The Residency holds significance for the people of Alice Springs as a tangible symbol of their brief legislative independence from the rest of the Northern Territory.

John Charles Cawood was appointed Government Resident of Central Australia in 1926 and was to be based at the capital, Stuart (as Alice Springs was formerly known).

Cawood telegraphed the Department of Home and Territories pointing out that sand suitable for cement could be found in the Todd River.

Mrs Carrington (occupied the Residency from 1929–1942) often had to vacate her bedroom when accommodating married couples and this became undesirable.

Victor Carrington occupied The Residency as the Assistant administrator (this position was abolished with the repealing of the North Australia Act, 1926 in 1931) and later as District Officer.

LH A Giles was then the Government Secretary of the Northern Territory and he stayed in The Residency for a very short time just until May 1946.

The locals have suggested that The Residency was a focal point in the social life of the community while Colonel Rose occupied it from July 1946 until February 1955.

He organised some internal partitions on the veranda to accommodate his family and these areas were furnished quite plainly, in some cases just a bed, chair and table.

Dan Conway with his wife Jillna was the last District Officer to occupy the building before it was handed over to the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory.

[1] The Residency was re-opened by the Chief Minister of the NT, Shane Stone, on 9 February 1996, and is now the home of Heritage Alice Springs Inc. Open to the public, visitors can experience the atmosphere of the gracious home which was the social, administrative and vice-regal hub of the early township of Alice Springs.