largest settlement in the Territory after the capital Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs... (to Darwin Darwin, Northern Territory Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities... ) |
↔ | Tennant Creek | ↔ | Alice Springs Alice Springs, Northern Territory Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory... (to Adelaide) |
Tennant Creek is serviced by Tennant Creek Airport
Tennant Creek Airport
Tennant Creek Airport is a small regional airport located near Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia.Located one kilometre from the remote outback township of Tennant Creek, the airport caters to mining companies and small predominantly Aboriginal communities in the surrounding area,...
. Charter flights can be organised from Darwin or Alice Springs to Tennant Creek. Outback Airlines currently service Tennant Creek, providing mining charters between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek with seats available to the general public.
Tennant Creek has daily coach bus service from Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, Alice Springs, and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. The Barkly Tablelands are best explored via Tennant Creek, which can be accessed on the fully sealed Explorer’s Way, 1,000 kilometres south of Darwin, 670 kilometres south of Katherine and 510 kilometres north of Alice Springs. The Overlander’s Way (Barkly Highway) is another tourism drive from Queensland that meets the Explorer’s Way at Threeways – 25 kilometres north of Tennant Creek.
In May 2005, Minemakers and ATEC signed an agreement to study a 250 km open access railway from Tennant Creek to Wonarah.
Historically, and in 2009 there has been suggestion of a rail link between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa. This link would allow resources companies to gain access to both the Adelaide-Darwin (The Ghan) and Townsville-Mount Isa (The Inlander) lines. The missing rail link would also provide rail passengers with direct rail access to Darwin from the East Coast of Australia. The Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
may also use the link to provide a rail access between 1 Brigade (Armoured) in Darwin, and 3 Brigade (Infantry) in Townsville.
Education
Tennant Creek has a primary and high school. In the 1970s and 80s, secondary students tended to leave Tennant Creek and board at secondary schools in Darwin andAlice Springs, but today young people prefer to remain at schools in Tennant Creek.
Society and culture
traditions and beliefs of its traditional custodians and around nine Aboriginal groups call the area home, including
the Warumungu, Warlpiri, Kaytetye and Alyawarra people. Tennant Creek is an important social, cultural and business
centre for many Aboriginal people of various language groups.
Leisure and entertainment
The Northern Territory holds several regional events throughout the year, which in some cases can impact on visitornumbers to the region. Events located within the Barkly Area during the year include the Barkly Campdraft and Rodeo,
Saint Patrick’s Day Races, Barkly May Day Muster and the Brunette Downs Races. The World Solar Car Challenge takes place every second year.
Music and Art
Tennant Creek has a rich and colourful musical community, and the Winanjjikari Music Centre home to a number ofemerging singers, songwriters and musicians. In 2003 the award-winning Nyinkka Nyunyu Cultural Centre was opened, a purpose-built centre, planned and designed in close consultation with local Aboriginal people. The centre houses exhibitions on local history from an Aboriginal point of view, cultural displays and local artwork. It is considered one of the best of its kind in the Northern Territory, beautifully presented and maintained by the local people.
See also
- Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve
- Davenport Murchison National ParkDavenport Murchison National ParkDavenport Murchison is a national park in the Northern Territory , 1033 km southeast of Darwin. Amelia Creek crater, an ancient eroded impact crater lies within the Davenport Range in the area....
- The Ghan