From its rough and tumble beginnings as a gold rush and cattle town, Tennant Creek has become an important regional centre. Located 507 kilometres north of Alice Springs the town has a population of 4,000 and is the main service centre for the Barkly Tablelands and the sprawling cattle stations there. Tennant Creek’s gold rush of the 1930s was the last in Australia’s history and was at one time the third largest gold producer in the country. Visitors to Tennant Creek today can take a tour through an underground mine where various mining techniques and devices from throughout history are on display and in some cases demonstrated.