Kaltukatjara, Northern Territory
Encyclopedia
Kaltukatjara is a remote Indigenous Australian community in the Northern Territory
of Australia
. It is southwest of Alice Springs
, west of the Stuart Highway
, near the Western Australia
and Northern Territory
border.
The community is also known as Docker River, which is the European name for the township. It is on a wadi
called the Docker Creek on the north side of the west end of the Petermann Ranges in the southwest corner of Northern Territory
in Australia
.
settlement and provide an opportunity for Indigenous Australians
to live closer to their homelands.
PY Media states that Kaltukatjara acquired its European name "Docker River" from explorer Ernest Giles
, as well as other history, as follows:
when it crosses into Western Australia
7 kilometres to the west.
across the border to the west in Western Australia
, Kaltukatjara experiences summer maximum temperatures of an average of 37.2 degrees celsius in January and a winter maximum average temperature of 19.9 degrees celsius in July. Overnight lows range from a mean minimum temperature of 23.5 degrees in January to 6.8 degrees in June.
Annual rainfall averages 284.2 millimetres.
Census recorded that there were 297 people living in the community, an increase of 20 on the 277 people disclosed in the 1997 Census.
The people speak
Pitjantjatjara and Ngaatjatjarra
and largely identify as Anangu
people.
The 2001 Census revealed that Kaltukatjara was second only to its northern neighbour Kintore
in the having the highest proportion of its population engaged in health and community services (26.3%).
.
Kaltukatjara has a sewerage system and some houses are fitted with their own septic tanks.
Electricity is provided by 3 diesel power generators.
Roads within the township are sealed but the Petermann Road (the main road to the community) is unsealed.
Kaltukatjara has an unsealed airstrip, general store (with petrol supplies), Maruku Arts and Crafts centre, recreation hall, aged care facility, health centre, school, 2 public telephones, an Australian Rules football oval and basketball court.
There is a Lutheran church
with a resident pastor, overseen by the Lutheran Church's Finke River Mission board.
In 2009, feral camel
s had become a major problem for local residents. Preparations for an emergency cull of 6,000 of the animals using a sharpshooter was underway.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is southwest of Alice Springs
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
, west of the Stuart Highway
Stuart Highway
The Stuart Highway is one of Australia's major highways. It is a segment of Australia's Highway 1 extending from Darwin, Northern Territory, in the north, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta, South Australia, in the south—a distance of...
, near the Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
border.
The community is also known as Docker River, which is the European name for the township. It is on a wadi
Wadi
Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
called the Docker Creek on the north side of the west end of the Petermann Ranges in the southwest corner of Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
A permanent settlement at "Docker River" was established in 1968 to relieve pressure on the WarburtonWarburton, Western Australia
Warburton or Warburton Ranges is an Indigenous Australian community in Western Australia, just to the south of the Gibson Desert and located on the Great Central Road and Gunbarrel Highway...
settlement and provide an opportunity for Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
to live closer to their homelands.
PY Media states that Kaltukatjara acquired its European name "Docker River" from explorer Ernest Giles
Ernest Giles
William Ernest Powell Giles , best known as Ernest Giles, was an Australian explorer who led three major expeditions in central Australia.- Early life :...
, as well as other history, as follows:
The site that is now Kaltukatjara was originally named Docker River by Ernest Giles during his expedition of 1872.
Pastors Duguid and Strehlow surveyed the area in the 1930s with a view to establishing a settlement for the people in the area. It was decided not to proceed with this at that time. During the 30s and 40s Luther(a)n missionaries told the Pitjantjatjara people of the Kaltukatjara area to go to Areyonga (then an outstation of Hermannsburg missionHermannsburg, Northern TerritoryHermannsburg is an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory of Australia, 131 km southwest of Alice Springs. It is known in the local Western Arrernte language as Ntaria....
) where they would be supplied with food and clothing. Although many AnanguAnanguAnangu, more accurately "Aṉaŋu" or "Arnangu" is a word found in a number of eastern varieties of the Western Desert Language , an Australian Aboriginal language of the Pama–Nyungan family, spoken in the desert regions of western and central Australia. Before the arrival of non-Aboriginal people in...
moved in of their own free will, some stayed in the Petermanns.
In the 1960s Areyonga Anangu strongly desired to move back to the area around Docker River and with government assistance a permanent settlement was established there in 1967-8. Over 300 Anangu moved to establish the new settlement.
