Dee Finney's blog March 24, 2012 page 181 ALICE SPRINGS

i'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE EARTHWATCHERS BOARDS ON HTTP://WWW.EARTHBOPPIN.NET THIS WEEK BECAUSE i'VE BEEN GETTING ICE-PICK STABS AND ODD TONES IN MY HEAD ALL WEEK WHICH HAS BEEN SOMETIMES VERY PAINFUL. I HAD TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON THAT WAS DIFFERENT.

Alice Springs is the third largest town in the Northern Territory, 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.^[2] The site is known as Mparntwe to its original inhabitants, the Arrernte, who have lived in the Central Australian desert in and around what is now Alice Springs for thousands of years. Alice Springs has a population of 27,481 people, which makes up 12 percent of the territory's population.^[1] Alice averages 576 metres (1,890 ft) above sea level;^{[citation
needed]} the town is nearly equidistant from Adelaide, South Australia and Darwin.^{[citation
needed]}

The town of Alice Springs straddles the usually dry Todd River on the northern side of the MacDonnell Ranges. The region where Alice Springs is located is known as Central Australia, or the Red Centre, and is an arid environment consisting of several different deserts. In Alice Springs, temperatures can vary dramatically with an average maximum temperature in summer of 35.6 °C (96.1 °F), and an average minimum temperature in winter of 5.1 °C (41.2 °F).^[3]

Traditional Custodians

The Arrernte Aboriginal people^[4] have made their home in the Central Australian desert in and around the site of the future Alice Springs for thousands of years, with evidence suggesting Indigenous occupation of the region dating back at least 30,000 years.^[5] The Aboriginal name for Alice Springs is Mparntwe.^[6] Many Arrernte people also live in communities outside of Alice Springs and on outstations.^{[citation
needed]}

Three major groups: the Western, Eastern and Central Arrernte people live in Central Australia, their traditional land including the area of Alice Springs and MacDonnell Ranges. They are also referred to as Aranda, Arrarnta, Arunta, and other similar spellings. Their neighbours are the Southern Arrernte, Luritja, Anmatyerr, Alyawarr and Western Arrernte peoples. There are five dialects of the Arrernte language: South-eastern, Central, Northern, Eastern and North-eastern.^{[citation
needed]}

There are roughly 1,800 speakers of Eastern and Central Arrernte, making it the largest spoken language in the Arandic family.^{[citation
needed]} This is one of the largest populations to speak any Australian language.^{[citation
needed]} It is taught in schools, and heard in local media and local government.^{[citation
needed]}

Arrernte country is rich with mountain ranges, waterholes, and gorges, which create a variety of natural habitats. The Arrernte people have set aside conservation areas in which various animal and other species are protected.^{[citation
needed]} According to the Arrernte traditional stories, in the desert surrounding Alice Springs, the landscape was shaped by caterpillars, wild dogs, travelling boys, two sisters, euros, and other ancestral figures.^[6]

The numerous sites of traditional importance in and around Alice Springs include Anthwerrke (Emily Gap), Akeyulerre (Billy Goat Hill), Ntaripe (Heavitree Gap), Atnelkentyarliweke (Anzac Hill), and Alhekulyele (Mt Gillen).^[6]

[edit] Early settlement

In 1861–62, John McDouall Stuart led an expedition through Central Australia, to the west of what later became Alice Springs, thereby establishing a route from the south of the continent to the north.^{[citation
needed]}

A European settlement was started ten years later with the construction of a repeater station on the Overland Telegraph Line, which linked Adelaide to Darwin and Great Britain. The OTL was completed in 1872. It traced Stuart's route and opened up the interior for permanent settlement. It was not until alluvial gold was discovered at Arltunga, 100 kilometres (62 mi) east of the present Alice Springs, in 1887 that any significant European settlement occurred.^{[citation
needed]} Until 31 August 1933, the town was known as Stuart.^[7]

The telegraph station was sited near what was thought to be a permanent waterhole in the normally dry Todd River.^[8] The settlement was optimistically named Alice Springs after the wife of the former Postmaster General of South Australia, Sir Charles Todd. The Todd River was named after Sir Charles.

