Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The outback town of Alice Springs in Australia’s Northern Territory has had a fairly chequered existence. In November last year, the ABC detailed a grim trend: “Offenders ‘targeting’ elderly residents at home in series of assaults in Alice Springs.”
But then just last month—perhaps due to the spiritual protection of police-sanctioned smoking ceremonies—the headlines offered a reprieve: “NT police data shows crime down in Alice Springs, but locals worry it will be short-lived.” Although official figures show that the prison population has soared in recent years. Either way, crime is an ongoing issue in this dusty jewel of the Red Centre.
But it’s not just people; Alice Springs is under attack from Mother Nature. Just a couple of weeks ago, 9News reported on the chaos: “Emergency services rescue multiple people after floodwaters inundate Alice Springs.”
But Alice Springs is not just under physical attack; it is under an ideological attack as well.
Just a few days before Australia Day last month, SBS announced: “‘A day of mourning’: Alice Springs mayor pulls out of Australia Day ceremony.” Yes, newly elected Mayor Asta Hill did not take part in the national day, presumably because she thinks this horrific democratic success story is not something to be celebrated.
As is fashionable in certain circles now, Australia is a historical crime scene that demands constant, collective self-loathing. Acting as if human history isn’t a global competition of “who conquered whom.” She said: “For many First Nations people, this is a day of mourning. While I do not intend to stand in the way of others’ celebrations, I do not personally want to play a formal role on a day that causes harm to parts of our community.”
I guess to many of you the good mayor’s political affiliation isn’t too surprising. The ABC declared: “Greens-endorsed candidate elected Alice Springs mayor for first time,” with the Northern Territory Greens celebrating the win on Facebook.
But now that Australia Day is over for another year, you’d think things would settle down and the Alice Springs Council would go back to looking after the roads and the rubbish. Well, you’d be wrong. Just today, the headlines read: “Alice Springs Town Council votes to move citizenship ceremonies away from Australia Day.”
So, if you’re lucky enough to become an Australian citizen in Australia, don’t expect to have the ceremony on Australia Day—at least, not in Alice Springs. As the good mayor put it: “What it does is it decouples two contrasting events: the anniversary of invasion, colonisation, dispossession, killing and suffering; and the celebration of our vibrant and diverse community as it welcomes our citizens.”
It’s odd. They do this in order to, I suppose, appease the ‘Invasion Day’ crowd who see Australia Day as a celebration of dispossession and colonial conquest. Yet, they happily welcome new arrivals to the very land they claim is stolen. Do they consider the First Nations people’s feelings when they help settle hundreds of thousands of new people every year?
It’s such a bizarrely contradictory ideology—a logical train wreck, if you will.
MUSIC
Allégro by Emmit Fenn
The outback town of Alice Springs in Australia’s Northern Territory has had a fairly chequered existence. In November last year, the ABC detailed a grim trend: “Offenders ‘targeting’ elderly residents at home in series of assaults in Alice Springs.”
But then just last month—perhaps due to the spiritual protection of police-sanctioned smoking ceremonies—the headlines offered a reprieve: “NT police data shows crime down in Alice Springs, but locals worry it will be short-lived.” Although official figures show that the prison population has soared in recent years. Either way, crime is an ongoing issue in this dusty jewel of the Red Centre.
But it’s not just people; Alice Springs is under attack from Mother Nature. Just a couple of weeks ago, 9News reported on the chaos: “Emergency services rescue multiple people after floodwaters inundate Alice Springs.”
But Alice Springs is not just under physical attack; it is under an ideological attack as well.
Just a few days before Australia Day last month, SBS announced: “‘A day of mourning’: Alice Springs mayor pulls out of Australia Day ceremony.” Yes, newly elected Mayor Asta Hill did not take part in the national day, presumably because she thinks this horrific democratic success story is not something to be celebrated.
As is fashionable in certain circles now, Australia is a historical crime scene that demands constant, collective self-loathing. Acting as if human history isn’t a global competition of “who conquered whom.” She said: “For many First Nations people, this is a day of mourning. While I do not intend to stand in the way of others’ celebrations, I do not personally want to play a formal role on a day that causes harm to parts of our community.”
I guess to many of you the good mayor’s political affiliation isn’t too surprising. The ABC declared: “Greens-endorsed candidate elected Alice Springs mayor for first time,” with the Northern Territory Greens celebrating the win on Facebook.
But now that Australia Day is over for another year, you’d think things would settle down and the Alice Springs Council would go back to looking after the roads and the rubbish. Well, you’d be wrong. Just today, the headlines read: “Alice Springs Town Council votes to move citizenship ceremonies away from Australia Day.”
So, if you’re lucky enough to become an Australian citizen in Australia, don’t expect to have the ceremony on Australia Day—at least, not in Alice Springs. As the good mayor put it: “What it does is it decouples two contrasting events: the anniversary of invasion, colonisation, dispossession, killing and suffering; and the celebration of our vibrant and diverse community as it welcomes our citizens.”
It’s odd. They do this in order to, I suppose, appease the ‘Invasion Day’ crowd who see Australia Day as a celebration of dispossession and colonial conquest. Yet, they happily welcome new arrivals to the very land they claim is stolen. Do they consider the First Nations people’s feelings when they help settle hundreds of thousands of new people every year?
It’s such a bizarrely contradictory ideology—a logical train wreck, if you will.
MUSIC
Allégro by Emmit Fenn
