 Situated in the heart of Northern Territory, Tennant Creek was settled by pioneers in the 1870s after being chosen as the site of a telegraph station on the Overland Telegraph Line. This is also the home of Australia's last gold rush, which took place in the 1930s. Currently, it is the third largest gold producer in Australia.
A modern town now, Tennant Creek is still blessed with its outback charm of its earliest days.
Tennant Creek Stamp Battery
The Tennant Creek Stamp Battery is now a working museum. The Battery overlooks the town and is the only operating ten-head stamp battery in Australia where you can take a guided tour. Experience how these 130 year old stamps crush ore to extract gold, see statues of mining characters Joe Kaczinsky and Jack Noble as well as other industry objects in the museum. Other attractions on the site include a native plant walk with plaques, a mining museum, mine machinery, and an underground mine tunnel with working machinery, special sand, and lighting effects.
Telegraph Station
The remote Telegraph Station, now a museum, was built in 1872 and is located just 10km north of Tennant Creek. The discovery of gold by a linesman in 1925 quickly led to the establishment of the present Tennant Creek township. By 1935, a Post Office was established in the nearby thriving town, leading to the termination of the Telegraph Station, thus bringing to an end the vital communications function of the Station.
Devil's Marble Conservation Park
Approximately 104km south of Tennant Creek, the Devil's Marble Conservation Park is our next attraction. The Devil's Marbles are a collection of gigantic, spherical, and red granite boulders scattered across a shallow valley in the Davenport Ranges. This spectacular rock formation resulted from geological activity occurring 1,700 million years ago when molten lava was compressed to create huge domes just below the earth's surface. Subsequent erosion of the overlying rocks exposed the marbles. There is a camping area with fireplace and toilet facilities located at the south end of the park.
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