The original mode of British-Australian transportation in the outback were camel trains, operated by immigrants from Pathan tribes in the North-West frontier of then British India (present-day Pakistan); they were misnamed Afghan camellers. In 1929 the Palmerston and Pine Creek Railway was completed from Darwin as far as Birdum, while the Great Northern Railway had been completed in 1891 from Port Augusta as far as Oodnadatta, South Australia, 700 kilometres (430 mi) south of Alice Springs. The lines were not connected until 2003. On 4 February 2004, the first passenger train arrived in Darwin from Adelaide.

[edit] World War II

World War II brought significant changes to Alice Springs. Prior to the war, Alice Springs was an extremely isolated settlement of less than 500 people. During the war, however, the town was an extremely active staging base, known as No 9 Australian Staging Camp, and a depot base for the long four-day trip to Darwin. The railway hub in Alice Springs was taken over by military operations and the number of soldiers posted in Alice Springs grew rapidly, as did the number of personnel passing through on their way to and from Darwin. When Darwin was threatened by Japanese forces, the sea routes—the Northern Territory capital's primary means of transportation and resupply—were cut off. The evacuation of Darwin first brought a large number of civilians including elected officials and many of the territory government's records. Alice Springs became the war-time civilian capital of the Northern Territory. When Darwin was bombed by Japanese air forces, a large number of military personnel and their heavy equipment were rapidly moved south to Alice Springs. The number of soldiers posted in Alice Springs peaked at around 8000 and the number of personnel passing through totaled close to 200,000.^[9] Once the war ended, the military camps and the evacuees departed and Alice Springs' population declined rapidly. But Alice would be changed for ever. After being visited by nearly 200,000 people, including the American General Douglas MacArthur, Alice Springs gained considerable fame. The war years also left behind many beneficial material assets. The historically-listed Totem Theatre, created for the entertainment of this camp, still exists today. The Australian Army set up the 109th Australian General Hospital at Alice Springs. Seven mile aerodrome was constructed by the Royal Australian Air Force. War related operations necessitated the first sealing of the road between Alice Springs and Larrimah, expansion and improvement of Alice Springs' water supply, and improving the rail head. The war-related operations left behind thousands of pieces of excess military equipment and vehicles, and a marked increase in Alice Springs' population.^[9]^[10]

[edit] Post World War II

During the 1960s Alice Springs became an important defence location with the development of the US/Australian Pine Gap joint defence satellite monitoring base, home to about 700 workers from both countries.

By far the major industry in recent times is tourism. Almost in the exact centre of the continent, Alice Springs is some 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from the nearest ocean and 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) from the nearest major cities, Darwin and Adelaide. Alice Springs is at the midpoint of the Adelaide–Darwin Railway.^[11]

[edit] Modern town

The modern town of Alice Springs has both European and Aboriginal influences. The town's focal point, the Todd Mall, hosts a number of Aboriginal art galleries and community events. Alice Springs’ desert lifestyle has inspired several unique events, such as the Camel Cup, the Henley-on-Todd Regatta and the Beanie Festival.

[edit] Built environment

Alice Springs has many historic buildings, such as the Overland Telegraph Station, Adelaide House, the Old Courthouse and Residency and the Hartley Street School. Today the town is an important tourist hub and service centre for the surrounding area. It is a well-appointed town for its size, with several large hotels, a world class convention centre and a good range of visitor attractions, restaurants and other services.

[edit] Geography

The region around Alice Springs is part of the Central Ranges xeric scrub area of dry scrubby grassland^[12] and includes the MacDonnell Ranges which run east and west of the city and contain a number of hiking trails and swimming holes such as Ormiston Gorge, Ormiston Gorge Creek, Red Bank Gorge and Glen Helen Gorge. The 223-kilometre (139 mi) long Larapinta Trail follows the West MacDonnell Ranges and is considered among the world's great walking experiences.

The Simpson Desert, south-east of Alice Springs is one of Australia's great wilderness areas containing giant red sand dunes and interesting rock formations such as Chambers Pillar and Rainbow Valley.

[edit] Climate

The town of Alice Springs straddles the usually dry Todd River on the northern side of the MacDonnell Ranges. Alice Springs is located in Central Australia, also called the Red Centre, an arid environment consisting of several different deserts.

