A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds , known as its leeward side.
53-665: Tennant Creek ( Warumungu : Jurnkkurakurr ) is a town located in the Northern Territory of Australia . It is the seventh largest town in the Northern Territory, and is located on the Stuart Highway , just south of the intersection with the western terminus of the Barkly Highway . At the 2021 census , Tennant Creek had a population of 3,080 people, of which 55% (1,707) identified themselves as Indigenous . The town
106-439: A developing tourist centre. There are a number of restaurants and tourist activities. The people of Tennant Creek enjoy modern facilities including reserves, sporting venues, galleries and a civic hall. It is also home to Australia's premier go-karting event, held on a street circuit through the town. The population of Tennant Creek as of the 2021 census is 3,080 people, of which 1,707 (55.4%) are Aboriginal . Tennant Creek had
159-494: A different guise. Cecil's telephone number was simply the number 1 and his Post Office box was also number 1. Another important contributor to Tennant life was Mrs Weaber, wife of the blind owner of the Rising Sun Mine, one of the richest gold mines in the district before World War II. A devout Catholic, Mrs Weaber paid for the old church at Pine Creek to be transported to Tennant Creek plank by wooden plank, thereby establishing
212-451: A long, hot dry season from March to November. Due to the length of the dry season, and very high evapotranspiration, the vegetation exhibits influences of a warm desert climate ( Köppen : BWh, Trewartha: BWhb/BWhl). Tennant Creek gets 181.0 clear days annually, and its climate is comparable to Paraguay 's vast, sparsely populated Gran Chaco region. The brief wet season is very hot, moderately rainy, and experiences higher humidity than
265-602: A minimum of 15.7 °C (60.3 °F) to a maximum of 45.6 °C (114.1 °F). Additionally, over 70% of Tennant Creek's 494.7 mm (19.48 in) of annual precipitation occurs during this season, and contributes to being in the Tropical Thorn Woodlands biome under the Holdridge Life Zones classification. Occasionally, flooding can pose a major risk in the area, such as during January 2022, where one person drowned in floodwaters at Seven Mile Bridge, to
318-432: A modern town with shops and a supermarket, accommodation, bars, clubs and restaurants, a regional hospital, schools and banking facilities. Mary Ann Dam is a popular recreation spot, easily accessible from town by road or bicycle track and popular for swimming, barbecues, picnics or bush walks. The area's best known attraction, Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve , is 100 kilometres south of Tennant Creek and
371-578: A series of personal family tragedies. They sold the lease to what would become Tennant's richest post war mine, Nobles Nob , before they realised its potential. Nobles Nob was named after Jack Noble, an old friend of the Weaber family from the days when they all lived in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Gold Mining was all but shut down in Tennant Creek in 1942. The only mine to remain operational
424-463: A telegraph operator, found gold on what would become Tennant Creek's first mine, The Great Northern. Australia's last great Gold Rush did not commence, however, until after Frank Juppurla, a local Indigenous man, took gold to telegraph operator Woody Woodruffe in December 1932. The population quickly grew to about 600, 60 of whom were women and children. "Battery Hill", overlooking the town of Tennant Creek,
477-712: A town council headed by a mayor until 1 July 2008, when it became part of the Barkly Region . The main Aboriginal body within the town is the Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation , that plays a major role in providing training and employment services for the Aboriginal people in Tennant Creek. It has developed a construction capacity and provides contract services to the Town Council such as recycling. Julalikari also provides community services within
530-519: A very large solar panel installation that is part of the Sun Cable project. Tourism is a growing industry emphasising its location, history, scenery and cultural attributes; and provides tourists with an opportunity to experience the outback . The mineral collection at Battery Hill is a must-see, although the stamp battery ceased working in 2005, but has since been refurbished and now operates daily for tours. The exhibition Freedom, Fortitude and Flies in
583-468: Is another tourism drive from Queensland that meets the Explorer's Way at Threeways – 25 kilometres north of Tennant Creek. In May 2005, Minemakers and ATEC signed an agreement to study a 250 km open access railway from Tennant Creek to Wonarah . Historically, there has been suggestion of a rail link between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa. This link would allow resources companies to gain access to both
