Uluru, a place of beauty and culture. For many who have never been to Australia this beautiful place might be known as Ayers Rock. It is a place of enormous significance for our country and our First Nations People. A majestic place that will definitely leave amazing memories for those who are fortunate enough to visit it. It is located in the Northern Territory, near Alice Springs, this beautiful place is also called the Red Centre.
A bit of history
Uluru is part of the Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park. It has been a World Heritage site since 1987. The traditional owners, the Anangu people have been living there for at least 30,000 years, and it is believed to have been created at the beginning of time by ancestral beings.
Kata Tjuta is another amazing site in the National Park. These are three domes and their name means “many heads” in Pitjantjatjara/Yunkunytjara, which are the local languages.
In 1872 explorer Ernest Giles discovered Kata Tjuta. He named the highest peak Mount Olga, a tribute to Queen Olga of Württenberg, which was a kingdom in Germany at the time. When the area opened up for tourism it started being called “the Olgas”. In 2002 the name was reversed back to its original name and today we know it as Kata Tjuta.
Uluru has a similar story, it was discovered by explorer William Gesse in 1873, just one year after Kata Tjuta. The explorer gave the name Ayers Rock as a tribute to the Chief Secretary of South Australia at the time, Sir Henry Ayers. The name was officially reversed in 2002 and today both sites are part of the National Park.
With respect to the land
For decades, people were allowed to climb the rock and camp there. This has upset the traditional owners since that is a very important sacred site that must be protected and respected.
These activities have now been banned. People can visit this amazing place and embark on a wide range of cultural activities, but they are no longer allowed to climb the sacred site.
This is a beautiful place to learn about our culture and feel the energy of 30,000 of stories and culture.