In Alice Springs, temperatures can vary by up to 28 °C (50 °F)^{[clarification
needed]} and rainfall can vary quite dramatically from year to year. In summer, the average maximum temperature is in the high 30s, whereas in winter the average minimum temperature can be 7.5 °C (45.5 °F), with an average of 12.4 nights below freezing every annum. The elevation of the town is about 545 metres (1791 feet).^[13]

Under the Köppen climate classification, Alice Springs has a desert climate (BWh).^[14]^[15] The annual average rainfall is 279.2 millimetres (11.0 in) which would make it a semi-arid climate except that its high evapotranspiration, or its aridity, makes it a desert climate.^[16] Annual precipitation is erratic, varying year to year in Alice Springs. In 2001 741 millimetres (29.2 in) fell and in 2002 only 198 millimetres (7.8 in) fell.^[17] The highest daily rainfall is 204.8 millimetres (8.06 in), recorded on 31 March 1998.

[hide]Climate data for Alice Springs (1941–2012)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	45.2 (113.4)	44.7 (112.5)	42.2 (108.0)	39.9 (103.8)	35.0 (95.0)	31.6 (88.9)	31.6 (88.9)	35.2 (95.4)	38.8 (101.8)	41.7 (107.1)	43.0 (109.4)	44.2 (111.6)	45.2 (113.4)
Average high °C (°F)	36.4 (97.5)	35.0 (95.0)	32.6 (90.7)	28.2 (82.8)	23.0 (73.4)	19.8 (67.6)	19.7 (67.5)	22.6 (72.7)	27.2 (81.0)	30.9 (87.6)	33.6 (92.5)	35.4 (95.7)	28.7 (83.7)
Average low °C (°F)	21.5 (70.7)	20.7 (69.3)	17.5 (63.5)	12.6 (54.7)	8.2 (46.8)	5.0 (41.0)	4.1 (39.4)	6.0 (42.8)	10.3 (50.5)	14.8 (58.6)	17.8 (64.0)	20.2 (68.4)	13.2 (55.8)
Record low °C (°F)	10.0 (50.0)	8.5 (47.3)	6.1 (43.0)	1.4 (34.5)	−2.7 (27.1)	−6 (21.2)	−7.5 (18.5)	−4.1 (24.6)	−1 (30.2)	1.3 (34.3)	3.5 (38.3)	9.3 (48.7)	−7.5 (18.5)
Rainfall mm (inches)	38.8 (1.528)	44.3 (1.744)	32.4 (1.276)	16.5 (0.65)	18.8 (0.74)	14.0 (0.551)	15.2 (0.598)	9.3 (0.366)	8.5 (0.335)	21.7 (0.854)	28.9 (1.138)	37.1 (1.461)	285.9 (11.256)
Avg. rainy days	4.7	4.7	3.3	2.1	3.1	2.8	2.7	2.0	2.3	4.6	5.6	5.7	43.6
Mean monthly sunshine hours	319.3	274.4	300.7	285.0	263.5	252.0	282.1	303.8	300.0	310.0	303.0	310.0	3,503.8
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology^[18]

[edit] Demographics

In June 2006, approximately 27,481 people lived in Alice Springs with a total of 39,888 in the region.^{[citation
needed]} In 2006, the largest ancestry groups in the Alice Springs were, Australian (9,814 or 31.4%), English (6,970 or 22.3%), Irish (2,217 or 7.1%), Scottish (1,825 or 7.1%), Australian Aboriginal (1,790 or 5.7%, although note that a far greater proportion of the town's residents identify as Aboriginal), German (1,502 or 4.8%), and Italian (529 or 1.7%).^[19] Although 74.7% of Alice Springs' population was born in Australia, the most common places of birth for immigrants in 2006 Census were the United Kingdom (3.4%), United States of America (3%), New Zealand (1.9%), and Philippines (0.8%).^[20]

[edit] Aboriginal population

According to the 2006 census, Aboriginal Australians make up approximately 18.8% of the population of Alice Springs^[20] and 27.8% of the Northern Territory,^[21] although the census figure for Alice Springs is likely to be an underestimate.^[22] As Alice Springs is the regional hub of Central Australia, it attracts Aboriginal people from all over that region and well beyond. Many Aboriginal people visit regularly to use the town's services. Aboriginal residents usually live in the suburbs, on special purpose leases (or town camps), or further out at Amoonguna to the South and on the small family outstation communities on Aboriginal Lands in surrounding areas.

