Iltur facts for kids

Iltur is a special place in the Great Victoria Desert of South Australia. It is a remote homeland for the Pitjantjatjara people, who are one of Australia's First Peoples. "Remote" means it's far away from big towns and cities.

This area is also known as Coffin Hill because of a unique rocky hill found there. The traditional name for the land around Iltur in the Pitjantjatjara language is Ilturnga. It's located at the southern edge of the Birksgate Range. This makes it one of the most southerly spots within the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands, which are lands owned and managed by Aboriginal people.

In 1881, an explorer named David Lindsay visited Iltur as part of the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition.

What Happened to the People of Iltur?

Many families who lived in the Iltur region long ago had to leave their homes. This happened because of important tests involving nuclear energy that took place at a nearby area called Maralinga. These tests caused some people to move far away from their traditional lands.

Moving to New Places

Some families moved north to a community called Fregon. Others moved south to Yalata. However, not everyone left. Some people stayed near Iltur. They later shared that they experienced health problems because of the effects from these tests.

Building a New Homeland

In 1976, the Australian government's Department of Aboriginal Affairs offered money to help set up a new homeland, or "outstation," at Iltur. An outstation is a smaller community built on traditional lands. This helped some people return closer to their ancestral country.

An outstation was built at Iltur. While it is not always lived in, it remains an important place for the Pitjantjatjara people.