By the proclamation of the Aboriginal Lands Rights (N.T.) Act, 1976, Anangu in the region gained freehold title to these traditional lands an area of 44,970 square kilometres.
Geography
Kaltukatjara lies on the Petermann Road which becomes the Great Central RoadGreat Central Road
The Great Central Road is a mostly unsealed Australian outback highway that runs 1126 km from Laverton, Western Australia to Yulara, Northern Territory ....
when it crosses into Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
7 kilometres to the west.
Climate
Based upon the climate records of the nearest weather station at GilesGiles Weather Station
Giles Weather Station is located in Western Australia near the South Australian border, about West-South-West of Alice Springs and West of Uluru. It is the only staffed weather station within an area of about and is situated mid-continent and near the core of the subtropical jetstream...
across the border to the west in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, Kaltukatjara experiences summer maximum temperatures of an average of 37.2 degrees celsius in January and a winter maximum average temperature of 19.9 degrees celsius in July. Overnight lows range from a mean minimum temperature of 23.5 degrees in January to 6.8 degrees in June.
Annual rainfall averages 284.2 millimetres.
Demographics
The 2001 ABSAustralian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
Census recorded that there were 297 people living in the community, an increase of 20 on the 277 people disclosed in the 1997 Census.
The people speak
Pitjantjatjara and Ngaatjatjarra
Ngaatjatjarra
Ngaatjatjarra is an Australian Aboriginal dialect of the Western Desert language. It is spoken in the Western Desert cultural bloc which covers about 600 000 square kilometres of the arid central and central-western desert...
and largely identify as Anangu
Anangu
Anangu, more accurately "Aṉaŋu" or "Arnangu" is a word found in a number of eastern varieties of the Western Desert Language , an Australian Aboriginal language of the Pama–Nyungan family, spoken in the desert regions of western and central Australia. Before the arrival of non-Aboriginal people in...
people.
The 2001 Census revealed that Kaltukatjara was second only to its northern neighbour Kintore
Kintore, Northern Territory
Kintore is a remote settlement in the Northern Territory of Australia, located approximately 530 km west of Alice Springs and close to the border with Western Australia. At the 2001 census, Kintore had a population of 691, of which 95% identified themselves as Aboriginal...
in the having the highest proportion of its population engaged in health and community services (26.3%).
Governance
Before 2008-07-01, Kaltukatjara was served by the Kaltukatjara Community Council, composed of twelve residents who are elected annually. The Council served as the local government and qualified as a "local government area". On 2008-07-01, it became part of the new MacDonnell ShireMacDonnell Shire
The MacDonnell Shire is a Local Government Area of the Northern Territory, Australia. The shire covers an area of 268,784.20 km² and has a estimated population of 7,142 people.-Geography:...
.
Facilities
Water for the Kaltukatjara supply system is obtained from 3 bores, 1 located near the ground tanks and 2 approximately 1.5 km west of the community. There are 3 ground tanks and 1 raised tank in the community. Water quality is of a high standard with chlorine needed only on rare occasions.Kaltukatjara has a sewerage system and some houses are fitted with their own septic tanks.
Electricity is provided by 3 diesel power generators.
Roads within the township are sealed but the Petermann Road (the main road to the community) is unsealed.
Kaltukatjara has an unsealed airstrip, general store (with petrol supplies), Maruku Arts and Crafts centre, recreation hall, aged care facility, health centre, school, 2 public telephones, an Australian Rules football oval and basketball court.
There is a Lutheran church
Lutheran Church of Australia
The Lutheran Church of Australia is the major Lutheran denomination in Australia, it also has a presence in New Zealand. It has 320 parishes, 540 congregations, 70,000 baptized members in Australia, 1,130 baptized members in New Zealand, 52,463 communicant members and 450 active pastors. Its...
with a resident pastor, overseen by the Lutheran Church's Finke River Mission board.
In 2009, feral camel
Australian feral camel
Thousands of the two main species of Australian feral camels, mostly dromedaries but also some bactrian camels, were imported into Australia during the 19th century for transport and construction as part of the colonisation of the central and western parts of Australia. Motorised transport replaced...
s had become a major problem for local residents. Preparations for an emergency cull of 6,000 of the animals using a sharpshooter was underway.