| History/Origin |
Named after Dianne (Di) Maree Byrnes who was born in Leeton, New South Wales, in 1942 and came to Darwin at age 17 with her family. It was in Darwin where she first began her business ventures, founding the Annaburro Tours in 1963, before relocating to Alice Springs in 1965. The tour business continued until 1971 and during this period she was the only operator to undertake the seven day circuit from Alice Springs to Glen Helen. From 1971 to 1985, Di played a significant role in the development of Uluru (Ayers Rock - Mt Olga) National Park (now Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park) as a major tourist destination. During this period Di owned Red Sands Motel with partner Jill Scott and later leased the Inland Motel, in the years leading up to the construction of the Yulara Resort. As well as her business endeavours, Di served as Alderman on the Alice Springs Town Council for a full three year term and was appointed to the Advisory Council of the Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission as a representative of the tourist industry. Di devoted her life to the development of the Northern Territory tourist industry, with two destinations in particular, being Uluru / Ayers Rock and Glen Helen having benefited the most from her energy and vision. Her efforts did not go unnoticed as she was nominated for a prestigious Brolga Award for tourism in the Northern Territory. |