John McDouall Stuart named the creek in 1860 after an expedition sponsor, John Tennant. In the early 1870s an Overland Telegraph station sprang up north of the present-day town. According to legend, the settlement emerged when a beer wagon broke down here. Gold was found in the area in the early 1930s and the town grew rapidly in the wake of Australia's last great gold rush. Gold and copper deposits still account for its role as a centre for the Barkly Tableland, an area larger than Victoria.
Visitor Information
Peko Rd; (08) 8962 3388
