Alice Springs town camps explained

Alice Springs town camps, officially called Alice Springs Community Living Areas, are Aboriginal communities within Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. Their origins vary. Many were originally designed to accommodate people visiting Alice Springs from remote communities but, for many, they have become a permanent and often generational home.^{[1] [2]}

Background

Alice Springs town camps began as early as the 1880s when Europeans first came to Central Australia following John McDouall Stuart's expedition, which was soon followed by pastoralists and, from 1872, the telegraph line and the establishment of the Alice Springs Telegraph Station.^[3] As a direct result this Aboriginal people were forced from their lands and their camps, then called fringe camps, initially served as convenient ration distribution points and labour camps.^[4]

By the 1900s opposition to the camps grew and various measures were attempted to remove them, including forced "evacuations" to surrounding missions, like the Sacred Heart Mission at Arltunga, 1929 and 1960. The township of Alice Springs was also declared a prohibited area for Aboriginal people from 1929 to 1960.^[5]

However, things changed in the 1970s when town campers began demanding land tender, shelter and services and, in 1977, when they established the town camp governing body Tangentyere Council. Tangentyere is an Arrernte word meaning "all speaking together".

there were between 1600 and 2000 people living in town camps permanently, many of whom receive many visitors from remote communities. The number of people living in the camps can almost double during major events in Alice Springs like the football carnival and the Alice Springs Show.^[6]

Each camp is a distinct Aboriginal community, based on language and kinship groups.

There is a high rate of domestic violence in the NT in general, including in the camps. Prominent anti-domestic violence campaigner and founding member of the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group, 46-year-old R. Rubuntja, was murdered by her partner, who had a history of violent offences, in January 2021.^{[7] [8]} She had been known for her advocacy: in 2017, she spoke to politicians in Parliament House, Canberra, about domestic violence in Central Australia, and helped to organise a large women's march against violence in Alice Springs. She was elected Town Camp President of her community at Anthepe Camp in 2019.^[9]

Existing town camps

The following aims to be a comprehensive list of town camps:

Town camps!Town camp Name!Alternative Name!Pronunciation!Meaning!Language!Tenure

Mpwetyerre	Abbotts, BP	UM-BUTCHER-RAH	Place name	Arrernte, Warlpiri, Luritja, Pitjantjatjara	Special purpose lease
Basso's Farm			Place name	Arrernte, Kaytetye, Anmatyerre, Alywarre	Special purpose lease
Anthelk Ewlpaye	Charles Creek, Kunoth	UN-DERLK OOL-PIE	Gum leaf	Arrernte, Anmatyerre	Special purpose lease
Ilperle Tyathe	Warlpiri	ILP-ERL-A-CHATA	Ta Away/Ti Tree	Warlpiri	Special purpose lease
Karnte		KARNTA	Women's head dress	Luritja, Pitjantatjara	Crown lease
Hoppy's				Warlpiri	Special purpose lease
Akngwertnarre	Morris Soak	UK-NOORT-NARA	Place Name	Arrernte, Warlpiri	Special purpose lease
Anthepe	Drive In	UN-DUPPA	Dreamtime dance, women's dancing	Arrernte, Warlipiri, Luritja, Pitjantatjara	Special purpose lease
Aper-Alwerrknge	Palmer's	UPPER AL-OORK-NA	Sinewy gum	Arrernte	Special purpose lease
Ewyenper Atwatya	Hidden Valley	OO-YEN-PER-A TWAH-JA	Spearbush gap	Arrernte, Warlpiri	Special purpose lease
Ilperenye	Old Timers	ILL-PA-RINYA	Green beetle	Arrernte, Warlpiri, Luritja, Pitjantatjara	Special purpose lease
Inarlenge	Little Sisters	INN-ARLUNG-AH	Porcupine, Echidna	Arrernte, Warlpiri, Luritja, Pitjantatjara	Crown lease
Mount Nancy			Place name	Arrernte, Kaytetye, Amatyerre, Alywarre	Special purpose lease
Yarrenyty-Arltere	Larapinta	YARR-WRENCH ARL-DER-AH	White devil dog	Arrernte, Pertame, Luritja	Special purpose lease
Nyewente	Trucking Yards	NEW-OONDA	Place name	Arrernte, Luritja	Special purpose lease
Ilparpa		IL-PAR-PA	Yam, Bush tucker	Arrernte, Pertame, Luritja	Special purpose lease
Ilpiye Ilpiye	Golder's	ILP-EE ILP-EE	Needlewood bush, Women's head dress	Arrernte, Kaytetye	Special purpose lease
Lhenpe Artnwe	Anmatyerre	LUN-PA ART-NWE	Emu feathers, decoration in arm pit	Arrernte, Warlpiri, Anmatyerre	Special purpose lease
Anhelke	Namatjira's/Driffen's	UN-EARL-KA	Full of corkwood honey	Arrernte	Unofficial town camp
Irrkerlantye	White Gate	EAR-KER-LUNGE	Kitehawk	Arrernte	Unofficial town camp

