Tony Smith admits that the best thing that has happened to him is Libby Prell.

The couple met at the Uluru Motel in the shadow of the Rock one cold but clear-sky day in July 1980 after Libby arrived with her backpack to work.

Libby quickly demonstrated her competence in the bar and housekeeping – she declined an office job because she only intended to stay for a month.

One month extended to three but Libby finally announced that she was quitting her job and going to Queensland.

Tony handed her a return ticket – “just in case you want to come back”.

Libby had no intention of returning – but within weeks, love of a good man and the spirit of the Red Centre saw her hop on a plane to Alice Springs. They’ve never looked back.

The couple, who married nine years later, went on to build a hugely successful business – motels, camel farm, bus company, trucking company and house moving business, ultimately evolving into transportable building hire and sale company NT Link.

“The evolution of our business happened in many different ways and over a considerable amount of time,” says Tony. “Each stage offered a new insight into where we are today.”

Like all business owners, the couple have endured many trials and tribulations.

“He’s the risk taker, an innovator, and has the ability to see past the horizon,” Libby says. “He understands the macro picture of Northern Australia, whether it is business opportunities driven by the resource sector or government policy.

“My challenge is to slow him down and bring the team along.”

Tony says: “Libby has always been involved in the governance and finance – she does the tough stuff. I love to not only win projects but deliver them and exceed clients’ expectations.”

They agree that it’s been “yin and yang, a great partnership”.

“There’s obviously been some pain, but our differences have made it work,” Libby says. “We once had to pay the staff out of my personal savings account.”

Tony says: “A lot of success comes down to timing, being lucky, although we’ve had some bad luck as well.

“Many companies in our industry have failed in the past 30 years. We’ve stumbled a few times, have had tough times but have been fortunate to use these times to make us stronger.

“Trust is important – trust in our team and external partnerships accountants, insurance brokers, customers, suppliers and remote communities.”

Tony used an inheritance from his grandfather to train as a commercial pilot and his first job was flying tourists over Wilpena Pound in South Australia.

His boss and mentor was Kevin Rasheed, a rear gunner during the Second World War.

In between showing tourists the wonders of the natural rock amphitheatre, Tony worked as pot walloper, receptionist, barman, garbo, bus tour driver and housekeeper, which helped prepare him to later operate a tourist facility at Ayers Rock.

Kevin was also co-owner of the Uluru Motel and one day asked Tony to fly there to sack the manager – and then “keep an eye on things” for a few weeks.

Tony ended up buying the lease to the rundown motel and turning it into a successful business – despite being too young to get a bank overdraft.

The couple have many happy and not-so-happy memories of their time at Uluru – the Chamberlain case, tragedies, opening of the Yulara resort, and visiting dignitaries.

“The eighties were headline after headline,” says Libby.

Tony and Libby remember the visits of the Prince of Wales and Diana to Alice Springs in 1983 and Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip in 2000, and John Denver in 1978 and Leo Sayer in 1982.

The couple have been through many external and internal challenges and crises, including credit squeezes
(a 21.5 percent interest rate), cyclones, floods, the pilots’ strike, covid and delay in major projects. But they survived them all.

Building from humble beginnings – Tony on site leading the work crew and Libby balancing the books and keeping the bank manager happy – they find it amazing to look back over 50 years to see what the business is today.

Tony and Libby have two daughters. Jess was born on Territory Day in 1992 and Vanessa two days before Tony’s 49th birthday in 1999.

“That was the best birthday present ever.”

Tony’s son Lindsay, who was born in 1980, grew up in Alice Springs and now has two children, Olivia and Lucas.

NT Link is family owned and operated, employs 80 people in Darwin and Alice Springs, delivers remote community housing and classrooms in the Territory, and installs site facilities and accommodation camps in regional West Australia and northern South Australia.

The couple have invested heavily in the NT, including industrial property in Darwin and Alice Springs, such
as the Alice Village, a 150-room accommodation facility.

Tony and Libby have delegated day-to-day operations to Anthony Green as NT Link general manager and Nyree Patterson as group chief commercial and strategy officer.

The couple believe in giving their time, treasure and talent back to the community, including sponsorship of sports, community events, arts and culture, education and youth engagement in the Territory.

In 2003, they established the Tania Smith scholarship for Aboriginal students at St Phillip’s College in Alice Springs, in memory of Tony’s late daughter from his first marriage.

Many kids from remote and rural communities have benefited from the fund.

St Phillip’s College, which Jess and Vanessa attended, describes Tony simply as a “great Outback achiever”.

Tony is now 75 and Libby 66 – and they are still striving to make a difference as founding funders of Mpartwe Alice Springs Community Foundation, which underpinned the return of a printed newspaper to the town, the Centralian Today.

In 2024, they introduced a profit-sharing scheme in their business, which allows a loyal team to share in the success of the company.

Libby says their drive to succeed in business is multi-faceted, with emphasis on building a strong
team that delivers projects for their return clients, exceeding budget and expectations.

Tony says: “Our business model is to be flexible to respond to business opportunities as they arise. At one stage, we owed the bank so much we qualified for VIP tickets to the AFL grand final … scary.”

They get enormous satisfaction from providing rewarding jobs in a safe and caring environment, and accept that they wouldn’t have been able to succeed without trusting business partnerships, family support and a good team.

“We believe in working with people, collaborating and learning from each other to realise every one’s dreams,” says Libby.

And Tony says: “We rely on relationships that have been built over many years and rely on innovative solutions to deliver to our clients the solution that fits their projects.

“It is essential that we deliver on or before the times that we have promised and handover for use as they expect.

“I thank our family and our loyal staff who are our extended family and all who have helped grow our business.” TQ