50 Years of Council

It’s time to bust out your dancing shoes and help Alice Springs Town Council celebrate as July marks 50 years of service to the community.

Council will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Thursday 1 July, with the town officially becoming a municipality on this date in 1971.

The very first meeting of Council was held on 5 July 1971 with successful candidates comprising the first Council going on to play key roles in the governance of the NT as a whole. Marlene Brown, Allan Dunstan, Len Kittle, Brian Martin, Peter Leunig, Andrew McPhee, Dave Baldock, Jock Nelson (Mayor), and Paul Everingham were elected as Aldermen of the first Council.

Jock Nelson went on to serve as the Northern Territory’s Administrator (1973 – 1975) and Paul Everingham the first Chief Minister (1978 – 1984), while many other names still pop up in every day life around Alice Springs – such as the Jock Nelson Centre, and Len Kittle Drive. Council is celebrating the occasion in combination with its Territory Day Citizenship Ceremony, commencing at 9am, with an open invitation to the community to join us on the Council lawns for a free BBQ from 11am, Thursday 1 July.

There will be a banner display of photographs from the last 50 years, featuring a few of Council’s significant achievements in Alice Springs. There may even be cupcakes on offer…

Make sure you come and celebrate with your Council on Thursday 1 July 2021!