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#1732852316394636-419: Is approximately 1,000 kilometres south of the capital of the Northern Territory, Darwin , and 500 kilometres north of Alice Springs . It is named after a nearby watercourse of the same name, and is the hub of the sprawling Barkly Tableland – vast elevated plains of black soil with golden Mitchell grass , that cover more than 240,000 square kilometres. Tennant Creek is also near well-known attractions including
689-404: Is carried by the prevailing onshore breezes towards the drier and hotter inland areas. When encountering elevated landforms , the moist air is driven upslope towards the peak , where it expands, cools, and its moisture condenses and starts to precipitate . If the landforms are tall and wide enough, most of the humidity will be lost to precipitation over the windward side (also known as
742-400: Is classified as a living language, but its number of speakers seemed to be decreasing quickly. In the mid-1950s, Australian linguist Robert Hoogenraad estimated that there were only about 700 people who could speak some Warumungu; by 1983, the population was estimated to be as small as 200 speakers. However, the language has evidently undergone something of a renaissance. Today, the language
795-414: Is in a robust position compared to many indigenous Australian languages, as it is being acquired by children and used in daily interaction by all generations, and the situation is sustainable though some ethnic group members may prefer Kriol. Warumungu is a suffixing language, in which verbs are formed by adding a tense suffix (although some verbs are formed by compounding a preverb ). As are many of
848-495: Is known for having one of the highest crime rates in Australia, especially among its local Aboriginal population. Much of the crime is violent and stems from alcohol . Tennant Creek is consistently ranked among the most dangerous towns in Australia, and as of 2023 it is the most dangerous town in the Northern Territory. In January 2017, the estimated homicide rate in Tennant Creek was 59.6 per 100,000 people, almost double as high as
901-595: Is limited to precipitation that crosses over the Continental Divide . While many locations west of the Divide may receive as much as 1,000 millimetres (40 in) of precipitation per year, some places on the eastern side, notably the cities of Denver and Pueblo, Colorado , typically receive only about 12 to 19 inches. Thus, the Continental Divide acts as a barrier for precipitation. This effect applies only to storms traveling west-to-east. When low pressure systems skirt
954-600: Is one of the Territory's most photographed features. These huge granite boulders are scattered through a wide, shallow valley. The formations provide shelter to a variety of flora and fauna of the area and glow a rich red in the light of the early evening. Local Aboriginal mythology holds that the boulders are the eggs of the Rainbow Serpent. Visitors can take a self-guided walk from the car park. Bush camping facilities are available. Another popular spot close to Tennant Creek
1007-458: Is the Iytwelepenty / Davenport Ranges National Park , best explored by four-wheel-drive vehicle. The Warumungu people have lived in the region surrounding Tennant Creek for thousands of years. The traditional name for the creek north of where the town is now located is Jurnkkurakurr, although it is now used to refer to the area of the township as well. The first European explorer to pass through
1060-483: Is the site of one of the last two operating ten-head stamp batteries , a Government owned ore crushing machine. The town of Tennant Creek was located 12 km south of the watercourse because the Overland Telegraph Station had been allocated an 11 km reserve. Local legend offers a different explanation for the town's location. In 1934 Joe Kilgarriff from Alice Springs built the Tennant Creek hotel on
1113-720: The Devils Marbles , Mary Ann Dam, Battery Hill Mining Centre and the Nyinkka Nyunyu Culture Centre. The Barkly Tableland runs east from Tennant Creek towards the Queensland border and is among the most important cattle grazing areas in the Northern Territory . Roughly the same size as the United Kingdom or New Zealand, the region consists largely of open grass plains and some of the world's largest cattle stations. It runs as far south as Barrow Creek , past Elliott to
