Kieran Finnane is an Australian journalist and writer based in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. She co‑founded the independent newspaper Alice Springs News in 1994 and has contributed regularly to a range of national publications, including Art Monthly Australasia, Artlink, Griffith Review, Inside Story and The Saturday Paper. Finnane is also the author of two non‑fiction books that examine social and political issues in Central Australia.
Early life and education
Finnane studied arts and film at the University of Sydney and pursued further studies at the University of Paris (Panthéon‑Sorbonne). After completing her university training she worked in television before relocating to Alice Springs in 1987.
Journalistic career
In 1994 Finnane and her husband, Erwin Chlanda, launched Alice Springs News, which quickly became the largest‑circulation independent newspaper in the Northern Territory. The paper transitioned from print to an online format in 1997, operating thereafter as Alice Springs News Online. Through her work with the outlet and as a freelance contributor, Finnane has written extensively on cultural, artistic, and social matters affecting Central Australia.
Publications
- Trouble: On Trial in Central Australia (University of Queensland Press, 2016) – an investigative account of criminal court proceedings and community dynamics in Alice Springs, focusing on issues such as alcohol‑related violence among Aboriginal men.
- Peace Crimes: Pine Gap, National Security and Dissent (University of Queensland Press, 2020) – a study of the secretive U.S.–Australian joint defence facility Pine Gap and the 2014 arrest of the “Peace Pilgrims” anti‑war activists. The book received the 2022 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory Book Award for non‑fiction.
Literary work
Finnane has published poems and short stories in regional anthologies such as Living room: poetry from the Centre (2003) and The milk in the sky: writing from the Centre (2006). In 2013 she received the Lofty Award from Watch This Space for her contributions to arts writing and criticism in Central Australia.
Other activities
Finnane has participated in interviews and public discussions about life in the Australian “Red Centre,” including a 2020 conversation on ABC Alice Springs’ Desert Tracks program.
Through her journalism, books, and literary output, Finnane has become a notable chronicler of contemporary social issues in Central Australia.
