Charlotte Waters Police station was located 9kilometres north of the SA/NT border in Central Australia. It opened in 1873 and closed on the 5th March 1893. Northern Territory Police in those days came under South Australian Police. It was re-established in 1930 and closed permanently in 1938.

The Overland Telegraph line was being built, and it had a number of telegraph stations along its length. There had been hostilities between station staff and Aborginals at Charlotte Waters so a station was established. A mounted Constable was assigned to the station and they reported back to an Inspector stationed at Port Augusta South Australia. Northern Territory Police came under South Australia Police until 1911.

When Illamurta police camp closed in 1912, Alice Well became the replacement police station (Gregory 1997). However, with the extension of the railway line from Oodnadatta to Alice Springs, it was proposed to close the Alice Well police station and establish a new one at Finke River Siding, but for various reasons this did not eventuate and Charlotte Waters was chosen instead. In early September 1930 the first police arrived to open the police office, the telegraphic communications having been transferred to Finke in June and the station abandoned. On 10th September 1930 MC Cameron officially took over the telegraph station as the Charlotte Waters Police Station. During this period, the old telegraph station served as both the home and office of the two policemen, while the trackers had an outbuilding, although at least one preferred to live in a “humpy camp” near the main waterholes (Kimber 1992:4-5). The station was closed in 1938 and moved to Finke.

It was common practice at the time for police officers and/or their wives to be part-time representatives of many government departments/agencies in most out-back localities. For eight years the wives of the various NT Policemen stationed there wrestled with the water problems, read the weather by sending temperature, barometric readings, and other data to Adelaide and Darwin whilst their husbands patrolled the vast cattle stations in the area by camel, horse and private cars.

Constable Jack Kennett and his family were stationed there between 1932 to 1937.

Jack and his wife Isabelle had 5 children, Jack, Joyce, Jim, Bill and Rosslyn.

The Kennett tragedy:

In February 1936 there were days of unbelievably searing heat. A family passing through Charlotte Waters had met up with the Kennett's unknowingly carrying the diphtheria infection. The remote location made medical assistance difficult. Jack had to drive to Alice Springs with his daughter Joyce, who had injured herself and required medical assistance. Whilst in Alice Springs with Joyce, Isabelle phoned to say that Rosslyn aged 18 months, had become ill. Jack drove back to Charlotte Waters to get them both to take back to Alice Springs. It was a treacherous drive taking several hours and passing through incredibly sandy hills and harsh bush tracks. Sadly, baby Rosslyn died on the drive back. She was buried in Alice Springs.

Not long after losing Rosslyn, they were notified that Joyce had started to decline and her heart was starting to become weak. It was also at this time that the two oldest boys and Isabelle had to be evacuated from Charlotte Waters, as they had become ill. Isabelle had also started showing symptoms of diphtheria, so they were all quarantined at a house. Joyce was still in the hospital being monitored however, she too succumbed to the disease. She was buried in the same grave as her sister.

The boys and Isabelle were in isolation for four weeks. They all survived. Jack was later transferred to Alice Springs Station.

The photo below is of Jack Kennett Jnr and Jack Kennett Snr.