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#17328523163941166-509: The Nobles Nob and the Peko mines which were established in 1933 and 1934 respectively. The Bootu Mine to the north of town exports manganese to China and major mining companies are continuing to explore for bauxite , lead, zinc, silver and copper around the area. Exploration has commenced to the southeast of the town for unspecified minerals. The nearby town of Elliot is the proposed site of
1219-435: The Northern Territory , 376.5 metres above sea level. Average maximum temperatures range from 24 degrees to 38 degrees, with an average of 22 days per year exceeding 40 degrees. Minimum temperatures range from 12 degrees in winter to 25 degrees in the hotter months. Tennant Creek experiences a tropical semi-arid climate ( Köppen: BSh , Trewartha: BShb/BShl ), with a short, very hot wet season from December to February, and
1272-572: The Tennant Creek Catholic Church . Mrs Weaber also started the Tennant Creek Christmas tree event, when in the early 1930s she held a party at her husband's gold mine and gave every child on the gold field a present. Mrs Weaber's generosity continues into the present day. Every year the town erects a public Christmas tree and every child, local or visitor, is given a present. The Weaber family left Tennant Creek in 1940 following
1325-513: The Warumungu , Warlpiri , Kaytetye and Alyawarre people, call the area home. Tennant Creek is an important social, cultural and business centre for many Aboriginal people of various language groups. The Northern Territory holds several regional events throughout the year, which in some cases can impact on visitor numbers to the region. Events located within the Barkly Area during the year include
1378-451: The rainward side) before ever making it past the top. As the air descends the leeward side of the landforms, it is compressed and heated, producing foehn winds that absorb moisture downslope and cast a broad "shadow" of dry climate region behind the mountain crests . This climate typically takes the form of shrub–steppe , xeric shrublands or even deserts . The condition exists because warm moist air rises by orographic lifting to
1431-664: The trade winds is the zone between about 30° N and 30° S, blowing predominantly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere . The westerlies are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude , blowing predominantly from the southwest in the Northern Hemisphere and from the northwest in the Southern Hemisphere. Some of
1484-451: The 1870s, early white explorers described the Warumungu as a flourishing nation . However, by 1915, invasion and reprisal had brought them to the brink of starvation . In 1934, a reserve that had been set aside for the Warumungu in 1892 was revoked in order to clear the way for gold prospecting . By the 1960s, the Warumungu had been entirely removed from their native land. Warumungu
1537-513: The 1970s and '80s, secondary students tended to leave Tennant Creek and board at secondary schools in Darwin and Alice Springs, but today young people prefer to remain at schools in Tennant Creek. Aboriginal people have lived in the Barkly region for over 40,000 years. The Barkly region is steeped in the ancient traditions and beliefs of its traditional custodians; and around nine Aboriginal groups, including
1590-568: The Adelaide-Darwin (The Ghan) and Townsville-Mount Isa (The Inlander) lines. The missing rail link would also provide rail passengers with direct rail access to Darwin from the East Coast of Australia. The Australian Defence Force may also use the link to provide a rail access between the 1st Brigade in Darwin, and the 3rd Brigade in Townsville. Tennant Creek has a primary and high school. In
1643-463: The Barkly collective is supported by Barkly Regional Arts. It represents more than 50 Aboriginal artists living in five remote communities across the region: Tennant Creek, Wutunugurra (Epenarra), Owairtilla (Canteen Creek), and Kulumindini (Elliott), and Mungkarta (McLaren Creek). Initiated by the Warumungu community of Tennant Creek in 1995, the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre
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1696-790: The Cordillera, in the direct lee of specific mountain ranges. This includes much of the Basin and Range Province in the United States and Mexico . The Pacific Coast Ranges create rain shadows near the West Coast: Most rain shadows in the western United States are due to the Sierra Nevada mountains in California and Cascade Mountains , mostly in Oregon and Washington . The Colorado Front Range
1749-727: The Desert Harmony Festival, the Barkly Campdraft and Rodeo, Saint Patrick's Day Races, Barkly May Day Muster and the Brunette Downs Races. The World Solar Car Challenge takes place every second year. The Tennant Creek Public Library services the people of the town and surrounding area. Tennant Creek has a rich and colourful musical community, and the Winanjjikari Music Centre is home to a number of emerging singers, songwriters and musicians. The Artists of
