The
Ngaanyatjarra People
Click the communities outlined below on the map or scroll
down to browse text on each.
BLACKSTONE
(Papulankutja)
Blackstone is situated between the western and great Victorian deserts. The home of the Papulankutja aboriginal community. A picturesque place at the foot of the Blackstone Ranges, it has a plentiful ground water supply and many trees. Blackstone is like a small oasis where bush tuckers are in plentiful supply and the aboriginal people can retain their culture and speak their native language (Ngaanyatjarra) without the elements of a western culture. No alcohol or drugs are permitted and it's remote location has enabled this to be enforced.
An important source of income for the community is the sale of art and craft. Most art and crafts are in keeping with their lifestyle and are done outside around the campfire on the ground. They include woodwork, grass baskets, jewelry made from nuts and seeds, and acrylic painting on canvas.  learn
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JAMESON (Mantamaru)
Jameson or Mantamaru Community is situated 125klms east of Warburton. Originally Jameson became an outstation of Warburton 1973. When Blackstone closed for a time, many of the families moved over to Jameson and remained there. Many of the aboriginal people would move from place to place, but they would still know where each family originated from and who they were related to.
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PATJARR
Patjarr is located 243 klms north north west of Warburton by road, or 92 nautical miles by direct airline, and located in the Clutterbuck Hills area. It is a small community that was established in 1992 as an outstation of Warburton, with an Advisor and a population of 30 people. The community, including its water supply and airstrip, are at present illegally located within the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve. The Western Australian Conservation and Land Management Commission is proposing to rectify the illegal land tenure problem by enlarging the size of the Patjarr Lease by some 6804 hectares to be taken from the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve.
In the mid 1960's the Pintubi people from the Patjarr were moved from
their Gibson Desert Homelands by the State Government and Federal Weapons
Research Establishment and relocated in surrounding communities. With
other desert people, they were relocated to protect them from death
or injury from the "blue streak" rocket debris, which fell over a vast
area of Central Australia during the rocket research programmes of the
1960's and 70's.
After the programmes had been closed own in the late 1970's, the Desert people began to return to their homelands and to their traditional way of life.
Patjarr has fly in fly out bush tucker tours with the local people.
Camping facilities, which are free, but a permit is required to stay.
The Heritage trail encompasses varying types of terrain and vegetation
unique to this area. You will have the opportunity to see rockholes,
amazing rock formations and many other features in the Clutterbuck Hills.
You can enjoy various types of bush tucker during the tour. The Bundaltjarra
Trail is a short tour if your time is limited, travelling through desert
country, down into a "break-a-way" to the Bundaltjarra Rockholes. High
quality aboriginal art and popular craft items are for sale and the
office contains a display of local items of Patjarr's heritage.
Part of the road leading to Patjarr is the notorious Gun Barrel Highway. This highway veers off to the east before reaching Patjarr. This road is relatively untouched and any travellers are warned to proceed with great caution along this road. learn
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TJIRRKARLI
The Tjirrkarli Community is not Aboriginal Freehold Land. It holds a 99-year lease from the Western Australian Aboriginal Lands Trust, as do the other Ngaanyatjarra communities. It was an outstation from Warburton which is located near Lake Breaden, which is one of the many salt lakes in the area.
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TJUKURLA (round shape rock hole)
This community started as an outstation of Docker River, and provisions etc were bought in from Docker River once a month. It was closed down after the death of two boys who decided to travel to Docker River. Tjukurla is situated at the edge of a large salt lake, Lake Hopkins and the surrounding country is sand and clay with desert oaks. It was re-opened again as an outstation of Warakurna in 1980.
Basket making is one of the craft specialties of the women in this community and they have a budding art programme. Many of the women participated in the 2000 Olympic Games, along with the women from several of the communities in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. Sports and football are well loved in all of the communities and Tjukurla holds the championship for Aussie Rules in the lands, so far!
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WANARN
Originally Wanarn was an outstation of Warburton and then it became
a community and home to most of the older people of the local families
and a handful of children. Story of how the crow came to be black is
a local story of this community. There was an eagle who had two wives,
one a white cockatoo and a white crow. (crows were always white then)
The cockatoo was the eagles favourite wife and the crow was jealous.
When the eagle went off hunting the crow chased the cockatoo and beat
her until she left. The eagle was very angry when he returned to find
his favourite wife gone and set fire to the crow, and now crows are
black. learn
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WARAKURNA
(Rockhole)
Warakuna is nestled in the Rawlinson Ranges near the West Australian/Northern Territory border approximately 330klms west of Uluru. After families originally returned to their traditional lands, they settled closer to Docker Rive where the rockhole Warakurna was. When the community was finally established it was moved to where the Giles weather station was situated, as there was underground water to supply the community.
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WARBURTON
Warburton Ranges Mirlirrtjarra Community is in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, Gibson Desert, Western Australia. It is located 1050 klms south west of Alice Springs and 750 klms north east of Kalgoorlie on the Great Central Road (Outback Highway). The aboriginal people in Warburton still go out hunting and gathering bush tucker in traditional ways. The elders teach the young people about the traditional ways of hunting, gathering and cooking of bush tucker, but they also work within the community painting, making artefacts and
artglass. learn
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WINGELLINA
(Irrunytju)
Wingellina is very close to the Northern Territory and Western Australian
border. It is surrounded by large granite hills. Although the hills
are very high they are not steep. The surrounding lands are rocky, prickly
mallee and mulga country. There are also a lot of tall gum trees in
that area and the local aboriginals make carved wooden artefacts (purnu).
Buyer's travel into the Ngaanyatjarra lands buying the artefacts. This
community now enjoy modern facilities and even though there is a store
in the community, the aboriginal people still maintain some of their
traditional activities such as hunting and gathering bush tucker. Bush
raisins are a very popular food that is high in Vitamin C. They are
called Kampurarrpa and bush tomatoes called Pintalypa. learn
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