[edit] Foreign and itinerant populations

[edit] U

nited States population

United States population

United States citizens have lived in Alice Springs continuously since the establishment of the United States Air Force Detachment 421, in 1954. Currently located on Schwarz Crescent, it is part of a joint United States-Australian project called the Joint Geological and Geographical Research Station (JGGRS). The unit is locally known as "Det 421" or "The Det" and has sponsored as many as 25 American families to live as temporary residents of the Alice Springs district. To mark the longstanding friendship with the community, on 1 July 1995, the Alice Springs Town Council granted Detachment 421 freedom of entry to the Alice Springs.^[25] Since the early 1970s, the majority of the American population in Alice Springs has been associated with proximity to Pine Gap, a joint Australian-US satellite tracking station, located 19 kilometres (12 mi) south-west of Alice Springs, that employs about 700 Americans and Australians.

Currently, 2000 residents of the Alice Springs district hold United States citizenship. Many of these Americans, joined by some Australians, celebrate major US public festivals, including Independence Day and Thanksgiving. Americans in Alice Springs are also known to participate in a variety of associations and sporting teams, including baseball, basketball, and football (soccer) competitions.^[26]

[edit] Other cultures

Several small immigrant communities of other foreign cultures have found a home in Alice Springs, including Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, and Indian ethnic groups. The most obvious impact of their presence in such a small and isolated town has been the opening of various restaurants serving their traditional cuisines.

[edit] Itinerant population

Alice Springs has a large itinerant population. This population is generally composed of foreign and Australian tourists, Aboriginal Australians visiting from nearby Central Australian communities, and Australian or international workers on short-term contracts (colloquially referred to as "blow-ins"). The major sources of work that recruit workers into town are the stations and mines. Foreign tourists usually pass through on their way to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, whilst Australian tourists usually come through as a part of an event such as the Masters Games and the Finke Desert Race. These events can cause the population of the town to fluctuate by several thousand within a matter of days.

[edit] Government

The Alice Springs Town Council governs the Alice Springs area, which takes in the town centre, its suburbs and some rural area. The Alice Springs Town Council has governed Alice Springs since 1971. The Alice Springs council consists of 9 members, the Mayor and 8 aldermen. The town is not divided up into wards. The current mayor of Alice Springs is Damien Ryan. Council Meetings are held on the last Monday of each month. The Alice Springs Region is governed by the newly created shire MacDonnell Shire, for which Alice Springs serves as council seat.

[edit] Economy

Alice Springs began as a service town to the pastoral industry that first came to the region. The introduction of the rail line increased its economy and productivity.^{[citation
needed]} Today the town services a region of 546,046 square kilometres (210,830 sq mi) and a regional population of 38,749.^{[citation
needed]} The region includes a number of mining and pastoral communities, the Joint Defence Space Research Facility at Pine Gap and tourist attractions at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Watarrka National Park and the MacDonnell Ranges.

The largest employer in Alice Springs is the Northern Territory Government, with 7.5% of employed people working in government administration, 6.6% in school education, and 3.7% in the Alice Springs Hospital.^[20] The economy of Alice is somewhat reliant on domestic and international tourism, with 3.8% of its workforce employed providing accommodation.^[20] It is home to the Northern Territory's largest dedicated travel organiser, Territory Discoveries, which employs over 50 full time local staff members.

As well as Territory Discoveries, all major tour companies have a base in Alice Springs, including AAT Kings & APT, as well as numerous local operators, including Emu Run Tours, Anganu Waai! tours, Alice Wanderer and Wayoutback Desert Safaris, the only locally based Advanced Ecotourism Accredited operator.

Alice is home to numerous hotels, from the 4.5-star Lasseters Hotel Casino, to the backpacker standard Toddies Resort. Also, there are several caravan parks for the driving visitor.

Transport

There are daily express coach services to and from Adelaide and Darwin servicing Alice Springs. The Stuart Highway, running north from Adelaide to Darwin via Alice Springs, is Northern Territory's most important road. The distance from Alice Springs to Adelaide is 1,530 kilometres (950 mi) and to Darwin is 1,498 kilometres (931 mi).

