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The town of Stuart: 1888-1933 |
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Written by Stuart Traynor 2009
In March 1886 surveyor David Lindsay discovered red stones, believed to be rubies, in the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges. He was back in Adelaide at the end of the year and news of his find triggered a ‘ruby rush’. It came to an abrupt end when the stones were shown to be garnets, rather than rubies. However, word had got out that gold was also found in the area. The South Australia economy was in depression and hopeful men continued to head north. The diggings also attracted hawkers and sly grog sellers keen to make money from the miners. By the end of 1887 there were 80 men on the field and the figure reached 260 in May 1888.
Meanwhile construction crews were working on a transcontinental railway planned to run all the way from Adelaide to Darwin, then known as Palmerston. It reached Strangways Springs in April 1887, 200 kms south-east of Oodnadatta. The South Australian Government sent surveyor Graham Stewart north with a string of camels to report on the feasibility of extending the line through to Central Australia. In June 1888 he presented a report, mapping out a route to the Burt Plain, north of Alice Springs.
The floodplain of the Todd River, between the Alice Springs telegraph station and Heavitree Gap, was a forest of River Red Gums and it became a popular camping area for people heading to the Eastern MacDonnells. In May 1888 there was a deputation to Mr J.C.F Johnston, the Minister controlling the Northern Territory, about the need for a township to service the growing population.
The government responded by hiring David Lindsay to draw up a town plan. He incorporated the railway corridor identified by Graham Stewart and as a result the new town had a Railway Terrace 40 years before the railway actually arrived. On 13 October 1888 Lindsay signed his plan, comprising 104 town lots, and sent it to Adelaide. It was proclaimed on 28 November 1888 and the first sale of land held in Adelaide on 31 January 1889.
It was given the name Stuart, even though the explorer had never passed through the area. His route was 50 kilometres west of the town. The name never really caught on. The area continued to be known far and wide as the Alice. The confusion continued until 30 August 1933 when Stuart was officially renamed Alice Springs.
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