Arltunga Police Station is located 110 kilometres east of Alice Springs in the eastern MacDonnell Ranges. It was the first town established in Central Australia. Alice Springs at the time was only a telegraph station. There was a ruby rush in 1885/1886 in Hale River area. When the ruby rush failed, a miner in 1887 found alluvial gold in a dry creek bed known as Paddy's Rockhole. It wasn't long before word got around and the number of fossickers quickly grew, making Arltunga a hectic gold mining town.

From 1870 to 1911 the Northern Territory came under the administrative control of South Australia, including policing duties.

A police camp was opened on the 14th January 1899, comprising of Mounted Constable Charles Johnston, two Aboriginal police trackers and six horses. Conditions at the camp were harsh, with the accommodation and police station being established in tents. In 1898 Charles South built himself a store and residence near the Kangaroo Creek Well. When Arltunga's first policeman, Mounted Constable Johnston, arrived, South offered the buildings for rent and later, for sale. Police bought the building for thirty pounds. When the new police station was built in 1912 South's stone chimney was included, and today it is the only part of the original building remaining.

Although it took twelve years from the discovery of the gold to establish a police camp at Arltunga, the police stationed at Heavitree Gap, Stuart (now Alice Springs) were involved with the goldfield from the beginning. The first patrol of the gold and "ruby" fields was carried out by Constable Hillier in November 1887.

A new station was built in the 1920's. The Police station closed in 1943.

The remoteness of Arltunga added to the difficulties faced by the lone Constable. He was often away for long periods of time. On one occasion he was absent for 10 weeks whilst taking a prisoner from Arltunga to Port Augusta gaol, involving 800 miles (1288 kilometres) on horseback and 400 miles (644 kilometres) by train.

By 1903 gold was discovered in a neighbouring area known as Winnecke's Deport. This saw an influx of miners. As a result, serious concerns were raised regarding the sanitary conditions of the various campsites and the possibility of typhoid fever. In March 1903, Sub-Inspector John Field wrote to Commissioner Madley recommending that an extra Mounted Constable be sent to Arltunga. Approval was given for two extra constables to be sent, one to Arltunga and one to set up a police camp at Winnecke. Plus an extra eight horses. One of the Aboriginal trackers was sent to Winnecke to assist the constable.

Reference - More Than Bricks and Mortar - by John White

Reference - Archaeological Report

Arltunga Police Station