11 good news stories from Alice Springs and beyond you might have missed in 2024
Tired of the all the grim stories coming out of the Red Centre? Here’s a selection of some of the bigger good news stories from the region you might have missed this year.
Alice Springs
Don't miss out on the headlines from Alice Springs. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Twenty-twenty-four was a year of big achievements for the Red Centre.
Whether it was a roadhouse providing the inspiration for country music chart-topping success, to four legged friends helping in more ways than one, there were no shortage of good news stories from the centre of Australia.
Here’s some of the most heartwarming of the year:
Red Centre jewellery company gets PM’s nod of approval
One of the country’s most important people had some help from the Red Centre when it came to staying fashionable.
Run by Alice Springs mum Naomi Hunter, the brooches her company creates are a touch different from the rest: they’re made by kids.
With 8-year-old Grace Hunter, 6-year-old Evie Hunter and 4-year-old Archie Hunter the stars behind the show, and Ms Hunter the brains, 2025 is shaping up to be a big year for Hunter and Co.
Glam rockers go from strength to strength with release of first single
For one Red Centre glam rock band, opening for rock and roll legends Kiss was just the beginning of bigger things to come.
In 2024, Mulga Bore Hard Rock released their first single Young Men (Younga Barla Mapa) – sung in Anmatjerre – and played a variety of shows around the country.
Comprised of Thunder Child (Alvin Manfong, guitar and vocals), Desert Demon (Kirklen Bird, bass and vocals), Desert Dingo (Aiden Manfong, drums), Queen of Hearts (Niara Tilmouth, vocals and tambourine), Star Boy (Tryell Bird, guitar and vocals), and Black Diamond (Talvin Bird, bass), this band is shaping up as a force to be reckoned with in 2025.
How Penelope the Pig helped one school in the Red Centre
In 2024, Sadadeen Primary School farewelled a star student who only missed two days of school: Penelope the pig.
Penelope moved on to greener pastures in June, after being brought into school as a piglet and raised there.
Sadadeen Primary School principal Tom Middleton said Penelope was loved at the school, and helped drive student attendance.
Penelope was frequently involved in playground activities, and got to take part in Finke riders day, sports day, NAIDOC day, and more.
The roadhouse north of Tennant Creek which topped the country charts
It may be just “15 miles out of Tennant Creek”, but for a number of weeks it was number one on the ARIA country music charts.
Kevin Sullivan’s single “Threeways Roadhouse,” on the album of the same name, was number one on the charts in July.
Sitting at the top, Mr Sullivan beat out Australian country music stalwarts Lee Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley, and James Johnston.
It was a “dream come true,” Mr Sullivan, who was so excited when he heard the news he “nearly drove off the road”, said at the time.
A former police officer in NSW, Mr Sullivan travels the country with a caravan, his family, and a guitar.
He stayed at Threeways as an artist in residence, where he was welcomed by owner Nigel Stevens, who was thrilled the song made it to the top.
“It’s good for the roadhouse, it’s good for the Barkly region, and then it’s good for the whole of the NT,” Mr Stevens said.
Local film makes waves nationwide – and now faces off against Robbie Williams in awards
While Territory put a spotlight on the Top End and Thou Shalt Not Steal brought laughs from the Red Centre, a film crew from Alice Springs toured the country premiering their debut feature film.
Filmed in Alice Springs, with an entirely local cast and crew who wrote, directed, and performed in the film, Under Streetlights spent the year selling out premieres nationwide.
Now in 2025, lead actor Jacob Harvey is going head to head against Paul Kelly and Robbie Williams in the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts for best original song.
Meanwhile, lead actor Madison Hull, one half of Alice Springs band the Wanted Gems, is looking to crack this year’s hottest 100.
The film was directed by Danielle Loy – a former legal aid lawyer – and has Ms Hull and Mr Harvey in lead roles.
The film tells the story of an aspiring Aboriginal hip-hop artist (Mr Harvey) who forms a relationship with the daughter (Ms Hull) of the policeman who arrested his father (Leighton Mason).
For Mr Mason, it was first his first acting role, which he scored on a whim – after being diagnosed with cancer.
Hard working fireys acknowledged on station’s 25th anniversary
Late in the year, three hard working fireys were honoured in a ceremony right on the doorstep of a Territory – and Australian – icon.
