according to the 2001 census, australian aborigines are about 17% of the people in alice springs, and 29% of the people in the northern territory. alice springs is the business centre of central australia. aboriginal people come from all over the region to use the town's services. aboriginal residents usually live in the suburbs, on special purpose leases (or town camps). some live farther out at amoonguna to the south. many live on the small family outstation communities on aboriginal lands in surrounding areas.