in 1862, john mcdouall stuart led an expedition into central australia and the area where alice springs is located. until the 1930s the town was known as stuart. the australian overland telegraph line that joined adelaide to darwin and great britain was completed in 1872. it followed stuart’s route. it opened up the interior for permanent european settlement. when surface alluvial gold was found at arltunga, 100 km east of alice springs, in 1887 many people began to move into the area.