Museum sights in Alice Springs
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A
Museum of Central Australia
The natural history collection at this compact museum recalls the days of megafauna − when hippo-sized wombats and 3m-tall flightless birds roamed the land. Among the geological displays are meteorite fragments and fossils. There's a free audio tour, narrated by a palaeontologist, which helps bring the exhibition to life.
There's also a display on the work of Professor TGH Strehlow, a linguist and anthropologist born at the Hermannsburg Mission among the Arrernte people. During his lifetime he gathered one of the world's most documented collections of Australian Aboriginal artefacts, songs, genealogies, film and sound recordings. It's upstairs in the Strehlow Research Ce…
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B
School of the Air
Started in 1951, this was the first school of its type in Australia, broadcasting lessons to children over an area of 1.3 million sq km. While transmissions were originally all done over high-frequency radio, satellite broadband internet and web-cams now mean students can study in a virtual classroom. The guided tour of the centre includes a video. During school term you can view a live broadcast from 8.30am to 2.30pm Monday to Friday. The school is about 3km north of the town centre.
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C
National Road Transport Hall of Fame
If you fancy big trucks, the National Road Transport Hall of Fame has a fabulous collection, including the chassis of the first Kenworth to come off the production line in 1971, and a few ancient road trains. There are over 100 restored trucks and vintage cars, including many of the outback’s pioneering vehicles. Admission is valid for two days so take your time.
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D
Royal Flying Doctor Service Base
This is the home of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, whose dedicated health workers provide 24-hour emergency retrievals across an area of around 1.25 million sq km. Entry to the visitor centre is by a half-hour tour that includes a video presentation, and a look at the operational control room as well as some ancient medical gear and a flight simulator. The adjoining cafe serves excellent homemade pies.
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E
Mbantua Gallery
This privately owned gallery, which extends through to Todd Mall, includes a cafe and extensive exhibits of works from the renowned Utopia region, as well as watercolour landscapes from the Namatjira school. The upstairs Educational & Permanent Collection (adult/child $4.60/3.30) is a superb cultural exhibition space with panels explaining Aboriginal mythology and customs.
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F
Aviation Museum
The Aviation Museum is in the Connellan Hangar, Alice's original aerodrome. There are exhibits on pioneer aviation in the Territory and, of course, the famous Royal Flying Doctor Service (the old plane out the front belonged to John Flynn, founder of the service).
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G
Central Australia Aviation Museum
Housed in the Connellan Hangar, Alice's original aerodrome, there are displays on pioneer aviation in the Territory including Royal Flying Doctor (RFDS) planes.
Easily the most interesting exhibit is the wreck of the Kookaburra, a tiny plane which crashed in the Tanami Desert in 1929 while searching for Charles Kingsford Smith and his co-pilot Charles Ulm, who had gone down in their plane, the Southern Cross. The Kookaburra pilots, Keith Anderson and Bob Hitchcock, perished in the desert, while Kingsford Smith and Ulm were rescued.
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Alice Springs Transport Heritage Centre
At the MacDonnell siding, about 10km south of Alice and 1km west of the Stuart Hwy, are a couple of museums dedicated to big trucks and old trains. If you want to visit both the museums, consider the half-day tour,which includes entry, a guide and lunch.
The Old Ghan Rail Museum has a collection of restored Ghan locos (originally called the Afghan Express after the cameleers who forged the route). There's also the Old Ghan Tea Rooms and an ad-hoc collection of railway memorabilia in the lovely Stuart railway station.
For a truckin' good time, head to the National Road Transport Hall of Fame which has a fabulous collection of big rigs, including a few ancient road trains. Ad…
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