Alice Springs - the heart of Australia, located almost exactly at the geographical centre of Australia.
Alice Springs is a modern town with all the facilities and services needed to capably satisfy the industrial, commercial, social and lifestyle needs of its community, and its thousands of visitors each year.
It is known as “The Alice”, a place where people come to stay for a month, but end up staying forever because of the range of opportunities and rich lifestyle.
Alice Springs was established as a telegraph station under the original name of Stuart - linking Adelaide and Darwin. A century later it is still a communications and commerce hub, and is now home to a population of approximately 28,000 people.
Alice Springs lies almost in the geographical centre of the immense Australian landmass, some 1500 kilometres from the nearest major city:
• Alice Springs to Adelaide - 1316 km
• Alice Springs to Darwin - 1305 km
• Alice Springs to Sydney - 2030 km
The town sits astride the Stuart Highway, which dissects the nation for 3000 kilometres from south to north, the name of which commemorates the remarkable courage and resilience of the first European to successfully traverse Australia, John MacDouall Stuart.
Uluru (Ayers Rock) is 475km by road from Alice Springs. It takes around 50-60 minutes to fly, and around 4.5 – 5 hours to drive.
Being a desert environment, Central Australia is predominantly dry, with brilliant blue skies especially from April to September. Rainfall usually occurs in the hottest months from October to March bringing welcome relief to the landscape and it’s people. Clear skies are generally a safe bet however, with a yearly average annual rainfall of only 275 ml.
Extreme conditions do occur and precautions must be taken to prevent fatigue. From October to March, sunscreen, a hat and a plentiful supply of water are essential touring companions, while throughout May to September extra clothing will protect you from cool evenings and cold mornings.
From shopping to the arts to sport and recreation, the people of Alice Springs enjoy a range of quality facilities comparable to any town of similar size in Australia. The climate promotes a healthy outdoor lifestyle, and even though it might take some time getting to, once here, everything is virtually at your front door.
Alice Springs boasts an excellent 500 seat performing arts centre, Araluen, which plays host to numerous national and international performers, in addition to active local theatre companies. Local artists enjoy international reputations, especially the traditional and contemporary art created by the many Aboriginal artists within Alice Springs and remote communities.
Alice Springs residents are avid supporters and participants of all football codes, cricket and hockey, which we play on world class facilities including turf and astro-turf pitches. The local pool is full Olympic size with an array of smaller pools for the learners and toddlers. The 18 hole golf course, with its grass fairways and greens, is rated one of the top ten desert courses in the world.
There is a variety of equestrian clubs catering to those who wish to ride and the Alice Springs Turf Club for those who enjoy the live atmosphere of the race track.
Alice Springs offers retail opportunities even the most avid shopper will find inspiring. Alice Springs is a virtually self-contained business community.
The many and varied needs of its residents and thousands of tourists from around Australia and the world are catered for, with everything from fine wine and French pastries to antique furniture and designer fashions.
Usual trading hours are Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.30pm, Saturdays 9.00am – 12 noon. A few stores have extended trading hours on Saturday and limited trading, including pharmacy, on Sunday.
There are three major supermarkets in Alice Springs, in addition to independent grocers and markets. All of the Australian major banks have branches in Alice Springs. All have auto-teller outlets catering to after hours needs. Interforex (International Foreign Currency Exchange) has an office in Alice Springs, located in the Todd Mall.
Alice Springs is a place brimming with opportunity, where people not only find work but create it. The town has a growing population of approximately 28,000 people with a regional labour force of around 13,000.
At around 3.5% the unemployment rate in Alice Springs is one of the lowest in the country and has consistently been recorded at well below Territory and national figures. A high population mobility ensures work is steadily available in tourism, the wholesale and retail trade, community services, public administration, defence and construction sectors.
Around 1600 people are employed in strictly tourism related businesses, those involved in hospitality, travel and visitor services. The wholesale and retail trade employs more than 15 per cent of the workforce. Other major employment groups include recreational and personal services, agriculture, mining, construction, transport, public administration and defence.
Small business makes up one of the largest employment groups. While the mining industry and agriculture sectors are not major employers they are important in terms of revenue generated and multiplier effects through linkages to the service sector.
Visit the Alice Springs Town Council website’s employment page to get information on employment in Alice Springs or to find the contact details of employment agencies in Alice Springs.
Alice Springs has a range of services to support families with children, including various child care options, after school care, playgroups, children’s activities, support services, pre-schools and schools and parenting room facilities. The Alice Springs Town Council supports the needs of families with young children, through the ownership and maintenance of four of the town’s Child Care Centres.
Child care services enable parents to meet the demands of our complex society while supporting the child’s social and emotional development.
Visit the Alice Springs Town Council website’s services for families with children page to get more information or to find the contact details of child care providers in Alice Springs.
ASBUS is the Alice Springs public bus service. It is funded by the Northern Territory Government. There are four ASBUS services: North, South, East and West. A map of the routes, timetables and fares can be found on Council’s website.
Alice Springs makes a great base for a holiday in the centre. As the communications and service hub for central Australia Alice Springs has most of the facilities you would expect in any Australian capital city.
To do central Australia and yourself justice, you’ll need 7 to 10 days to explore the region thoroughly. Even if you can only spare three or four days to see the highlights, you’ll have a fantastic time. Be warned though, it will leave you wanting to come back again.
Alice Springs may be remote, but it’s easy to get to, with:
The Alice Springs Airport is located approximately 16km south of the Alice Springs town centre along the Stuart Highway, and is serviced by airport minibus, taxi and backpacker pick-up services. Both the coach and train terminals are within the Alice Springs central business district.
Comprising 40% of the Territory’s landmass, the Alice Springs region faces unique challenges in delivering services to a dispersed population of over 40,000 people. The region’s largest centre, the town of Alice Springs, services surrounding mining and Indigenous communities, the Joint Defence Facility at Pine Gap and thousands of tourists who come to visit the region’s natural attractions such as Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kings Canyon.
In addition to tourism, the principal industries of the region are pastoralism and mining. The region is connected to other regional centres and interstate cities via air, roads and rail services that will be enhanced by the completion of the Alice Springs to Darwin railway in 2004 (Quote: Regional Highlights NT Budget 2002-03).