Central Australia

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Central Australia
Northern Territory
CSIRO ScienceImage 1217 Aerial view of Central Australian landscape.jpg
Aerial view of Central Australian landscape
Australia Northern Territory location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Central Australia
Coordinates 23°42′0″S133°52′12″E / 23.70000°S 133.87000°E / -23.70000; 133.87000
Population41,000 (2016) [1]
LGA(s)

Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Australia. In its narrowest sense it describes a region that is limited to the town of Alice Springs and its immediate surrounds including the MacDonnell Ranges. Commonly, it refers to an area up to 600 km (370 mi) from Alice Springs, in every direction. In its broadest use it can include almost any region in inland Australia that has remained relatively undeveloped, and in this sense is synonymous with the term Outback. Centralia is another term associated with the area, most commonly used by locals.

Contents

As described by Charles Sturt in one of the earlier uses of the term "A veil hung over Central Australia that could neither be pierced or raised. Girt round about by deserts, it almost appeared as if Nature had intentionally closed it upon civilized man, that she might have one domain on the earth's wide field over which the savage might roam in freedom." [2]

In a modern, more formal sense it can refer to the administrative region used by the Northern Territory government, as of 2022.

Administrative region

Location of the Central Australia (Alice Springs) Economic Region Alice Springs region.jpg
Location of the Central Australia (Alice Springs) Economic Region

Economic region

There are six regions in the Northern Territory for the purposes of economic planning, as defined by the Northern Territory Government: [3]

This region has an estimated population of total regional population of 41,000, serviced by Alice Springs (population 28,000). The town also services parts of South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. [4] Local Government Areas (LGAs) make up the region:[ citation needed ]

Climate

The region has a desert environment, meaning it is very dry, receiving on average just 150 millimetres (6 in) of rainfall annually. [5] Most of the annual rainfall falls during extreme rainfall events in the summer months. Moderate dry winters persist between May and October with hot, long summers from November to April. [6]

Colloquial or general use

In more general usage, or when referring to the flora and fauna of Australia, the term "central Australia" may refer to a large area in the interior of the continent, including the Lake Eyre Basin, which stretches across three states and the NT. [7] For many, the term "outback" is almost synonymous with central Australia. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a number of climatic zones, including tropical and monsoonal climates in northern areas, arid areas in the "red centre" and semi-arid and temperate climates in southerly regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Territory</span> Territory of Australia

The Northern Territory is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Australia to the west, South Australia to the south, and Queensland to the east. To the north, the territory looks out to the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria, including Western New Guinea and other islands of the Indonesian archipelago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpson Desert</span> Desert in Central Australia

The Simpson Desert is a large area of dry, red sandy plain and dunes in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland in central Australia. It is the fourth-largest Australian desert, with an area of 176,500 km2 (68,100 sq mi).

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The Great Sandy Desert is an interim Australian bioregion, located in the northeast of Western Australia straddling the Pilbara and southern Kimberley regions and extending east into the Northern Territory. It is the second largest desert in Australia after the Great Victoria Desert and encompasses an area of 284,993 square kilometres (110,036 sq mi). The Gibson Desert lies to the south and the Tanami Desert lies to the east of the Great Sandy Desert.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Springs</span> Town in the Northern Territory, Australia

Alice Springs, is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory, Australia. The name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd, wife of the telegraph pioneer Sir Charles Todd. Known colloquially as 'The Alice' or simply 'Alice', the town is situated roughly in Australia's geographic centre. It is nearly equidistant from Adelaide and Darwin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennant Creek</span> Town in the Northern Territory, Australia

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Kintore is a remote settlement in the Kintore Range of the Northern Territory of Australia about 530 km (330 mi) west of Alice Springs and 40 km (25 mi) from the border with Western Australia. It is also known as Walungurru, Walangkura, and Walangura.

Yuendumu is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia, 293 km (182 mi) northwest of Alice Springs on the Tanami Road, within the Central Desert Region local government area. It ranks as one of the larger remote communities in central Australia, and has a thriving community of Aboriginal artists. It is home to Pintubi Anmatjere Warlpiri (PAW) Media, which produced the TV series Bush Mechanics.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tirari Desert</span> Desert in South Australia

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Haasts Bluff, also known as Ikuntji, is an Aboriginal Australian community in Central Australia, a region of the Northern Territory. The community is located in the MacDonnell Shire local government area, 227 kilometres (141 mi) west of Alice Springs. At the 2006 census, the community, including outstations, had a population of 207.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regions of the Northern Territory</span> Variously divided administrative regions of the Northern Territory of Australia

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In South Australia, one of the states of Australia, there are many areas which are commonly known by regional names. Regions are areas that share similar characteristics. These characteristics may be natural such as the Murray River, the coastline, desert or mountains. Alternatively, the characteristics may be cultural, such as common land use. South Australia is divided by numerous sets of regional boundaries, based on different characteristics. In many cases boundaries defined by different agencies are coterminous.

Illamurta Springs Conservation Reserve is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia in the locality of Ghan about 42 kilometres (26 mi) south of Hermannsburg and 140 kilometres (87 mi) west of Alice Springs. The southern foothills of the James Range and the permanent spring from which the reserve takes its name are found within the reserve.

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Arltunga is a deserted gold rush town located in the Northern Territory of Australia in the locality of Hart about 110 kilometres (68 mi) east of Alice Springs. It is of major historical significance as the first major European settlement in Central Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mainland Australia</span> Main landmass of the Australian continent

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References

  1. "NT regional economic profiles". Department of Trade, Business and Innovation. Northern Territory Government. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  2. Sturt, Charles (1849). Expedition into Central Australia. London.
  3. "Strengthening the regions". Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  4. "Central Australia". Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet. 24 September 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  5. Laity, Julie J. (2009). Deserts and Desert Environments. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 43, 45. ISBN   978-1444300741 . Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  6. Boas, T.; Mallants, D. (April 2022). "Episodic extreme rainfall events drive groundwater recharge in arid zone environments of central Australia". Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies. 40: 101005. Bibcode:2022JHyRS..4001005B. doi: 10.1016/j.ejrh.2022.101005 .
  7. Willis, Carli (8 November 2022). "Traditional owners, advocates say federal Threatened Species Action Plan will not stop central Australia extinctions - ABC News". ABC. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  8. "Where is the Outback?". Travel Outback Australia. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2022.