John McDouall Stuart Statue

Stuart led the first European crossing of the continent from south to north and back, reaching the north coast in 1862 after several attempts that nearly killed him. The Stuart Highway and Stuart Terrace carry his name; so, for a long period, did Alice Springs itself, which was officially the town of Stuart until 1933.

The statue has been contested since it was unveiled. It depicts Stuart carrying a firearm, and that choice drew public objection from Aboriginal people in Alice Springs and others who argued that a gun in the hand of a colonial explorer, in a town centre on Arrernte country, memorialises something other than exploration. Supporters replied that an armed expedition was simply historically accurate. The dispute was reported nationally and the statue remained.

This record does not adjudicate it. What can be said is that both positions were publicly and seriously argued, that Stuart's expeditions did involve armed encounters, and that the object is a monument on land whose Aboriginal history considerably predates the man it depicts.

It belongs in this catalogue as an oversized public figure rather than as a roadside attraction, alongside the Cunnamulla Fella and the Glenrowan Ned Kelly – statues at scale that carry contested national stories.

The year of installation and the materials are not recorded here.