[edi

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b Australian Bureau of Statistics (23 April 2009). 7'!A1 "Regional Population Growth". http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/057C7AB6661166CDCA2575A0001802DC/$File/32180ds0002_2001-08.xls#'Table 7'!A1. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
^ Geoscience Australia Centre of Australia, States and Territories updated July 2006 "Officially, there is no centre of Australia. This is because there are many complex but equally valid methods that can determine possible centres of a large, irregularly shaped area especially one that is curved by the earth's surface." See the Geoscience Australia page for further details.
^ "Climate statistics for Alice Springs Airport". Bureau of Meteorology. 2011. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_015590.shtml. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
^ Aboriginal Australia Art & Culture Centre. "Arrernte Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre Alice Springs". Aboriginalart.com.au. http://aboriginalart.com.au/culture/arrernte.html. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
^ Thorley, Peter (2004). "Rock-art and the archaeological record of Indigenous settlement in Central Australia". Australian Aboriginal Studies (1). http://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=200409749;res=APAFT. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c Brooks, David (2003). A town like Mparntwe: a guide to the dreaming tracks and sites of Alice Springs. Alice Springs: Jukurrpa Books. ISBN 1-86465-045-1. https://iadpress.com/shop/a-town-like-mparntwe-reprint/.
^ "About Alice Springs – History". Alicesprings.nt.gov.au. 31 August 1933. http://www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au/alice-springs/history. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
^ Stanton, Jenny (2000). The Australian Geographic Book of the Red Centre. Terrey Hills, New South Wales: Australian Geographic. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-86276-013-4.
^ ^a ^b "Central Australia the war year - 1939-1945". RSL On-Line Museum. RSL Sub Branch Alice Springs. http://www.thewaryears.alicespringsrsl.com.au/townlife.shtml. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
^ "Alice Springs (Mparntwe) NT". Flinders Range Research. Flinders Ranges Research,. http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/alicesprings.htm. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
^ "The Ghan – Outback experiences – Northern Territory Official Travel Site". Travelnt.com. http://www.travelnt.com/en/experience/outback/the-ghan.htm. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
^ "Terrestrial Ecoregions – Central Ranges xeric scrub (AA1302)". Nationalgeographic.com. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/aa/aa1302.html. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
^ "Weatherbase: Records and Averages for Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia". Weatherbase. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=62349&refer=. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
^ Tapper, Andrew; Tapper, Nigel (1996). Gray, Kathleen. ed. The weather and climate of Australia and New Zealand (First ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press. p. 300. ISBN 0-19-553393-3.
^ Linacre, Edward; Geerts, Bart (1997). Climates and Weather Explained. London: Routledge. p. 379. ISBN 978-0-415-12519-2. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=mkZa1KLHCAQC&lpg=PA379&pg=PA379#v=onepage&q=&f=false.
^ McKnight & Hess, pp. 212–1, "Climate Zones and Types: Dry Climates (Zone B)"
^ Alice Springs' Climate^{[dead
link]}
^ "Climate statistics for Australian locations". 19 February 2012. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_015590_All.shtml.
^ "2006 Census Tables : Alice Springs (T) (Local Government Area)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ViewData?action=404&documentproductno=LGA70200&documenttype=Details&order=1&tabname=Details&areacode=LGA70200&issue=2006&producttype=Census%20Tables&javascript=true&textversion=false&navmapdisplayed=true&breadcrumb=POLTD&&collection=Census&period=2006&productlabel=Ancestry%20%28full%20classification%20list%29%20by%20Sex&producttype=Census%20Tables&method=Place%20of%20Usual%20Residence&topic=Ancestry&. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Alice Springs (T) (Local Government Area)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=LGA70200&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
^ "2006 Census QuickStats: Northern Territory". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 25 October 2007. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ViewData?method=Place%20of%20Usual%20Residence&subaction=-1&producttype=QuickStats&areacode=7&action=401. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
^ Foster, Denise; Michell, Julia; Ulrik, Jane; Williams, Raelene (2003). "Population and Mobility in the Town Camps of Alice Springs: A report prepared by Tangentyere Council Research Unit". Tangentyere Council, Alice Springs. http://www.tangentyere.org.au/publications/research_reports/DKCRC-Report-9-Population-and-Mobility-in-the-town-camps-of-Alice-Springs.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
^ Alice Springs Community – Indigenous Services, Alice Springs Town Council
^ "Alice Springs – Aboriginal Culture". Alice Springs Town Council. 8 June 2006. Archived from the original on 18 December 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061218024623/http%3A//www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au/about_alice/aboriginal.asp. Retrieved 25 November 2006.
^ "Council History - The Seventh Council". Council History - The Seventh Council. Alice Springs Town Council. http://www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au/alice-springs-town-council/council-history-7. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
^ The American Connection^{[dead
link]}
^ Department of Education and Training – About the Department^{[dead
link]}
^ ^a ^b Tables&javascript=true&textversion=false&navmapdisplayed=true&breadcrumb=TLPD&&collection=Census&period=2006&productlabel=Type of Educational Institution Attending (Full/Part-Time Student Status by Age) by Sex&producttype=Census Tables&method=Place of Usual Residence&topic=School Education& ABS education tables^{[dead
link]}
^ Adlam, Nigel (31 December 2008). "DAILY TELEGRAPH, Outed: Lesbian capital of Australia". News.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24858909-5001021,00.html. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
^ "General Information". Clean Enery Council. http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/cec/mediaevents/ATRAA-2010/general-info.html. Retrieved 7 August 2010. ^{[dead
link]}
^ Nicolas Rothwell (19 February 2011). "Violence in Alice spirals out of control". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/aboriginal-australia/violence-in-alice-spirals-out-of-control/story-e6frgd9f-1226008399065. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
^ 19 February 2011 12:00 am (19 February 2011). "Destroyed in Alice". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/destroyed-in-alice/story-fn59niix-1226008040782. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
^ Tlozek, Eric (31 March 2010). "Alice crime rates reach unprecedented levels – ABC Alice Springs – Australian Broadcasting Corporation". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/31/2861586.htm?site=alicesprings. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
^ Natasha Robinson (22 December 2008). "Down like Alice the meltdown of a tourism mecca". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/fears-for-alice-as-crime-escalates/story-e6frg6po-1111118383082. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
^ Australian Railmaps, "RAIL MAP – PERTH to ADELAIDE, CENTRAL AND NORTHERN AUSTRALIA". Retrieved 12 June 2007.
^ "Alice Springs – Sister city media release". Alice Springs Town Council. 9 August 2005. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060820223023/http%3A//www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au/news/newsItem.asp%3Fdate%3D050809%26txt%3DAli. Retrieved 5 July 2007.