1802-667: The Pacific Ocean. During the midst of winter, nights are usually cool, averaging 12.7 °C (54.9 °F) in July, but the settlement has never experienced frost, only falling to 5.6 °C (42.1 °F) in June, placing Tennant Creek in Hardiness Zone 11. Due to the combination of warm to hot conditions and minimal precipitation, droughts and bushfires can occur. Tennant Creek has developed from its rough, tough droving and gold mining days into
1855-502: The completion of the Adelaide-Darwin railway north from Alice Springs in 2004. The Ghan , run by Great Southern Rail between Adelaide and Darwin , passes twice weekly in each direction. Tennant Creek is serviced by Tennant Creek Airport , with scheduled flights to Alice Springs and Darwin. Outback Airlines currently services Tennant Creek, providing mining charters between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek with seats available to
1908-656: The eastern side of the telegraph line, the building supplies being delivered on the first commercial journey of the AEC Roadtrain from Alice Springs. The pub still exists and is a historic monument to the early days. Cecil Armstrong was one man who made a contribution to the early development of Tennant Creek. He arrived in April 1935 and began baking bread the next day. In 1937 he built Armstrong's bakery and cafe where he lived and worked for more than twenty years as baker and cafe proprietor. The building still stands today, albeit under
1961-406: The general public. Tennant Creek has daily coach services from Darwin, Alice Springs, and previously Queensland (closed due to COVID-19). The Barkly Tablelands are best explored via Tennant Creek, which can be accessed on the fully sealed Explorer's Way, 1,000 kilometres south of Darwin, 670 kilometres south of Katherine and 510 kilometres north of Alice Springs. The Overlander's Way (Barkly Highway)
2014-472: The homicide rate per 100,000 people in the United States . Warumungu language The Warumungu (or Warramunga ) language is spoken by the Warumungu people in Australia's Northern Territory . In addition to spoken language, the Warumungu have a highly developed sign language . The Warumungu language is a Pama–Nyungan language similar to the Warlpiri language spoken by the Warlpiri people . In
2067-463: The mountain. The air descends on the leeward side, but due to the precipitation it has lost much of its moisture. Typically, descending air also gets warmer because of adiabatic compression (as with foehn winds) down the leeward side of the mountain, which increases the amount of moisture that it can absorb and creates an arid region. There are regular patterns of prevailing winds found in bands round Earth's equatorial region. The zone designated
2120-559: The north and west into the Tanami Desert . The region encompasses the junction of two great highways, the Barkly and the Stuart, also known as the Overlander and Explorer's Ways. The Overlander's Way (Barkly Highway) retraces the original route of early stockmen who drove their cattle from Queensland through the grazing lands in the Northern Territory. Tennant Creek is located in the middle of
2173-514: The north of Tennant Creek. The long dry season is characterised by warm to hot temperatures, little to no precipitation, very low relative humidity, and an abundance of sunshine. Due to the prevailing winds are from the east to south-east, Tennant Creek is rain shadowed by the Great Dividing Range , where most precipitation from the Coral and Tasman Seas is dropped on the windward slopes near
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2226-502: The region was John McDouall Stuart in 1860, on his unsuccessful first attempt to cross the continent from south to north. He named a creek to the north of town after John Tennant, a financier of his expedition and a pastoralist from Port Lincoln, South Australia , in gratitude for the financial help Tennant had provided for Stuart's expeditions across Australia. The Australian Overland Telegraph Line , that once allowed electronic communication between southern Australian cities and London,
2279-481: The rest of the year. The prevailing winds are from the Arafura Sea , but the large size of the Northern Territory's Top End reduces the amount of precipitation in communities further inland, such as Tennant Creek, and contributes to the season's high amount of sunshine. The moderating influence of the ocean is greater during this season, as temperature swings are not as severe as the rest of the year. Extremes range from
