Ti-Tree, Northern Territory

Ti-Tree (formerly Tea Tree and Ti Tree) is a town and locality in the Northern Territory of Australia located on the Stuart Highway about 1,109 kilometres (689 mi) south of the territory capital of Darwin[1][4] and about 193 km north of the municipal seat in Alice Springs.

Ti-Tree Northern Territory
Ti-Tree
Coordinates	22°08′02″S 133°24′50″E[1]
Population	70 (2016 census)[2]
Established	15 May 1981 (town) 4 April 2007 (locality)[3][1]
Postcode(s)	0872[4]
Elevation	488 m (1,601 ft)(airport)[5]
Time zone	ACST (UTC+9:30)
Location	1,109 km (689 mi) S of Darwin[4] 195 km (121 mi) N of Alice Springs
LGA(s)	Central Desert Region[1]
Territory electorate(s)	Stuart[6]
Federal Division(s)	Lingiari[7]
Mean max temp[8] Mean min temp[8] Annual rainfall[8] 31.0 °C ^88 °F 14.4 °C ^58 °F 315.8 mm ^12.4 in
Localities around Ti-Tree: Anmatjere Anmatjere Anmatjere Anmatjere Ti-Tree Anmatjere Anmatjere Anmatjere Anmatjere
Footnotes	Adjoining localities[9]

At the 2016 census, Ti-Tree had a population of 70.[2] It is the closest town to Alice Springs. The area around Ti-Tree has a population of 995 people of whom 191 are non-Aboriginal. The population is distributed between the 11 cattle stations, 6 Aboriginal outstations including Utopia, Ti-Tree township, Barrow Creek community and the agricultural produce farms of Ti-Tree Farm, Central Australian Produce Farm and the Territory Grape Farm. The area is an emerging centre for grapes and melons due to its year-round sunshine and abundant underground water supply.

History

The Anmatyerre name for the area close to Ti-Tree township is Aleyaw but no one seems to know how or where the name Ti Tree or Tea Tree came from. One of the first features in the area to be named was Ti Tree Well No. 3 (still to be seen on the western side of the highway just south of the township) which was developed during the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line.

The remains of Ti Tree Well No. 2 can be found at the southern end of the air strip.

In 1888 an area of about 64 km incorporating the well was formally set aside as the Tea Tree Telegraph Reserve and in 1919 W. J. 'Bill' Heffernan was granted a lease to a parcel of land which he called Tea Tree Station. The current station covers an area of 3584 km².

Since the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line, Tea Tree Well had become known for its good supply of sweet water but this was not enough to make Heffernan's labours financially rewarding. By 1935 the run was poorly improved with primitive buildings and no horse or bullock paddocks. Heffernan died in Alice Springs in 1969 and the station was carried on by his widow.

In 1975, Ian Dahlenburg took up 2.6 square kilometres (640 acres) of the station and established Dahlenburg Horticultural Enterprise which now grows grapes and watermelons on Ti Tree Farm.

In 1976, Ti Tree Station was sold to the Aboriginal Land Fund Commission and became a subject of a land claim on behalf of the local Aboriginal people. Much of the area surrounding Ti Tree township is now within the bounds of the Ahakeye Land Trust, an Aboriginal Freehold Lease.

In 1980, the local community petitioned the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly to change the spelling from "Tea Tree" to "Ti-Tree". On 15 May 1981, the area of the town was gazetted and on 22 April 1983, its name was officially changed to "Ti-Tree".[3]

In 1994, the town was incorporated into the Anmatjere Community Government Council.[3]

In 2007, boundaries for the locality of Ti-Tree which match those of the town were gazetted.[1][10][11]

Current

Ti-Tree is the first substantial stop heading north from Alice Springs and is the largest community between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. There is a hotel, a school and a police station along with several other buildings. Petrol and other traveller facilities are available.

Much of the land surrounding Ti-Tree is Aboriginal land, owned by the Anmatyerre people. Their art can be viewed within the town and there are several interesting sites in the area surrounding the township. The town serves as a service town to surrounding Aboriginal Communities.

Ti-Tree is the centre for a vegetable-producing area, producing fresh vegetables and fruit for Territory markets, with an annual table-grape harvest alone reaps $10 million.

Ti-Tree School

Ti-Tree School is located at 26 Palmer Street in Ti-Tree. It is a school operated by the Northern Territory Government. In 2018, the school offered Reception to Year 9, had a total enrolment of 80 students of which 96% were indigenous and had a teaching staff of six who was supported by seven non-teaching personnel.[12][13]

See also

• Ti-Tree Airfield

References

1. "Search result for 'Ti-Tree', locality". NT Place Names Register. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Ti Tree (state suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
3. "Place Names Register Extract for "Town of Ti-Tree"". NT Place Names Register. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
4. "Ti-Tree Postcode". postcode-finders.com.au. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
5. "YTIT - Airport". The Great Circle Mapper. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
6. "Division of Daly". Northern Territory Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
7. "Profile of the electoral division of Lingiari (NT)". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
8. "Monthly climate statistics: Summary statistics Territory Grape Farm (nearest weather station with recent published data)". Commonwealth of Australia , Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
9. "Localities within Central Desert Shire (sic) (map)" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. 2 April 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
10. "Survey Plan CP/5098 - Locality of Ti Tree (sic)". Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
11. "Search result for Ti-Tree". NT Atlas and Spatial Data Directory. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
12. "Ti Tree School, Ti Tree, NT", My School, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2018, retrieved 30 October 2019
13. Ti Tree School, EducationHQ, retrieved 30 October 2019