[edit] External links

Pine Gap’s first generation of satellites was designed to monitor Soviet missile developments and for espionage in South East Asia, especially Vietnam, and later to spy on China. Since then, both its mission and capabilities have expanded dramatically. The base is believed to have provided targeting information for Israel’s 2006 bombing of Lebanon.

Pine Gap is one of largest and most sophisticated satellite ground stations in the world. Its 26 antennas suck information from the sky and distribute it to US commanders in the field, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, where it is used to co-ordinate air strikes. In the 2003 “shock and awe” invasion of Baghdad, Pine Gap’s space-based signal intercepts of phone calls made by Iraq’s Generals, led directly to the US Air Force strikes against the country’s leadership. According to defense expert Richard Tanter, “all decapitation strikes missed their nominal targets, but resulted in the deaths of large numbers of Iraqi civilians”.

There were over 50 Pine Gap directed strikes in the invasion phase. Of four investigated by Human Rights Watch, 42 civilians were killed and zero soldiers. This averages 13 casualties per strike, which, when multiplied by 50, totals 650 corpses. During this time the Australian media and star commentators were waxing lyrical about the Pentagon’s “precision bombing”.

Australian anti war campaigner, Donna Mulhearn, was in Baghdad in March 2003 when a missile struck the Al Shuala markets, killing over 60 civilians. Donna took a bus to the site and found "complete devastation with pieces of iron and tin mangled into grotesque shapes. Mashed pieces of fruit and cardboard were soaked in the blood and mud, along with pieces of human flesh”. Hundreds were injured and the hospitals lacked anaesthetics.

The US military denied responsibility. British journalist Robert Fisk found a serial number on a fragment of the weapon’s metal in the rubble, which was traced back to the Raytheon corporation, a provider of space and airborne missile and surveillance systems. Raytheon has sole responsibility for maintenance at Pine Gap. In Al Shuala a grieving Shi-ite asked Mulhearn, “Do your people accept this, the killing of children? Do western people have no honour?”

