The Artists

Albert Namatjira

Glossary

GLOSSARY OF A NUMBER OF THE EUROPEAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES
GIVEN TO THIS REGION OF AUSTRALIA

Alice Springs
This was named after Lady Alice Todd, wife of Sir Charles Heavitree Todd, Postmaster-General and Government Astronomer.
'In 1871 John Ross chose the Heavitree Gap for the route of the Overland Telegraph Line where it lay across the MacDonnell Ranges. The springs, which are a waterhole in the Todd River, were used as a watering place by the telegraph staff. They were named in honour of the wife of Todd, who was responsible for the construction of the line. The telegraph repeater station, built in 1872, was also known as Alice Springs. The site was not suitable for the town, which was surveyed and gazetted in 1888 as Stuart, after J. McDouall Stuart, who passed within 50 or 60 km of the springs in 1860. The name of the explorer was not perpetuated, for when the original telegraph station was transferred to the town, the name of Stuart, was officially replaced by Alice Springs.'
(Reed. A. W. Place Names of Australia Sydney, A.H. & A. W. Reed, 1973)

Finke River
This was named by explorer, J. McDouall Stuart on his 1860 expedition, when he discovered this river which was lined with gum trees. He wrote on April 4, 1860: 'The creek I have named the Finke, after my sincere friend, William Finke of Adelaide - one of the liberal promoters of the different expeditions I have had the honour to lead'.

Mount Finke was also named by Stuart, in August 1858.
The Aboriginal name for the Finke River was Larapinta or Lirambenda, meaning 'creek with permanent water'.

Hermannsburg
The area was named after Hermannsburg in Germany, and the Lutheran Mission was founded by two German missionaries, Kempe and Schwarz. They left Bethany in South Australia in October 1875, and with their livestock reached the area they called Hermannsburg some nineteen months later.

Today this area is known by its Aboriginal name 'Ntaria'.

MacDonnell Range
Named by J. McDouall Stuart on his fourth continental crossing of the continent from south to north, in honour of the Governor of South Australia, Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell.

Mount Wedge
Named by explorer John Charles Darke in 1844 after his uncle, John Hilder Wedge.

Palm Valley
Named by Ernest Giles in 1872, on account of its many tall Palm trees, which is a species that has survived in this area since ancient times.

Simpson's Gap
Named after A.A. Simpson, President of the South Australian branch of the Royal Geographical Society, who helped raise the funds for an extensive aerial survey of Central Australia, conducted by Dr Madigan.

Standley Chasm
Named after one of the earliest women teachers in the school at Alice Springs.

Andrew Mackenzie

Left: Arthur Streeton - Above Us The Great Grave Sky, 1890
Collection: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.