Aboriginal People and Their Land
Rare magnetic black axe head found at Kerang, Vic about 50 years ago. When travelling the Outback it will help to have some understanding of Aboriginal people and the importance of Aboriginal land to them. This may prepare you for some of the controversy you might experience. In 1981 The Anangu Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act came into force. This granted the aboriginal inhabitants freehold title to a huge tract of land in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. With this came restrictions of access to this fascinating and beautiful part of Australia. Some visitor permits are readily available to certain areas such as the Mereenie Loop road which passes Gosses Bluff, and for Uluru and Kata Juta. Visitors may apply to the Central Land Council in Alice Springs for permits to visit other areas if they have a very good reason. (Those visiting close relatives who are working on “The Lands” for instance.) I have managed to see some of the more interesting parts of the Pitjantjatjara lands in September each year when the permit system was waived for those visiting the Ernabella Sports. Some of the most outstanding areas we visited were the rock formations of the Everard Ranges west of Mimili, the fascinating hills and gullies north of Kenmore Park and the huge experimental solar power plant north of Fregon. Various tour companies have tried to introduce regular guided trips to these places but for various reasons none has been successful for long. Anangu Tours, at Uluru is a good example of the potential of Aboriginal Cultural tours. Aboriginal people are employed to guide you around the Rock.These tours are well presented and well supported. There are also plenty of areas of a sacred and sensitive nature on Aboriginal Lands and any one caught visiting these can be prosecuted. Having such a large tract of land with restricted access causes some resentment among some travellers but it is essential to understand the importance of “having a place to belong.” for these mostly gentle and sensitive people. I drove a school bus for a while to a very remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory. Sometimes the parents needed a lift into town as well. I had a 63 seater bus with only 3 regular passengers, so seating was not a problem. When the "old women" got to ride on the bus, they would "sing the country", reliving the stories of the "songlines" as they travelled. These songlines are like a map for Aboriginal people. They are a reminder or a teaching tool which identifies their culturally significant sites and sources of food. The Strehlow Centre in Alice Springs is an excellent place to learn about Central Australia's Aboriginal people.
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