Last weekend, our club supported two key events on the Alice Springs calendar: The celebration of the 100th anniversary of Adelaide House and the annual Y to the Sky walking and running event.
Our club would like to thank the Alice Springs Town Council which, through their In-Kind support lend us use of the BBQ trailer and a marquee, which made it possible for us to cook and serve the BBQ.
ADELAIDE HOUSE CENTENARY CELEBRATION - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Adelaide House was the first European hospital to be established in Central Australia to service the health needs of the first settlers in the area.
The Australian Inland Mission's (AIM) Reverend John Flynn designed and built the hospital as part of his “Mantle of Safety” - which included the use of the pedal radio for communications, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Patrol Padres who visited the the settlers in remote areas where they lived and Bush Hospitals in remote areas to provide first aid and maternal care.
The hospital building had a unique cooling system, designed by Flynn, which used the tin roof in the centre of the building, to create air currents drawing cool air from the cellar through ducts to the hospital wards above.
The hospital was opened 24th June 1926 and closed in 1939, when a much larger hospital was built. Adelaide House then became a hostel for children of settlers who were admitted to hospital, for pre and post-birth care of women and their children and later as a Manse for the Australian Inland Mission and later for the Uniting Church.
The building was Heritage listed in 1980 and became a museum, which is open to visitors today.
The Centenary celebration was an open day for people to visit and learn about the Hospital and early settler life in Central Australia.
The Reverend Felicity Amery, the Moderator of the Uniting Church Northern Synod led proceedings. There were many visitors and dignitaries - our Mayor Asta Hill, previous Uniting Church ministers, local Traditional Owners and a smoking ceremony to acknowledge the past and move on in the present.
Our club cooked a BBQ for the people attending the open day.
Y TO THE SKY
On Sunday, September 13th early in the morning, The Y had organised a walking and running event from the Y in Sadadeen, to the top of Ntaripe/Heavitree Gap a distance of 7 Km (4⅜ miles in the Imperial system). People could also walk and/or run from the base to the top- or a distance of 1 Km (⅝ mile).
It was a beautiful cool, overcast morning - perfect to enjoy being out doors and away from screens for a brief while.
Our club cooked and served 450 sausages and onions to the participants. The member for Braitling, the Hon. Joshua Burgoyne and his team mixed and cooked 30 Kg of pancackes.
It was worth being there just for the views over Mparntwe/Alice Springs.