2332-433: The social history museum at Battery Hill tells the story of mining in Tennant Creek through the eyes of women and children. It was designed by award-winning artist Alison Alder , a former Tennant Creek resident. Nyinkka Nyunyu Arts and Culture Centre opened in July 2003, offering visitors and the community an opportunity to learn about Aboriginal life, history, and culture. Tennant Creek has been accessible by train since
2385-444: The station. This is one of the four remaining original telegraph stations in Australia. Tennant Creek was the site of Australia's last gold rush during the 1930s and at that time was the third-largest gold producer in Australia. The Tennant Creek Telegraph Station remained an isolated outpost until that time. Gold was discovered in the ranges three miles north of the current town area in 1926 by J Smith Roberts In 1927 Charles Windley,
2438-667: The strongest westerly winds in the middle latitudes can come in the Roaring Forties of the Southern Hemisphere, between 30 and 50 degrees latitude. Examples of notable rain shadowing include: On the largest scale, the entirety of the North American Interior Plains are shielded from the prevailing Westerlies carrying moist Pacific weather by the North American Cordillera . More pronounced effects are observed, however, in particular valley regions within
2491-450: The surviving Indigenous Australian languages , the Warumungu language is undergoing rapid change. The morphology used by younger speakers differs significantly than the one used by older speakers. An example of a Warumungu sentence might be apurtu im deya o warraku taun kana , meaning 'father's mother, is she there, in town, or not?'. Rain shadow Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes )
2544-419: The top of a mountain range. As atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude, the air has expanded and adiabatically cooled to the point that the air reaches its adiabatic dew point (which is not the same as its constant pressure dew point commonly reported in weather forecasts). At the adiabatic dew point, moisture condenses onto the mountain and it precipitates on the top and windward sides of
2597-760: The town, on the Kaczinsky Road hosted important motorcycle speedway events, including qualifying rounds of the Speedway World Championship (starting in 1985). Four Tennant Creek based clubs play in the regional Barkly Australian Football League Australian rules football competition. Tennant Creek Cricket Association returned after 20 years without a competition. The Tennant Creek Youth Centre will host basketball. NRL Northern Territory administered Central Australian Rugby Football League With teams playing from Alice Springs and wider communities including Tennant Creek and Yuendumu . Tennant Creek
2650-414: The township such as Homemakers, aged care, and the night patrol. The police district covers almost 22,000 square kilometres and has a strength of 25 officers. The force includes two Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) officers. Tennant Creek was once the third largest gold producer in Australia and is still highly productive. Over 210 tonnes of gold have been mined in the area. Notable former mines include
2703-491: Was a large mine with its own crushing plant. During World War II , the Australian Army set up the 55th Australian Camp Hospital near Tennant Creek. The Royal Australian Air Force utilised Tennant Creek Airfield as an emergency landing ground. The town today is situated on a stretch of the Stuart Highway known as Paterson Street. As it is a regional centre, it contains government services and local business and also has
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#17328523163942756-473: Was constructed in the 1870s and forged a corridor through the middle of the continent that the Explorer's Way and Ghan train now travel. A temporary building for a telegraph repeater station was erected near the watercourse of Tennant Creek in 1872. Two years later, the solid stone buildings of the Tennant Creek Telegraph Station that remain on the site today, were completed by the occupants of
2809-701: Was opened in 2003. It is a purpose-built centre, which houses displays covering five topics: bush tucker and resources, Country , Language , History, and Punttu (family). It is run by the Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation. There are a number of sports and recreation clubs in Tennant Creek for locals some are Tennant Creek Bowling Club, Tennant Creek Golf Club, Tennant Creek Gun Club, Tennant Creek Soccer Club, Tennant Creek Swimming Pool. Tennant Creek Speedway ( 19°37′28″S 134°11′56″E / 19.62444°S 134.19889°E / -19.62444; 134.19889 ) just north of
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