THE MT. EBENEZER ROADHOUSE
“ … one of the best Aboriginal art-craft galleries … “
Beside the long and lonely road to Ayers Rock stands a roadhouse fashioned with native stone and bush timber – a true oasis in the Central Australian desert.
Walk through the air-conditioned restaurant to a earthen-floored art gallery and see a display of what is probably one of the best Aboriginal art-craft galleries to be seen anywhere.
The road is the Lasseter Highway.
The Mt. Ebenezer Roadhouse is run by the Imanpa Aboriginal community.
In that awesome landscape it isn’t at all uncommon to see Japanese tourists standing in the middle of this seemingly endless strip of bitumen, photographing its narrowing path into the distant horizon of the west.
Looming darkly in the north-west is Mt. Ebenezer, named, it is believed, after one of the pioneers, Ernest Ebenezer Flint, who worked on the overland telegraph line in the 1870s. Flint was wounded by a spear at the Barrow Creek telegraph station when it was attacked by Aborigines in 1874. (Read elsewhere on this site “The Barrow Creek Affair” for details.)
Perhaps the first European to sight Mt. Ebenezer in 1882 was the pastoralist, Richard Warburton, an early owner of Erldunda Station.
However, it was an intrepid traveller, Bill Hurle Liddle, who first settled the Mt. Ebenezer country. Liddle was born at Anguston, in South Australia, in 1887, his father, Thomas Drever Liddle, having enshipped from the Orkney Isles, Scotland, in 1851.
Liddle arrived at Alice Springs in 1907, aged 20 years.
Bill Liddle worked for a time at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station where he acquired a part-Aboriginal wife, Mary Earwaaker, producing four children, Hilda, Arthur, Milton and Harold.
Eventually, Bill Liddle branched out into making bush buildings.
In 1919 he won a contract to take 500 head of cattle out to “King’s Creek,” (now King’s Canyon), where he and his growing family squatted. Their home was a cave.
Exploring further afield, the Liddle’s took up Angas Downs, stocking it with sheep.
While taking their wool clip to the rail head at Rumbalara, Bill first came to notice the Mt. Ebenezer region and was later to utilise it for grazing purposes.
Aboriginal people of the Pitjantjatjara, Matuntara and Luritja tribal groups moved into the eastern regions around Mt. Ebenezer, Mt. Connor and Ayers Rock as more cattle properties were taken up by early settlers.
Harold Liddle founded Mt. Ebenezer Station in 1949, being one of the first part-Aboriginals to establish a pastoral enterprise.
He sold the property in 1952 to Ted Kunoth – the old homestead, a galvanised iron construction, still stands opposite the roadhouse – and today it is owned by the Fogarty family.
The Imanpa Aboriginal community live at Mt. Ebenezer in the Basedow Ranges
They produce arts and crafts for sale at the roadhouse, the income being channeled into maintaining schools, medical centre, etc., their ultimate objective being to achieve economic independence.
Ebenezer Roadhouse is south-west of Alice Springs … drive at 120mph for two hours down the Stuart Highway, branch off on to the Lasseter Highway at Erldunda, and you will be there, roughly, half way between the Alice and The Rock/Ayers Rock/Uluru.
No! the old homestead is not the iron building opposite the roadhouse..The roadhouse was built around the existing homestead by Ted Kunoth..The original built by my uncle Harold Liddle..The original homestead was established in 1947 on the north side of the Ebenezer range..which these days is mistakenly referred to as Basedow Range,it is actually Kernot Range.. Basedow is further west on the Angas Downs property..Bob Liddle
— Bob Liddle · 7 March 2008 · #
just wondering if you can let me now if thiomas last name was drever or liddle
Sorry, can't enlighten you. But maybe other readers might be able to help.— Stuart Thomas Drever · 23 March 2008 · #
Thank you for your comment. Perhaps other readers would like to add their views, too.
— The Boss · 31 March 2008 · #
Stuart,His full name was Thomas Drever Liddle..the full family background can be seen on my own webb site.www.kemara.com
Bob Liddle
— Bob Liddle · 7 July 2008 · #
i am a great grandaughter of Thomas foster Liddle as well does anyone know what ship Thomas Drever came out on?
— Louise · 30 September 2008 · #
I would be interested to know if Thomas Liddle came to South Australia with a brother who later went on to New Zealand? This is the story I have heard and if so I am one of the NZ cousins.
— Cecilia Liddle · 4 June 2009 · #
Bob Liddle is quite correct. Partial ruins (wooden posts etc) of the original homestead are (or were) still there on the other side of the Kernot Range. Sadly, close by is the lonely plaque/grave of the little Stoker child. It’s my understanding the Roadhouse (built predominantly of Desert Oak, as was the extension, built in 1989 with the appropriate permissions)was established in 1963 to supplement income due to drought conditions affecting the station. I could be wrong but this came out of initial research I conducted as part of the development of a historical display we intended to be in the new (at the time) dining room…unfortunately, after nearly 5 years at my beloved Ebenezer, it was time for me to move on and it never eventuated.
— Luke Debuell · 21 September 2010 · #
I would just like to add that the lonely plaque and grave of the stoker child is my brother Ian Stoker. He is not lonely and he is not alone as our mother and our family all live at the community Imanpa. Also Ians dog ringer was buried beside him. His dog passed away exactly two weeks after Ian’s passing.
— katie stoker · 16 November 2010 · #
hey everyone i worked at mt ebenezer roadhouse in 1989 when mike and gay wer’e the drunken management that had no idea but i learnt heaps,i love the local community(imanmpa)i made lots of good friends i will never forget that experience more young ones should travel,you really do appreciate your life,peace to all 8-)
— carol · 15 December 2010 · #
I was incredibly impressed with Ebenezer roadhouse as a gallery of many beautiful artworks. I was wondering if I could buy some works from you? I would of course pay the postage to Brisbane.
— Kaylene · 17 February 2011 · #
Louise, my great grand father was also Thomas Foster Liddle,he was the father of William Hurle Liddle who ventured to Central Australia in 1901 and left A Dynasty of Liddles.
— Bob Liddle · 3 March 2011 · #