A new, modern Control Tower was constructed at Alice Springs airport in 1968-69. Located on the northern side of the main runway 12/30 this Tower, part of a redevelopment of the airport including a new passenger terminal and airport Fire Station, replaced an earlier
Tower on the western side of the aerodrome. This development at the 'Seven Mile' aerodrome was coincident with the final closure of the earlier townsite aerodrome, located on the northern side of the MacDonnell Ranges, in 1968.
The photo above, thought to have been taken around 1970, shows DCA Fokker F.27 Friendship VH-TFE parked on the apron in front of the new Tower. The photo below shows the relationship of the Tower to the new This photo looks north-east with the MacDonnell Ranges in the distance.
The photo below shows the Tower looking north-west in November 1975.
The photo below shows a similar view to that above, but 32 years later! Not a great deal has changed except the replacement of the waist high fencing with full-height barbed-wire security fences. As of the time of writing (2014), this Tower is still in use by Airservices Australia.
Finally, a general view over the apron toward the Tower, also taken in March 2007. The aircraft was a Qantaslink Boeing 717. Part of the new terminal can be seen behind the lamp-post to the right of the Tower.
(Photos: top-Terry Martin; next 2-CAHS collection; bottom 2-Brendan Jessup)
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