Images and text written by Eric Olsen: 2010
I lived in ‘The Tennant’ from 1958-1963 and again in 1982-1984. While not being a long-time resident, I still have fond memories of the place, especially the 1958-1963 period. It was to my mind a lot better town in 1958 than it was in 1984, even though we were paying 3 pounds for a thousand gallons of water, 5 shillings for a bottle of beer and the same for a gallon of petrol and no air-conditioning. (Not to mention the earth closet facilities or ‘dunny’ down the back yard as some would say)
I now live in Adelaide and can’t make it to your 50th reunion of all classes of 1960. I was too old anyway to be in school then. I have scoured my colour slides to find something appropriate to contribute to your site.
While not from Tennant Creek, the kids were from just down the road (100 miles). The two parade pictures were from the 100th anniversary celebrations of Stuart’s first attempt to cross the continent in 1860 when he was turned back by hostile natives at Attack Creek. The others show the 1960 school building at Warrabri (Ali Curung?) and two girls practicing on kettle drums.
As an aside, the parade mentioned above was led by a Constable Dunn on horseback (picture not forwarded) who led the last mounted police patrol of the Northern Territory Police. He was sent to track down cattle rustlers (duffers) on the Barkly Tablelands around Alexandria Station area and tracked them to the Queensland border. As he had no jurisdiction in Queensland he returned after 3 months with two prisoners who were released without penalty as being deemed only employees of the culprits.
I am currently scanning my colour slides from TC and will periodically submit ones I think may be of interest for you to accept or reject as you wish.
Yours
Eric Olsen
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