Notable people

• Shirleen Campbell, activist against family and domestic violence^{[10] [11]}
• Sally M. Nangala Mulda, artist, lives at Mpwetyerre (Abbotts)^{[12] [13]}
• Albert Namatjira, artist, lived at Akngwertnarre (Morris Soak)^[14]
• Geoff Shaw, Aboriginal leader, lives at Mount Nancy^{[15] [16]}

Sources

• Web site: Alice Springs Town Camps. Australian Government. Office of Township Leasing.
• Web site: Welcome to the Tangentyere Council. Tangentyere Council.

Further reading

• Coughlan. Frances . 1991. Aboriginal town camps and Tangentyere Council: the battle for self-determination in Alice Springs.
• Book: Heppell. M. Wigley. J.J.. 1981. Black out in Alice: A history of the establishment and development of town camps in Alice Springs. The Development Studies Centre Monograph no. 26 . Australian National University. 0 909150 41 9.

External links

• Web site: Township leasing map (search). Australian Government. Office of Township Leasing.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Alice Springs Town Camps. 2017-07-11. Office of Township Leasing. en. 2019-11-13.
2. Web site: Frequently asked questions. Government. Northern Territory. 2018-04-13. dlghcd.nt.gov.au. en. 2019-11-13.
3. Web site: Heritage & History Of The Alice Springs Telegraph Station. Alice Springs Telegraph Station. en-US. 2019-11-13.
4. Aboriginal town camps and Tangentyere Council : the battle for self-determination in Alice Springs. 1991. Thesis. English. Frances Mary. Coughlan.
5. Web site: A colonial chronology of Alice Springs Central Land Council, Australia. www.clc.org.au. 2019-11-13.
6. Web site: About Us. Tangentyere Council . 2019-11-13.
7. Web site: Jonscher . Samantha . Malcolm Abbott's domestic violence past shows 'urgent action' required to support First Nations . 14 May 2022 . ABC News. . 17 May 2022.
8. Web site: Mabin . Saskia . Malcolm Abbott pleads guilty to murdering his partner who was a prominent anti-domestic violence campaigner . ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 April 2022 . 17 May 2022.
9. Web site: Burns . Brielle . DV advocate R Rubuntja found to be murdered by partner. . Mamamia. 5 April 2022 . 17 May 2022.
10. Web site: Shirleen Campbell. https://web.archive.org/web/20210317195328/https://australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/shirleen-campbell/2191/. 17 March 2021. dead. 2021-07-10. Australian of the Year Awards.
11. Web site: Capricornia Film Awards Announce Award Winners. 2021-07-10. FilmInk. en-AU.
12. Web site: Artists The National. 2021-01-06. www.the-national.com.au. en.
13. Web site: 2019-05-30. Artist Profile: Sally M Nangala Mulda. 2021-01-06. Art Edit Magazine. en-AU.
14. Web site: admin. Resurgence in the 1960s and 1970s. 2021-01-06. The Hermannsburg School of Modern Art. en-AU.
15. Web site: Tangentyere Council, Alice Springs. 2021-01-06. www.tangentyere.org.au. en.
16. Web site: 2015-09-22. 'When will they listen to us?' Town camps on the fringe of Alice, but at the heart of Indigenous debate. 2021-01-06. the Guardian. en.