Tennant Creek

Town in the Northern Territory of Australia, 978 km/608 mi south of Darwin; population (1996) 3,900. Current industries include cattle, gold, copper, and bismuth mining.

The town was named after a South Australian politician, Andrew Tennant. The area around Tennant Creek was first explored by settlers between 1860 and 1862. Tennant Creek began to develop in 1872 after the establishment of a relay station for the Overland Telegraph, which connected Adelaide and Darwin. The population was boosted by a gold rush in 1932. Pastoral farming also developed in the region after 1900.