In November, Daryl Field, Alan Docherty, and Jimmy Dalton were given fire service medals for their hard work and dedication to the Territory’s fire brigade.
Mr Field and Mr Docherty each received a medal commemorating 10 years of service, while Mr Dalton was recognised for a whopping 15 years of service.
They received their medals the same day Yulura Fire Station celebrated its 25th anniversary.
The station at Yulura and the hardworking fireys who work there help protect icons such as Uluru and Kata Tjuta from bushfires.
Dedicated musos score new grand piano – thanks to community’s help
A multinational company honouring a years-old quote helped a group of dedicated musos replace a 40-year-old grand piano in Alice Springs.
But it wasn’t without the help of the community, who helped raise $50,000 for the Friends of Araluen to purchase the piano.
But once the money was raised, the musos ran into a snag: inflation had increased the price of the piano to $90,000.
However, Yamaha – which provided the original quote for the piano – was so impressed the community helped Friends of Araluen raised $50k for a new Yamaha C7 grand piano, the honoured the original quote.
The new piano arrived in town in September all the way from the Kakegawa factory in Hamamatsu, Japan – just in time for the Festival of the Piano, held at the Araluen Arts Centre.
Alice Springs amateur photographer takes top picture gong
After only dabbling in the medium for three years, self taught Alice Springs photographer Brody Gamble’s work was recognised nationally in 2024.
In September he won the astrophotography category of the 2024 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year with his image “Rainbow Valley – Valley of the Stars”.
His award-winning shot “consists of 490 photos shot continuously back to back, capturing the rotation of the Earth and as a result, the movement of the stars across the night sky”, he told this masthead.
Mr Gamble walked away $1500 richer after taking out the top spot.
Further, his photo features in the 2025 Australian Geographic Diary.
Not bad for a photographer who got his shot on a birthday camping trip after only getting a camera three years earlier.
Community’s favourite shoulder riding cat, aged 25, beats the odds
In June, good news emerged from Alice Springs: Garfield, the shoulder riding cat, was back in good health.
Garfield was sent to the vet with bowel related issues, but by the end of June, was back out and around town on owner Jacky Scott’s shoulder.
Ms Scott called Garfield a “strange one” who didn’t take to lasagne when it was offered to him – unlike a certain cat in a popular comic with the same name.
While he was still a bit feeble in June, by Christmas Ms Scott said he was in good health, and ready for a Christmas treat of some Kangaroo mince.
Garfield would turn 26 in 2025, Ms Scott said, and spent the Christmas and the New Year out and about on her shoulder.
Fundraising goal smashed as ‘trailblazing’ Arrernte language app saved
An app teaching kids Arrernte language through emojis was saved thanks to one generous Top End business – which donated more than $4000 to the cause.
In April, Alice Springs-based Indigemoji launched a Kickstarter to raise funds to help update its app.
It was an “all or nothing” fundraiser, which meant if they didn’t reach their $10,000 goal, they would return the money.
Two weeks out from deadline, more than $4000 needed to be raised.
“The more we learn about Indigemoji, the more we think it is a trailblazing project, with the involvement of numerous Indigenous technologists and artists, young and old,” Mr Whitehead said at the time.
The Kickstarter raised $12,735 in the end, which app developer and Lutritja man Matthew Heffernan said would go towards updating it so it ran better on newer phones.
Dry river regatta brings budgie smuggler races and smiles back to the Todd
A herculean effort saw Henley on Todd run again in 2024 (aliebt it in a scaled back form) after financing issues almost saw the iconic event cancelled.
Dozen of volunteers, with some help from the Alice Springs Correctional Centre’s prison industries, saw the dry river regatta back in the Todd.
Aside from boat races and a boat “battle,” the day also saw a rugby game and budgie smuggler races.
Dozens of punters turned up to enjoy the day – with some from as far as England – in a day which saw new friendships made, and the king and queen crowned.
And to top it all off, this year’s Henley date is already locked in: August 16.
Red Centre woman reported threats hours before rape, but cops a no-show
An Aboriginal woman who was protected by a domestic violence order called police to report threats from her husband, but no officers were dispatched. Twelve hours later, he raped her as she slept.
SA police coming to Alice Springs to continue ‘good work’: Murphy
The Territory’s top cop says extra police officers from South Australia are coming to Alice Springs to help continue the ‘good work’ in the town. Find out how many, and when they’ll arrive.