Alice Springs town camps

Alice Springs town camps began as early as the 1880s when Europeans first came to Central Australia following John McDouall Stuart's expedition, which was soon followed by pastoralists and, from 1872, the telegraph line and the establishment of the Alice Springs Telegraph Station.^[1] As a direct result of this Aboriginal people were forced from their lands and their camps, then called fringe camps, initially served as convenient ration distribution points and labour camps.^[2] Many of the camps were originally designed to accommodate people visiting Alice Springs from remote communities.^[3][4]

By the 1900s opposition to the camps grew and various measures were attempted to remove them, including forced "evacuations" to surrounding missions, like the Little Flower Mission at Arltunga, 1929 and 1960.^[5] The township of Alice Springs was declared a prohibited area for Aboriginal people from 1929 to 1960,^[2][6] leading to the establishment of the town camps, which were often located on traditional ceremonial camping areas.^[7]

Things changed in the 1970s when town campers began demanding land tender, shelter, and services and, in 1977, when they established the town camp governing body Tangentyere Council. "Tangentyere" is an Arrernte word meaning "all speaking together".^[2] For many people, the camps became a permanent, and often generational, home.^[3]

As of May 2026^[update], there were 17 town camps governed by Tangentyere Council.^[8] Those to the north of Alice Springs are mostly affiliated to remote communities north of the town, while those on the southern outskirts are linked to communities to the south.

In 2019 there were between 1600 and 2000 people living in town camps permanently.^[9] The 2021 Australian census recorded a total permanent population of 1,055 people in the camps, living in 256 households. However, the number of residents fluctuates, as family members visit from remote communities, frequently to access health and other services.^[7] In addition, the number of people living in the camps can almost double during major events in Alice Springs like the football carnival and the Alice Springs Show.^[9] Each camp is a distinct Aboriginal community, based on language and kinship groups.^[9]

The town camps are governed by Tangentyere Council, an Aboriginal corporation, while the NT Government provides housing, infrastructure, and various other services.^[7]

The following aims to be a comprehensive list of town camps:

There is a high rate of domestic violence in the NT in general, including in the camps. Prominent anti-domestic violence campaigner and founding member of the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group, 46-year-old R. Rubuntja, was murdered by her partner, who had a history of violent offences, in January 2021.^[28][29] She had been known for her advocacy: in 2017, she spoke to politicians in Parliament House, Canberra, about domestic violence in Central Australia, and helped to organise a large women's march against violence in Alice Springs. She was elected town camp president of her community at Anthepe Camp in 2019.^[30]

Conditions at the town camps attracted renewed attention in 2026 after the killing of Kumanjayi Little Baby, a five-year-old girl, after her alleged abduction by a fellow resident.^[31]

• Shirleen Campbell, activist against family and domestic violence^[32][33]
• Sally M. Nangala Mulda, artist, lives at Mpwetyerre (Abbotts)^[34][35]
• Albert Namatjira, artist, lived at Akngwertnarre (Morris Soak)^[36][37]
• Geoff Shaw, Aboriginal leader, lives at Mount Nancy^[38][39]