Arltunga Historical Reserve, Historic site and nature reserve in the Central Desert Region, Northern Territory, Australia
Arltunga Historical Reserve is a protected landscape and historic site in the Central Desert Region of the Northern Territory, located about 110 km (68 mi) east of Alice Springs within the East MacDonnell Ranges. The reserve holds the remains of stone buildings, mine shafts, an old government battery, a cyanide processing works, and a cemetery, all left over from a gold rush settlement.
Arltunga grew as the first town in Central Australia after gold was found in a dry creek bed in 1887, drawing miners who had to walk roughly 600 km (370 mi) from the nearest railhead at Oodnadatta. Mining continued for about 30 years until the gold ran out around 1916, after which the settlement was abandoned.
The reserve is open every day and the access road is partly sealed and partly gravel, which is generally passable in a regular car during dry conditions. There are no shops on site, so visitors should bring enough water, food, and sun protection, especially in warmer months.
Rumors spread that old timber buildings were torn down because gold was hidden in the walls, but they were actually demolished simply because the wood was needed elsewhere. Just outside the reserve boundary, at a spot called Paddy's Rockhole, visitors can still try fossicking for gold with the right permit.
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