Watarru, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Watarru Community is an Aboriginal
community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands
in South Australia
(one of a number of communities or homelands on "The Lands" (others include Amata, Ernabella/Pukatja, Fregon
/Kaltjiti
, Indulkana
, Kalka
and Mimili). Watarru Community sits at the foot of Mount Lindsay and the community has at times been known as "Mount Lindsay".
and as at June 2001 had the largest sized Declared Indigenous Protected Area (12,800 km², declared 1 September 2000).
, Watarru 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.
..
The power station (see below) was constructed to cater for a fluctuating population of between 30 and 90 people.
The residents are mainly Anangu
people.
Since the introduction of non-sniffable Opal (fuel)
throughout Central Australia, Watarru has stocks of suitable unleaded fuel for cars. Avgas is no longer available.
A basic health clinic exists in the area but there are no medical staff on site - a nurse visits from Pipalyatjara.
Watarru has a community office for administration purposes which also provides an Internet service and a place for co-ordinating the local arts project.
Management of the land provides employment opportunities for the Watarru community, managing and monitoring native fauna populations whilst also rounding up, shooting or culling pest species such as camels, foxes and feral cats.
The Watarru Anangu school was opened in 1986 and has approximately 25 students.
Watarru does not have a permanent police presence. South Australian police are based at Marla and run patrols in the area. The community has no Indigenous community constables.
Electricity is provided to the community using a combination of solar power
and a wind turbine
, with the energy stored in batteries. Power is also generated by 2 diesel generators.
As with most APY settlements, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
and Special Broadcasting Service
television are available. Watarru also receives the Seven Network
affiliated station Golden West Network
from Western Australia
, as well as Imparja television. Subscription television service Austar
is also available to residents.
Residents can vote in elections for the Parliament of South Australia
at a booth that visits Pipalyatjara
.
A permit is required for a member of the public to visit any community on the APY Lands, as they are freehold
lands owned by the Aboriginal people
. Entry to any APY community without a permit is an offence, and harsh penalties apply.
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....
community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands
Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara
Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara is a large Aboriginal local government area located in the remote north west of South Australia...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
(one of a number of communities or homelands on "The Lands" (others include Amata, Ernabella/Pukatja, Fregon
Kaltjiti, South Australia
Kaltjiti is an Aboriginal community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia, comprising one of the six main communities on "The Lands" ....
/Kaltjiti
Kaltjiti, South Australia
Kaltjiti is an Aboriginal community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia, comprising one of the six main communities on "The Lands" ....
, Indulkana
Indulkana, South Australia
Indulkana is an Aboriginal community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia, comprising one of the six main communities on "The Lands"...
, Kalka
Kalka, South Australia
Kalka is an Aboriginal community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia administered under the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act. At the 2006 census, Kalka had a population of 114.-Geography:...
and Mimili). Watarru Community sits at the foot of Mount Lindsay and the community has at times been known as "Mount Lindsay".
Geography
Watarru Community (27.26688°S 129.65563°E) is situated approximately 550 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs. Watarru is situated at the foot of Mount Lindsay. Watarru Community is situated within the Great Victoria DesertGreat Victoria Desert
The Great Victoria Desert is a barren and sparsely populated desert area of southern Australia.-Location and description:The Great Victoria is the biggest desert in Australia and consists of many small sandhills, grassland plains, areas with a closely packed surface of pebbles and salt lakes...
and as at June 2001 had the largest sized Declared Indigenous Protected Area (12,800 km², declared 1 September 2000).
Climate
Based upon the climate records of the nearest weather station at Giles across the border and to the northwest in Western AustraliaWestern 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...
, Watarru 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.
Population
Watarru Community's population was 56 people according to the 2001 Census, with 82.1% of those being Indigenous AustraliansIndigenous 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....
..
The residents are mainly 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.
History
PY Media website waru.org reports:
The Community began to flourish in the early 1990s, after being established by a small family group of Anangu who had returned from other established Communities.
Facilities
PY Media website "waru.urg" states:
The local store is provided with fresh produce by road train once a week, a local workshop provides limited services, but only diesel and avgas fuels are available. Persons with petrol driven vehicles are advised to check with their mechanic regarding the use of Avgas in their vehicle.
There is a weekly mail delivery by air from Alice Springs on friday; general freight is delivered weekly by road train.
Since the introduction of non-sniffable Opal (fuel)
Opal (fuel)
Opal is a variety of low-aromatic 91 RON petrol developed in 2005 by BP Australia to combat the rising use of petrol as an inhalant in remote indigenous Australian communities....
throughout Central Australia, Watarru has stocks of suitable unleaded fuel for cars. Avgas is no longer available.
A basic health clinic exists in the area but there are no medical staff on site - a nurse visits from Pipalyatjara.
Watarru has a community office for administration purposes which also provides an Internet service and a place for co-ordinating the local arts project.
Management of the land provides employment opportunities for the Watarru community, managing and monitoring native fauna populations whilst also rounding up, shooting or culling pest species such as camels, foxes and feral cats.
The Watarru Anangu school was opened in 1986 and has approximately 25 students.
Watarru does not have a permanent police presence. South Australian police are based at Marla and run patrols in the area. The community has no Indigenous community constables.
Electricity is provided to the community using a combination of solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
and a wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
, with the energy stored in batteries. Power is also generated by 2 diesel generators.
As with most APY settlements, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
and Special Broadcasting Service
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
television are available. Watarru also receives the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
affiliated station Golden West Network
Golden West Network
GWN7 is an Australian television network owned by the Prime Media Group that is based in Bunbury, Western Australia. The Golden West Network launched on 10 March 1967 as BTW-3 in Bunbury, and has since expanded to cover regional and remote Western Australia, servicing all areas except metropolitan...
from 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...
, as well as Imparja television. Subscription television service Austar
Austar
Austar is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Subscription Television but it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones...
is also available to residents.
Residents can vote in elections for the Parliament of South Australia
Parliament of South Australia
The Parliament of South Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. It consists of the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly. It follows a Westminster system of parliamentary government....
at a booth that visits Pipalyatjara
Pipalyatjara, South Australia
Pipalyatjara is an Aboriginal community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia, comprising one of the six main communities on "The Lands"...
.
A permit is required for a member of the public to visit any community on the APY Lands, as they are freehold
Fee simple
In English law, a fee simple is an estate in land, a form of freehold ownership. It is the most common way that real estate is owned in common law countries, and is ordinarily the most complete ownership interest that can be had in real property short of allodial title, which is often reserved...
lands owned by the Aboriginal people
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....
. Entry to any APY community without a permit is an offence, and harsh penalties apply.