Alpurrurulam, Northern Territory facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alpurrurulam Northern Territory
Alpurrurulam Location in Northern Territory
Population	420 (2016 census)
• Density	42.4/km2 (110/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4825
Area	9.9 km2 (3.8 sq mi)
Time zone	ACST (UTC+9:30)
Location	1,206 km (749 mi) SE of Darwin 638 km (396 mi) E of Tennant Creek
LGA(s)	Barkly Region
Territory electorate(s)	Barkly
Federal Division(s)	Lingiari]
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 32.9 °C 91 °F 17.7 °C 64 °F 398.9 mm 15.7 in
Localities around Alpurrurulam: Costello Costello Costello Costello Alpurrurulam Costello Costello Costello Costello
Footnotes	Adjoining localities

Alpurrurulam, also known as Lake Nash, is a small community in Australia's Northern Territory. Its original Aboriginal name is Ilperrelhelame. It is located far to the east of the territory.

Alpurrurulam is about 1206 kilometers (749 miles) south-east of Darwin, the capital city. It is also about 570 kilometers (354 miles) east of Tennant Creek, a major town. The community is only about 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) from the border with Queensland. The town is at the very end of the Sandover Highway. This road often floods during the wet season, which means the community can be cut off from other places.

A Brief History of Alpurrurulam

The waterhole known as Lake Nash was used by Aboriginal people for thousands of years. They called it Ilperrelhelame in the Alyawarre language. This place has many important Dreaming stories connected to it. The local Alyawarre people lived a traditional life there. They hunted, gathered food, and performed their ceremonies until 1920.

How Alpurrurulam Was Formed

Alpurrurulam came about because of disagreements. These happened between the owners of Lake Nash Station (a large cattle farm) and the Aboriginal people. Many Aboriginal people lived near the Georgina River and worked at the cattle station. In the early 1980s, there was a plan to move the Aboriginal community. They were supposed to move to a place called Bathurst Downs. However, the local Alyawarre people considered this "poison country."

In 1982, the community asked for their own land near the station. They spoke to the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Government. After a legal discussion, a piece of land was given back to them. This land was 10 square kilometers (about 4 square miles) in size. It was taken from the huge 3 million acre (12,000 square kilometer) Lake Nash Station. This happened in 1983, and this land became Alpurrurulam.

Community Leadership

The Alpurrurulam Land Aboriginal Corporation (ALAC) was then created. This group is a board of community elders. They became the official landowners for the community.

For a while, the Alpurrurulam Community Government Council (CGC) was the local governing body. But on July 1, 2008, many councils joined together. This created a new system of shires. Alpurrurulam then became part of the Barkly Shire.

Community Life and People

Alpurrurulam is part of different government areas. It is in the federal (national) area called Lingiari. It is also in the territory (state) area called Barkly. For local government, it is in the Barkly Region. Within that region, it is in the Alpurrurulam ward.

Names of the Town

The town is often called both Alpurrurulam and Lake Nash. People usually say Lake Nash in everyday conversations. It's also used for mail delivery, which comes through Mount Isa. However, for official things like a census (counting of people), the name Alpurrurulam is used.

Population Details

The 2016 Australian census counted the people in Alpurrurulam. It found that 420 people lived there. Out of these, 387 people (92.1%) identified as being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. The people of Alpurrurulam have strong historical connections. They are close with the people of Ampilatwatja, which is in Utopia.

What You Can Find in Alpurrurulam

Alpurrurulam has several important services for its community members.

Local Services and Programs

• The Barkly Regional Council Alpurrurulam Service Centre helps with local needs.
• There are facilities for aged care, helping older people.
• A night patrol helps keep the community safe.
• Sport and recreation programs are available for everyone.
• A Centrelink office helps people with government services.
• There is a post office for mail.
• The Warte Alparayetye is a community-owned store.
• The Alpurrurulam Community School teaches students up to Year 9.
• Rainbow Gateway is a new program that helps the community develop.

Sports and Transport

Lake Nash AFC is the town's Australian rules football club. They play in the AFL Mount Isa league in Queensland. The men's team is called the Young Guns. The women's team is known as the Giants.

The town also has an airstrip. Planes fly to Mt Isa once a week for health appointments. A special mail plane delivers mail on Fridays.

Power Supply

To provide electricity, a wind farm and a solar farm were built. These use a mix of solar and diesel power. They were installed between 2011 and 2012.

Notable People

• Elkin Reilly, an Australian rules footballer. He was the first person from the Northern Territory to play in the AFL.