Balgo, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Balgo is a small Aboriginal Community in Western Australia
which is linked with both the Great Sandy Desert
and the Tanami Desert
. The Community is in the Shire of Halls Creek
, off the Tanami Road (formerly known as the Tanami Track). It has a petrol station, supermarket, Catholic Parish, School (K-10,) Adult Education Centre, Clinic and Police Station. At the 2006 census
, Balgo had a population of 460.
Balgo was previously known as Balgo Hills. It is possible that the name comes from the kukatja for rice grass - palkurr-palkurr, which grows on the hills at 'Old Mission' a former site of the Community.
The town is famous for its artists' cooperative which was established when some of the original members of the Papunya Tula
movement were allowed to leave Papunya. Some of the artists from Balgo include Susie Bootja Bootja Napaltjarri
, Topsy Gibson Napaljarri
, Eubena Nampitjin, Elizabeth Nyumi, Boxer Milner, Tjumpo Tjapanangka and Helicopter Tjungurrayi.
The Kukatja language is spoken by many Balgo people, both young and old (2007). Luurnpa school includes the Walkala Centre where reading books are written, illustrated and read onto CD or DVD in both Kukatja and English. The school has published a comprehensive Kukatja dictionary based on the work of several linguists.
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...
which is linked with both the Great Sandy Desert
Great Sandy Desert
The Great Sandy Desert is a desert located in the North West of Western Australia straddling the Pilbara and southern Kimberley regions. It is the second largest desert in Australia after the Great Victoria Desert and encompasses an area of...
and the Tanami Desert
Tanami Desert
The Tanami Desert is a desert in northern Australia situated in the Northern Territory. It has a rocky terrain with small hills. The Tanami was the Northern Territory's final frontier and was not fully explored until well into the twentieth century...
. The Community is in the Shire of Halls Creek
Shire of Halls Creek
The Shire of Halls Creek is one of the four Local Government Areas in the Kimberley Region of northern Western Australia, covering an area of , most of which is sparsely populated. The Shire's seat of government is the town of Halls Creek...
, off the Tanami Road (formerly known as the Tanami Track). It has a petrol station, supermarket, Catholic Parish, School (K-10,) Adult Education Centre, Clinic and Police Station. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Balgo had a population of 460.
Balgo was previously known as Balgo Hills. It is possible that the name comes from the kukatja for rice grass - palkurr-palkurr, which grows on the hills at 'Old Mission' a former site of the Community.
The town is famous for its artists' cooperative which was established when some of the original members of the Papunya Tula
Papunya Tula
Papunya Tula, or Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd, is an artist cooperative formed in 1972 that is owned and operated by Aboriginal people from the Western Desert of Australia. The group is known for its innovative work with the Western Desert Art Movement, popularly referred to as "dot painting"...
movement were allowed to leave Papunya. Some of the artists from Balgo include Susie Bootja Bootja Napaltjarri
Susie Bootja Bootja Napaltjarri
Susie Bootja Bootja Napaltjarri was an Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region...
, Topsy Gibson Napaljarri
Topsy Gibson Napaljarri
Topsy Gibson Napaljarri , also known as Tjayika or Tjanika, is a Pintupi-speaking Indigenous artist from Australia's Western Desert region.-Life:...
, Eubena Nampitjin, Elizabeth Nyumi, Boxer Milner, Tjumpo Tjapanangka and Helicopter Tjungurrayi.
The Kukatja language is spoken by many Balgo people, both young and old (2007). Luurnpa school includes the Walkala Centre where reading books are written, illustrated and read onto CD or DVD in both Kukatja and English. The school has published a comprehensive Kukatja dictionary based on the work of several linguists.