Amata, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amata South Australia
Amata Location in South Australia
Population	455 (2016 census)
Established	1961
Postcode(s)	0872
Elevation	690 m (2,264 ft)
Time zone	ACST (UTC+09:30)
Location	1,407 km (874 mi) North West of Adelaide via
LGA(s)	Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara
State electorate(s)	Giles
Federal Division(s)	Grey

Amata (once called Musgrave Park) is a special community for Aboriginal Australians. It's located in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia. Amata is one of six main communities in this area, often called "The Lands." The other communities are Pukatja, Kaltjiti, Indulkana, Mimili and Pipalyatjara.

The people living in the Tjurma Homelands near Amata see themselves as a separate community. Amata is part of the Amata – Tjurma voting area.

Understanding Amata's Time Zone

Amata is very close to the border of the Northern Territory. Because of this, it uses a different time than most of South Australia. Amata follows Australian Central Standard Time (UTC+9:30) all year. This is the same time zone as Darwin, not Adelaide. This means they don't use daylight saving time.

Amata's Location and Local Government

Amata is in the north-west part of South Australia. It's about 115 kilometres (71 miles) south of Uluru. It's also about 380 kilometres (236 miles) south-west of Alice Springs. The town is located at the western end of the Musgrave Ranges. It's only about 14 kilometres (9 miles) south of the Northern Territory border.

Amata is about 700 metres (2,297 feet) above sea level. This makes it the highest town in South Australia.

Amata is part of one of seven areas within the APY Lands. These areas choose members for the Executive Board of Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara.

Weather in Amata

The weather in Amata is based on records from a nearby weather station. In January, the average high temperature is about 37.3°C (99.1°F). In June, the average high is around 19.6°C (67.3°F).

At night, temperatures in January average about 22°C (71.6°F). In June, they drop to about 5.5°C (41.9°F). Amata gets about 234.4 millimetres (9.2 inches) of rain each year.

Who Lives in Amata?

The number of people living in Amata has grown over the years. In 1981, there were 180 residents. By 1996, the population had reached 536.

According to the 2016 Australian census, Amata had 455 people. Most of them (83.6%) identified as Aboriginal. Almost everyone (96%) was born in Australia. Many people (81%) spoke Pitjantjatjara language at home. A small number (3 people) spoke the Warlpiri language.

Amata also provides services to the Tjurma homelands and other nearby areas. The census showed 429 people in the "Amata - Tjurma Homelands." All of them were Aboriginal. Most (89%) spoke Pitjantjatjara.

Amata's History

Amata was started in 1961 by the South Australian State Government. It was first called "Musgrave Park." The community was created to help with the growing population in Pukatja (which was then called Ernabella). The idea was to teach Aboriginal people how to work in the cattle industry. A school was opened in Amata seven years later, in 1968.

In the 1980s, the federal government helped fund Amata. It was supported as an outstation, which is a homeland community.

Community Facilities and Services

Getting Around Amata

The Centre Bush Bus service helps people travel. It offers trips between Amata, Kalka, and Alice Springs several times a week.

Amata Airport is one of three paved airstrips in the APY Lands. The other paved airstrips are at Kaltjiti and Mimili.

Learning and Education

The Amata Anangu School was improved between 2003 and 2005. In 2007, the State and Federal Governments promised to make the school's swimming pool better. The swimming pool was opened on June 24, 2007, by the Premier of South Australia at the time, Mike Rann.

In 2018, the school taught students from Reception (kindergarten) to Year 12. It had 92 students in total, and 84% of them were Indigenous. There were 15 teachers at the school.

Amata also has some support for Technical and Further Education (TAFE). Community teachers offer classes in:

• Getting ready for work
• Reading and writing skills
• General work skills
• Learning to drive and getting a licence

Food and Daily Supplies

Getting fresh and healthy food has been a challenge for remote communities like Amata. In April 2020, a new, large store opened in Amata. It's called the Amata Aṉangu Store. It has a big shopping area and lots of storage space. The store sells fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen meat, and other household items. You can find everything from TV sets to trampolines there.

A nonprofit group called Mai Wiru Regional Stores Council Aboriginal Corporation was started in 2000. Their goal is to help make sure there is enough healthy food in the APY Lands. They want to provide healthy food at lower prices to improve people's health. In 2015, Mai Wiru started its own transport system. They now bring fresh food from Adelaide instead of Alice Springs. This has helped cut costs by up to 25%.

Visiting Amata

If you want to visit Amata, you need a special permit. You can get this permit from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara. This is because the land is owned by the Aboriginal people who live there.

Art and Culture

Selling local artwork is very important for the Amata community. Tjala Arts was started in 1999. In 2006, Tjala Arts showed the work of 7 artists from Amata in Canberra. In 2007, the South Australian Government announced money for a new art centre in Amata.

Tjala Arts has helped many artists become famous for their work. Artists like Tjungkara Ken have won important art prizes. The Kulata Tjuta (meaning "many spears") project is a big art project. It has spread across the APY Lands. It was also a large art display at the Tarnanthi Festival in Adelaide in 2017.

Artworks by Tjala artists are collected by people and museums all over the world. You can see their art in places like:

• The National Gallery of Australia
• The Art Gallery of New South Wales
• The National Gallery of Victoria
• The Art Gallery of South Australia

Tjala Arts is one of ten art groups that are owned and run by Indigenous people. These groups work together as the APY Art Centre Collective.