About Alice Springs

Profiles

Alice Springs Australia

Alice Springs lies in the physical and spiritual heart of Australia’s arid zone, about halfway between Darwin to the north and Adelaide to the south.

The Municipality of Alice Springs covers an area of 328 sq kms and has a population estimated at 28,605 (ABS 2012).

It is however the service hub for a much wider region - the southern half of the Northern Territory, an area of 551,000 sq kms, and parts of South Australia and Western Australia.

The town itself is made up of a vibrant mix of cultures from around the globe. The latest information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show we have a very diverse community made up of people from many backgrounds including Indigenous, American, European, African, Asian plus many more. The Mayor regularly conducts Citizenship ceremonies welcoming new residents to our fine town.

Alice Springs is on Australian Central Standard Time, UTC/GMT +9:30 hours.

The municipality of Alice Springs covers an area of 328 sq km and 74% of that is Crown Land, and therefore not rateable.

Water for Alice Springs is drawn largely from groundwater, either from alluvial sediments or rock aquifers in the Amadeus Basin.

The town is divided by the Todd River, which, due to the boom-or-bust arid zone climate, is a dry riverbed until enough rain falls in the catchment area north of the town.

Alice Springs averages 9.6 hours sunshine per day.

The economy is based on government services, tourism, pastoralism and mining. It is also a major service centre for about 260 remote communities across 551,403 sq km.