Rocky outcrop resembling Churchill's Head, Stuart Highway, near Renner Springs, NT, 1960.
The small settlement is on the Stuart Highway, north of the intersection of the Barkly Highway and Tennant Creek. It is 662 kilometers from Alice Springs, the largest town in the Outback, and 820 km from Darwin.
Renner Springs is a location in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is in the heart of the Barkly Tablelands cattle country. In fact, the town promotes itself as “The Heart of the Beef Country.”
It is usually regarded as the border between the tropical Top Finish and the temperate Red Centre regions.
History
A car parked in front of a Roadhouse, Renner Springs, NT
Like so lots of places along the Stuart Highway, it owes its origins to the Australian Overland Telegraph Line. It was named after Dr. Frederick Renner, who was dispensing medical advice to the team working on the Telegraph Line when they passed through the springs in 1872. In 1877, Dr. Renner saw a flock of birds while working on the Telegraph Line & found that the birds were drawn to this particular area by the natural springs, which was later named Mud Springs. These freshwater springs, which bubble up from underground, helped the area surrounding Renner Springs accomplish its importance because they provided water to the area. Lake Woods is north of the town, near Elliott & Newcastle Waters, Northern Territory.
Roadhouse
The roadhouse building is an elderly army hut relocated after World War II from the army’s staging camp 50 km at Banka Banka Station, which dates from 1885.
Established in the 1950s, the Renner Springs Desert Hotel/Motelalso has gas, a bar and restaurant, game room and limited Web access. A caravan park and shaded camp sites are also obtainable.
Attractions
Churchill’s Head Rock, considered one of Australia’s most crass tourist attractions, is on the old Stuart Highway 78 km south of Renner Springs. The rock, on the east of the old highway, looks vaguely like a profile of Winston Churchill. In order to make the image more persuasive, someone has stuck a piece of piping where the mouth should be so that the profile appears to be smoking a rather large cigar.
Attack Creek
Another 11 km south of Renner Springs is a monument marking the place where on June 25, 1860, John McDouall Stuart, on his first attempt to cross Australia, was repulsed by hostile Aborigines. It became appropriately known as Attack Creek.
Lubra’s Lookout
A small plateau formation along the roadside where tribal women are said to watch the approach of tribes from a considerable distance.
Easter Rodeo
Each Easter, Renner Springs has a local rodeo and race meeting that attracts stockmen and punters from all over the Northern Territory. Being such a small community, the annual get-together, known as the Renner Springs Races, is actually held in Tennant Creek.
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