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Northern Territory
AREA: 1,335,742 sq. km.,
POPULATION: 182,000 (1996)
CAPITAL: Darwin (100,000)
Darwin was first settled in 1839 after 2 previous attempts.
On Christmas Eve, 1974 it was practically obliterated by Cyclone Tracy and was rebuilt over
the ensuing years with cyclone proof houses and is now Australia's most modern city.
In the south, Alice Springs began as a repeater station on the Overland Telegraph Line between
Adelaide and Darwin and grew slowly as people congregated around the tiny settlement. It was not until
the railway line reached there in 1929 that the town began to prosper.
A long overdue extension connecting Alice Springss and Darwin is currently under construction.
The main industry is beef cattle and massive stations measured in thousands
of square kilometres comprise around half of it. The other half is held by aboriginal groups
and a permit is needed to access much of this land.
Uranium is mined in the mid-north and Tennant Creek has copper mines.
The Northern Territory contains two of Australia's best known attractions. Kakadu in the
north, and Ayers Rock (Uluru) in the south.
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