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Australia Day: Alice’s role in it
@ Evelyne Roullet (Posted January 31, 2019 at 5:28 pm): The link you provide from the National Museum of Australia states exactly what I’ve said. Under the heading “Cook claims Australia” at the top of the page it states “1770: Lieutenant James Cook claims EAST COAST of Australia for Britain.” (My emphasis).
Scroll down to the section headed “Claiming New South Wales for the Crown” it reiterates: “Five days later, finally clear of the labyrinth of reefs and having proved the existence of the Torres Strait, Cook climbed the summit of Possession Island and claimed the EAST COAST of the Australian continent for Britain.”
It’s pertinent to note that Cook’s assessment of the land was bleak and saw no reason for any European settlement to be established; however, Joseph Banks, the botanist on board the Endeavour, was hugely enthusiastic about “New South Wales” and it was he who eventually succeeded in convincing Britain to send the First Fleet.
The reason there is so much confusion about this period of history is due to the sustained movement in the mid to late 19th century to end convict transportation to Australia.
This became one of the most successful media propaganda campaigns in history; so much so, that Australians universally became terribly ashamed of their convict origins and suppressed all reference to it.
Australia Day (January 26) had its origins in the early 19th century – references to this date commence as early as 1804 – and was originally known as “Foundation Day” or “First Landing Day.”
This occasion was especially significant for emancipists – former convicts who had served their sentences or been pardoned by the governor – but this history was forgotten because of its strong association with the convict era.
Another major consequence was the downplaying of the First Fleet and misleading transfer of focus on the voyage of the Endeavour as the beginning of British occupation of Australia.
If it wasn’t for Joseph Banks and the loss of the British colonies in the American Revolutionary War, the voyage of the Endeavour would have been only a footnote in history.

Australia Day: Alice’s role in it
@ Evelyne Roullet (Posted January 30, 2019 at 2:11 pm): No, Captain James Cook claimed Australia’s east COASTLINE of that portion from Point Hicks (east Victoria) which was first sighted by the Endeavour’s Second-In-Command, Zachary Hicks, on April 19, 1770, north to Possession Island at the tip of Cape York Peninsula, where Cook formally took possession on August 22, 1770.
This is what Cook wrote: “Having satisfied myself of the great probability of a passage, through which I intend going with the ship, and therefore may land no more upon the eastern coast of New Holland, and on the western side I can make no new discovery, the honor of which belongs to the Dutch navigators; but the eastern coast from the latitude of 38 degrees south down to this place, I am confident, was never seen or visited by any European before us, and notwithstanding I had in the name of His Majesty taken possession of several places upon this coast, I now once more hoisted English colors and, in the name of His Majesty, King George the Third, took possession of the whole eastern coast from the above latitude down to this place by the name of New South Wales together with all the bays, harbors, rivers and islands situated upon the said coast …”
The claim for the eastern half of the continent as New South Wales was declared in August 1786 when Captain Arthur Phillip was commissioned to command the First Fleet.
The British avoided the western half of “New Holland” to avoid upsetting the Dutch; however, it’s a little known fact that the French took possession of the west coast some time later but never followed through on it.
The British in turn simply gazumped the French when the Swan River Colony was established, later called Perth.
For better or worse, January 26, 1788, was the pivotal moment in Australian history when Captain Arthur Phillip hoisted the British flag at Sydney Cove, officially marking the commencement of the new colony.
As mentioned in another comment, Arthur Phillip was well aware of the consequences of this new settlement when he later wrote: “Yultide is almost upon us and my hope is by no means exhausted despite the difficulties met with; given time, and additional force, together with proper people for cultivating the land … I know now that I can make a nation.”

Car crashed into supermarket, alcohol stolen
Certainly not the first time that kind of offence has occurred at those premises!

Nationals in Canberra run Country Liberals media
Perhaps it’s splitting hairs but there were two previous Trades and Labour Councils established in Alice Springs before Warren Snowdon “founded” the Central Australian Regional TLC.
The first was in December 1976 when Miscellaneous Workers Union officials Bill Thomson, from Sydney, and Ray Rushbury (Melbourne) arrived here to establish the Alice Springs Trades and Labour Council, as an adjunct to the TLC in Darwin. This was achieved by the end of the year, and Rushbury was appointed the permanent organiser in late 1977.
In early 1977 the Alice Springs TLC shared office space with the NT ALP in Reg Harris Lane. The new NT Labor leader, Jon Isaacs, was the secretary of the MWU in Darwin – he rose to prominence during 1976 when the North Australian Railway was closed.
The first Alice Springs TLC appeared to have become defunct by the end of the decade. In January 1981 a new organiser, Ray Ciantar from Perth, was appointed to re-activate the Alice Springs TLC but with responsibility extending to Tennant Creek and other regional communities; however, this effort seems to have been even less successful than the first.
The third “founding” of the TLC in Alice Springs was by Warren Snowdon in 1985, this time called the Central Australian TLC.

Wards for Alice council, including one for town camps?
Wards for the Alice Springs Town Council are not a new idea but have never been supported by the NT Government.
There was discussion about wards in the mid-1990s, which was firmly rejected by the government.
It was also raised by candidate Steve Strike during the town council election campaign in May 1988. Like Eli Melky’s current proposal, Strike also suggested five wards, each with two aldermen; however, he didn’t overlook the rural area on that occasion over 30 years ago (the other wards suggested were for Eastside, Gillen, Braitling and the Gap Area).
The town’s municipal boundaries were expanded significantly in early 1988, incorporating the whole rural area for the first time despite widespread opposition from affected residents. The idea of a ward system was the final suggestion to differentiate the rural area from the town, after calls for a separate community government and a shire were rejected by the NT Government.
It’s interesting to note that during the operation of the original Alice Springs Progress Association from 1947 to 1960, the town was divided into wards a couple of times for choosing delegates onto the association. The wards were the (now old) Eastside, town centre (now the CBD), the south side of the town, and the Farm Area along what is now Ragonesi Road. The town’s population grew from about 2000 to over 3000 residents during this period, which was long before there was a town council.
One person who represented the south ward from 1958 onwards was Bernie Kilgariff, kickstarting what was to become an illustrious career in NT politics.
Personally I support the concept of wards; for one thing, it would substantially reduce the cost and inconvenience of town council by-elections.
With regard to increasing the number of councillors from eight to 10; well, it’s just over a decade ago the reverse occurred.
Moreover, the ASTC first started off with eight aldermen (plus the mayor) in 1971 until 1977, when the number was increased to 10.
Here we go again?

Move School of the Air to Anzac High building
@ Watch’n (Posted April 15, 2019 at 4:48 am): Remember when the Drive-in was de-listed? To make way for real estate? Wasn’t that a great development.

Gallery fiasco: school heritage process ‘massively flawed’
It’s obvious the majority of voters in Araluen got it right in the last Territory election campaign.