Ratting through garbage bins is not beyond Little Darwin when it comes to seeking ephemera of interest. Recently old Ansett Aviation luggage labels ( above ) were retrieved from a bin. Ansett , Australia’s second biggest airline, collapsed in September 2001 . In the late 1970s, Ansett became the target of hostile takeover bids. Rupert Murdoch of News Corp and transport giant TNT, headed by Peter Abeles, gained control in 1979 after waging a battle against Robert Holmes a Court’s Bell Group and Ampol. News Corp and TNT starved the airline of vital reinvestment needed to upgrade its fleet and operations. Murdoch’s primary interest was to gain control of television broadcaster Channel 10, owned by Ansett, and to use the airline as a cash cow to fund the growth of his media empire. In 1984, News Corp used a $78 million dividend from its half share in Ansett to finance its expansion into the US media market. The advertisement for the NT operator , Connair , was found inside a l973 Christmas time Alice Springs Tourist Guide. Seven times a week Connair flew from Alice to Mt Isa with links to Cairns, Townsville and Brisbane . With a population close to 13,500 at the time , it was projected that Alice could have between 41,000 and 53,000 by l990 ( latest figure posted is about 28,000, showing projections were highly optimistic ) . Evening fun in those days included the drive in theatre , dancing at the Stuart Arms Hotel, mini golf and folk music . The Battarbee Gallery offered a collection by Rex Battarbee, Albert Namatjira and other Aranda artists.
