Heavitree Gap Police Station facts for kids
Heavitree Gap Police Station is an old, important building. It is part of the Heavitree Gap Police Station Historical Reserve. This special place is located near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia.
History of the Police Station
This area became a protected reserve on June 30, 1978. It was saved because of its important history. The reserve helps us understand how policing began in Central Australia. It also shows us about early European settlement. And it tells us about the first meetings between Aboriginal people and Europeans.
The very first police camp in Alice Springs started in 1879. It was at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station. Later that same year, a police officer named William W. Wilshire moved the camp. He used a wagon to move it to Heavitree Gap.
In 1904, the buildings at Heavitree Gap were officially made a public gaol. A gaol is like a jail, a place where people were kept.
By the early 1960s, the buildings were in poor condition. So, in 1967, work began to fix them up. They were rebuilt to look like they did before.
Today, someone lives there as a caretaker.
The Heavitree Gap Police Station was added to the Northern Territory Heritage Register on February 15, 1994. This means it is recognized as a very important historical site.
