
The Camel Cup is an annual
camel racing festival held in Australia. The race usually takes place at Blatherskite Park in the town
Alice Springs
Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...
,
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Au ...
. The event is organised by the Apex Club of Central Australia.
History
The first such event was held in 1970 in the dry bed of
Todd River
The Todd River (Arrernte: ''Lhere Mparntwe'') is an ephemeral river in the southern Northern Territory, central Australia. The origins of the Todd River are in the MacDonnell Ranges, where it flows past the Telegraph Station, almost throug ...
between two Lions club members, in an
ephemeral
Ephemerality (from the Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Academically, the term ephemeral constitutionally describes a diverse assortment of things and experiences, fr ...
river in the southern Northern Territory. It soon became a part of the Alice Springs Centenary Year Celebrations. The popularity of the event was recognised by the Alice Springs Lions Club, and it started its annual celebration in the
Traeger Park
Traeger Park (currently known under naming rights as TIO Traeger Park) is a sports complex located in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, and is named after Alfred Hermann Traeger. The park was officially opened by Anne Catherine Sm ...
, but due to security reasons it was shifted to
Arunga Park Speedway. It was 1979 when the race was transferred to purpose built camel race track the located at Blatherskite Park.
See also
*
Sport in the Northern Territory
References
External links
Official Camel Cup websiteApex Club of Central Australia
1970 establishments in Australia
Recurring sporting events established in 1970
Animal racing
Camels
Sports competitions in the Northern Territory
Sport in Alice Springs
Lions Clubs International
Sports competitions in Australia
{{NorthernTerritory-stub