Maralinga Tjarutja facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maralinga TjarutjaSouth Australia |
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Location of the Maralinga Tjarutja Council
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| • Density | 0.001/km2 (0.0026/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 2006 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 102,863.6 km2 (39,715.9 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Ceduna (outside Council area) | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Eyre Western | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Flinders | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
| Website | Maralinga Tjarutja | ||||||||||||||
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The Maralinga Tjarutja is a special group that represents the traditional Anangu people. These people are the original owners of a large, remote area in western South Australia. This area is known as the Maralinga Tjarutja lands.
The Maralinga Tjarutja Council was officially created by a law called the Maralinga Tjarutja Land Rights Act 1984. This area is one of four places in South Australia that are run by an Aboriginal Council. This means it's not part of a regular local government area.
The Aboriginal Australian people who have historic rights to this land are part of the southern Pitjantjatjara people. A big part of their land was affected by British nuclear testing in the 1950s. The people were later paid for this in 1991.
Today, there is a community centre at Oak Valley. It's about 840 km (520 mi) northwest of Ceduna. The Maralinga Tjarutja people also have strong family ties with the Yalata community, which is 350 km (220 mi) south. They are also connected to the Pila Nguru centre of Tjuntjuntjara, about 370 km (230 mi) to their west.
Contents
Who are the Maralinga Tjarutja People?
The Maralinga Tjarutja people live in the Western Desert area. They share many cultural traditions with the Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, and Ngaanyatjarra people to their north. They also have links with the Pila Nguru from the spinifex plains to their west.
They speak different forms of the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara languages.
Land and Its Importance
The word maralinga does not come from the local language. It was chosen from a language in the Northern Territory. It means "field of thunder" or "thunder." This name was picked for the area where atomic bomb tests would happen.
The land is covered in spinifex grasses and has good red soil, which was perfect for camping. Waterholes, called kapi, are very important in their traditional stories. They are seen as birthplaces and are believed to be home to spirit children. These waterholes also helped define different tribal groups.
Early Contact and Changes
Ooldea is a place with a permanent underground water source. It was a very important meeting place for many Aboriginal peoples. They used it for ceremonies, trading, and visiting family.
In the late 1800s, farmers started moving closer to the southern edge of the Nullarbor Plain. However, the lack of water kept the area mostly untouched. In 1933, a mission was set up at Ooldea, which brought many desert people there for food and clothing. Later, in 1937, the government created a large reserve of 2,000-square-mile (5,200 km2).
Nuclear Testing and Land Return
In the early 1950s, the Australian Government decided to use the Emu Field and Maralinga areas for British nuclear testing. Because of this, the community at Ooldea was forced to leave their land. They were moved south to Yalata in 1952. Roads were blocked, and soldiers stopped anyone from returning.
Yalata was very different from their homeland. Instead of spinifex plains, they found a dry, rocky plain with thin soil. The Maralinga Tjarutja people called this new place parna tjilpi, meaning "grey earth." This name also linked to the idea of elders growing old and dying, showing how sad they were about being moved.
Between 1956 and 1957, seven atomic bombs were exploded on Maralinga land. More small tests happened from 1957 to 1962, spreading dangerous materials like plutonium across the area. In 1991, three elders flew to London and showed samples of the contaminated soil. This led to them receiving A$13.5 million in compensation in 1993.
In 1962, the leader of South Australia, Sir Thomas Playford, promised that their traditional lands would be given back in the future. Later, short trips back to their land were allowed, helping them reconnect with their old ways of life.
In the 1980s, the Indigenous people started setting up small communities, called outstations, near their original lands. In 1984, the Maralinga Tjarutja Land Rights Act was passed. This law gave the Maralinga Tjarutja people full ownership of their land. It also gave them the right to receive money from the government for development. They moved back to a new community called Oak Valley in March 1985.
In 1995, the governments of the United Kingdom and Australia worked together to clean up the Maralinga site. Tons of soil and debris with plutonium and uranium were buried deep underground. However, some people still question how effective this cleanup was.
In 2003, a new school costing A$2,000,000 was opened at Oak Valley. This new school replaced old caravans that had no running water or air-conditioning.
In 2004, a large area of land, about 21,000 square kilometres (8,100 sq mi), was returned to the Maralinga Tjarutja and Pila Nguru people. This land is now known as Mamungari Conservation Park. It was the biggest land return since 1984. This returned land included the important sacred area of Ooldea.
In 2014, the last part of their land that was still part of the Woomera Prohibited Area was also given back to them.
Maralinga Tjarutja Council Today
The Maralinga Tjarutja Council is an official group created by the traditional owners of Yalata and Maralinga. Its job is to manage the lands given to them under the Maralinga Tjarutja Land Rights Act 1984. The main office for the council is in Ceduna.
The Maralinga Tjarutja and the Pila Nguru people also own and manage the Mamungari Conservation Park together. This park is about 21,357.85-square-kilometre (8,246.31 sq mi). Emu Field is now part of the council area. However, the Maralinga area, which is about 3,300-square-kilometre (1,300 sq mi), is still a separate area within the council's lands.
In 2007, a specific piece of land called "Section 400," which is about 120 km2 (46 sq mi), was returned to Traditional Ownership. This land includes the Maralinga Township and the places where the atomic tests happened. The final part of the former nuclear test site, about 1,782 km2 (688 sq mi), was returned in 2014.
Documentary Film: Maralinga Tjarutja
A television documentary film called Maralinga Tjarutja was released in May 2020. It was directed by Larissa Behrendt and made by Blackfella Films for ABC Television.
This film tells the story of the Maralinga people. It was shown around the same time as a drama series about the nuclear tests. The documentary aimed to give a voice to the Indigenous people and show how the tests changed their lives. It highlights the strength of the Maralinga Tjarutja people. The elders in the film share their deep connection to the land and their understanding of its sacredness. Even though the British and Australian governments showed little care for their land during the testing, the people have continued to fight for their rights to look after the contaminated area.
The film won the 2020 AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television. It also won the Silver Award for Documentary (Human Rights) at the 2021 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.
See also