When she found her way to a bus, her eyes stinging with tears, Donna noticed the bloodstains on her boots. “The sight was shocking and caused my body to shake, then go limp”, she recalled. Her first instinct was to “find a corner somewhere in the outskirts of the world and curl up to weep forever”, but that was not to be. She found another option - to stand up as a witness to war crimes. It was this decision that would later take Donna Mulhearn to Pine Gap.

It aims to put satellite based weapons in space to shoot down any incoming missiles. New radomes (radar + dome) to accommodate the system have already been installed.

The majority of Pine Gap’s 1000 staff are Americans drawn from branches of the US military, including the National Security Agency, Army and Navy Information Operations Command, US Navy and Combined Support Group, Air Intelligence Agency, US Air Force, 704th Military Intelligence Brigade, 743rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Marine Cryptologic Support Command, etc. The base is described as a “joint facility”, although key areas are out of bounds to Australians. While visiting US lawmakers are taken on tours of Pine Gap, Federal MP’s are denied entry. (Members of Congress have collectively invested up to $US196 million in companies with Defense Department contracts, earning millions since the onset of the Iraq invasion. Until May 2007, Hillary Clinton held holdings in Honeywell, Boeing and – yes - Raytheon).

In 2000, the Howard Government rejected calls by Parliament's Joint Committee on Treaties for a classified briefing on its operations. There is no public debate on the role of Pine Gap, despite its unbending support of all US military actions, regardless of legality or morality. As for the media, they’re asleep at the wheel.

CRIMINALS ROAMING THE OUTBACK?

Pine Gap hosts the largest CIA facility outside America, so it is reasonable to assume that crimes against humanity, such the kidnap of suspects and their transport to torture zones, have been aided by the capacities of Pine Gap. Day after day, its intelligence kills people. If you regard this is an exaggeration, visit the US Airforce website and click the link marked “airpower summary”, which reveals the number of daily missions conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of these involve air strikes, around a 100 a day, or 36,500 a year, which explains why Pine Gap operates around the clock.

On a December midnight in 2005, after seeking the permission of a traditional custodian of the Arrernte land, four resolute Christians trudged across the central desert with bolt cutters. One of the party was Donna Mulhearn, whose visit to Baghdad led her to bone up on the activities of Pine Gap. The group cut through two fences, scrambled on a rooftop and unfurled their banner: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? YOUR BROTHER’S BLOOD CRIES OUT TO ME. Security guards surrounded them. One shouted, “Get on your knees”.
“That’s a good idea”, said one of the group, and prayed to God that the guard would one day cease his co-operation with the violence of Pine Gap. The Christians explained they had entered the base to carry out a Citizen’s Inspection. (A few days before, the facility had been inspected by John Negroponte, the former US Ambassador to Iraq and Director of National Intelligence, who is now Deputy Secretary of State. Renowned for his “dirty work in Honduras” in the 1980’s, Negroponte has long been accused of complicity with human rights abuses, torture and assassinations.

The four pacifists were arrested, charged with entering a prohibited area and put on trial. One of the defendants, Jim Dowling, told the jury that after Nuremberg, citizens had the right and a duty to take action against a government guilty of war crimes. “When an Apache gunship approaches a target in Iraq”, noted defendant Bryan Law, “it will be receiving data transferred from Pine Gap. When a missile is directed at that target, the information will also have come from Pine Gap”. (The helicopters are still at it. In March this year, six Sunni fighters from the "Awakening" movement allied to the US, were killed in strikes by an AH-64 Apache helicopter in Samarra, Iraq, their bodies loaded onto a pickup.)

In March 2003, Donna Mulhearn had witnessed the results of missile strikes on civilians and she asked the jury to “honour the humanity of the unknown person whose blood is on my boots”.

STRIKING AT THE HEART OF NATIONAL SECURITY

The trial received scant attention. The courthouse was not ringed with demonstrators. The Australian community remains uninformed about the case and its implications.

What if Pine Gap had stuck to its originally claimed role of monitoring weather? The world might have received an early warning on global warming; and the Central Desert, the soul of Australia, would not now be disfigured by an American controlled intelligence weapon of mass destruction.

Earthwatchers

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Dee Finney's blog INDEX 2 - 2012