Aputula facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aputula (Finke)Northern Territory |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Aputula (Finke)
Location in Northern Territory
|
|||||||||
| Population | 191 (2021) | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 0872 | ||||||||
| Location | 159 km (99 mi) east of Stuart Highway | ||||||||
| LGA(s) | Central Land Council | ||||||||
| Territory electorate(s) | Namatjira | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Lingiari | ||||||||
|
|||||||||
Aputula (once called Finke until the 1980s) is a small, remote community for Indigenous Australian people. It is located in the Northern Territory of Australia. Aputula is about 317 kilometres (197 miles) south of Alice Springs. It is also 159 kilometres (99 miles) east of the Kulgera roadhouse on the Stuart Highway. This area is close to the border with South Australia. The Finke River flows near the community. This river is named after a German prospector named William Finke. It is usually dry, but sometimes has floods. The river is part of the Lake Eyre basin.
Contents
Where is Aputula?
Aputula is the place farthest from the sea in mainland Australia. This means it is very close to the true middle of Australia. The Lambert centre point of mainland Australia is only 23 kilometres (14 miles) west-southwest of Aputula.
Aputula's History
Early Days as Finke Siding
Around 1925, a railway siding called Finke Siding was built on the Central Australia Railway. It started as a small camp for railway workers, called fettlers. They lived in concrete buildings without their families. The closest police and postal services were far away.
Soon after it was built, Aboriginal people started visiting the siding. Arrernte and Luritja people set up a camp nearby. They traded things like wild flowers and handmade items for water and food.
Growing Community
In the late 1930s, a police station was built in Finke. This happened after the old one in Charlotte Waters closed. Police officers, Aboriginal trackers, and their families moved to Finke. Some older Aboriginal people also moved there. In 1938, people asked for a postal service. More Aboriginal visitors came from Ernabella to get supplies from the train.
During World War II, the Central Australian Railway was very important. Thousands of soldiers used it to travel to war in the Pacific. Finke Siding then got its first repeater station operator and its first private business.
After the War
After World War II, local farmers convinced the government to move their cattle yards to Finke. This was because Finke had much better water quality. This helped the town's population grow. In 1947, the first pub, the Finke Hotel, opened. It was owned by Ted Colson, who was the first European person to cross the Simpson Desert.
A local air strip was built by Aboriginal residents. This strip allowed the Royal Flying Doctor Service to reach the town. A race track was also built. In 1949, the government started helping with the town's water supply. However, the 1950s brought a water shortage.
In 1953, the first school opened. The town of Finke was officially named on 18 August 1955. Land in the town became available for sale in October.
Changes in the 1960s and 1970s
In the 1960s, more Aboriginal people moved to Finke. This was because of drought and changes in the cattle farming industry. There was less work on cattle stations. People lived in traditional shelters called wurlies. They hunted rabbits and sold handmade items to tourists who came by train.
In the late 1970s, the railway line was moved west. This happened after big floods in 1973 and 1974 damaged the tracks. Most non-Aboriginal people left Finke. However, the Indigenous population stayed. With help from Margaret Bain, a Uniting Church missionary, they moved from the sand dunes into houses they built themselves.
During this time, the town became known as Aputula. It changed from a European township to an Aboriginal community. The name Aputula comes from a place called 'Putula'. This is an Arrernte word. It was a place where Arrernte people used to get water from a water soakage. Aputula also became a "dry town." This means alcohol is not allowed. The local council bought the pub, and the town's first Aboriginal Health Worker, Johnny Briscoe, ran it dry.
The Aputula Housing Company started in the 1970s. It has been very important for the local economy. Local people and a group of Torres Strait Islanders who moved inland after the war ran it.
Some old buildings in Aputula, like the old police station, school, and railway buildings, are being considered for heritage listing. This means they are important historical places.
Camel Police
Finke once had a police force that rode camels. It might have been the largest police patrol in the world. It was also the last police station in the Northern Territory to use camels. Aboriginal trackers were very important for these patrols. They often found people who were lost in the bush. The last camel patrol left Finke in 1953.
Trackers also helped solve crimes. Finke police also checked farm animals, recorded births, marriages, and deaths. They looked after mines, protected birds, and collected taxes. The policemen's wives ran the post office. They also gave out food rations when their husbands were away. They nursed sick people because there were no nurses or doctors in Finke.
Climate and People
Aputula holds the record for the two hottest days ever in the Northern Territory. It reached 48.3°C (118.9°F) on 1 and 2 January 1960.
In the 2021 census, Aputula and the area around it had 191 people living in 42 families. There were 59 private homes.
The people living there are Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, Luritja, and Lower Southern Arrernte people. Most people living in Finke today came from the Western desert. They know they are living on Southern Arrernte land. This place was not used as an Aboriginal camping spot before Europeans arrived. This was because there was not enough water.
Famous People from Aputula
- Ted Colson (1881–1950): A pioneer and farmer. He was the first European person to cross the Simpson Desert.
- Brownie Doolan (1918–2011): A tracker and the last person to speak the Lower Arrernte language.
- Tali Tali Pompey (about 1945/47 – 16 November 2011): A well-known artist.
Sports in Aputula
- Australian rules football: Aputula has a team in the SANFL APY League.
- Finke Desert Race: A famous off-road race held nearby.
- Simpson Desert Bike Challenge: A challenging bike race across the desert.
